All targets of the project were met.Forgotten, at very marigins of Northern Poland, on the border (500m!) with Russia -Kaliningrad Region, very poor and old village became after project implementation our Mecca for ornithologists and fans of white stork; the most populated with white stork village in Europe - 7 households with 20-23 inhabitants with population of white storks between 140-180 in 42 nests, natural and constructed for them (on roofs,trees). watch-tower is collecting income from visitors for local farmer and PTOP , visitors from all over the world can be found in a special book for visitors (cc 4000-6000 a year, from New Zealand, Australia, USA,France, Germany, Finnland and many other contries as well as from whole entire Poland). Educational room is used for schoolchildren for lectures, also more and more local products are sold (mainly milk, dinners, small gifts).PTOP is providing educational materials whic are distributed free of charge or sold.GEF/SGP is sending various GEF publications also from other grantees ,not only about white storks,to establish horisontal edchange between NGOs: those which has access to such a centres or are owners, with permanent exibitions or services and those which has not, but provide educational materials.
It is very necessary to support such a permanent places (hostels, museums,information centers) run by NGOs to train them in providing permanent services (not only ad-hoc, during project implementation), to teach them principles of sustainability.In certain specific spectacular places (here 42 white stork nests!) we can find a very effective tool in ecological education and rising ecological awarness.
Growing movement of tourists mobilized the ocal government to invest in road improvement and construction of a parking site in the village.