The public institution for nature protection in Osijek-Baranja County (OBZ-AZP) celebrated World Earth Day on Friday, April 19, 2024 in cooperation with one of its CoPs, professors from the Department for Biology of Josip Juraj Strossmayer University and students studying biology. We connected this important date to our project activities in ClimEmpower that deals with issues concerning climate change impact on agriculture, the environment and on the life of living beings. A fieldtrip was organised in Podpanj Special Ornithological Reserve, an area that is managed by OBZ-AZP, to the nearby fishponds and the Drava River in Donji Miholjac. Many topics that are related to climate change were processed during the fieldtrip. The professors from the Department for Biology held lectures in the field about invasive species, climate change in water habitats, eutrophication, phytoplankton, phyobenthos and other species endangered by climate change. There were also practical activities during the fieldtrip, like water sampling and water quality determination where the students learned how to identify the quality of water and what kind of influence climate change has on species living in water. Other activities and plans related to the revitalisation and restoration of the Special Ornithological Reserve were also presented. When our Planet and climate change is in question, there is always room for improvement and development, therefore, with activities like this, we urge to arise consciousness and to educate the public about how serious the situation is and how all of us as groups or individuals can contribute to resist or adapt to climate change.
