Although few in Dobrogea, Saker Falcons have become very well-known among pupils in Adamclisi, Horia, and Saraiu

At the end of May, middle schoolers from Adamclisi, Horia, and Saraiu participated in biology lessons held not in the classroom, but in the schoolyard. At the meetings with the children, our colleagues Judit Veres-Szászka and Mihaela Simion came prepared with an “outdoor lesson plan,” along with educational materials and appropriate tools for learning about one of the most fascinating groups of animals – birds.
Through these educational activities, our primary goal was to stimulate the interest of young locals in the Natura 2000 sites Aliman-Adamclisi and Stepa Saraiu-Horea, two of the five Special Protection Areas for birds where the LIFE for Falcons project is being implemented. Through discussions grounded in the middle schoolers’ local knowledge, we emphasized the beneficial role of these natural areas, ecological behaviours meant to protect the biodiversity found there, and the relationship between the local community and the surrounding natural environment.
Even though the term “convergent evolution” belongs to the scientific language, through the dialogue led by biologist Judit Veres-Szászka with the middle schoolers — using comparisons between species well-known to them, such as swallows and martins, and the swift family — the students grasped the definition of this fascinating natural process. Convergent evolution is a phenomenon where species that are not closely related come to resemble each other because they have lived in similar environments or had similar needs. Even though they evolved from different ancestors, these species developed similar traits that were useful for survival. The discussion then continued with new comparisons — such as that between falcons and parrots, which evolved differently despite being genetically related, and between shrikes, songbirds that have developed traits similar to birds of prey.
Although middle schoolers are familiar with falcons as birds of prey, the falcon species found in our country are not well-known to them — even though, for example, in and around these settlements, there are many Common Kestrels, one of the most widespread falcon species. This observation gave us the opportunity to talk to children especially about the Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug), a species for whose conservation the SOR team and its partners from Bulgaria, the Netherlands, and Germany are making sustained and ongoing efforts through the project Securing the recovery of the endangered Saker Falcon in Bulgaria and Southern Romania (LIFE20 NAT/BG/001162), a 5-year project co-funded by the European Union’s LIFE programme.
Middle schoolers had the opportunity to experience how biologists use optical tools (binoculars, spotting scopes) as well as equipment (drones, online video monitoring systems) to monitor the Saker Falcon population in southern Romania.
The success of these outdoor lessons and the interest shown by the children in biodiversity confirm the need to raise awareness, understanding, and support from local communities for the protection measures of the Saker Falcon. That is why we plan to continue organizing such lessons in schools located in the five protected natural areas included in the LIFE for Falcons project. In this way, we aim to educate a new generation engaged in learning about and protecting the natural environment, with special attention to species listed on the Red List.