09.11.2007

The Stork Season draws to a Close

• 2 million people visited www.storchennest.de
• Investigation into the losses through mould fungi was initiated
• Film about the "Internet Storks" has been produced

The Internet Storks of the NABU Information Centre at Vetschau (District of Upper Spree Forest-Lusatia) remain a magnet for visitors. About two million Internet users followed the events at the globally loved stork nest.

On the average the Stork Friend stayed for four minutes at the website and looked at 37 different documents in 2007. About 17,700 bird enthusiasts have linked their website to www.storchennest.de, including Google and Yahoo which have added it their indices. The stork pair and its off springs are loved both nationally and internationally. Primarily visitors from Australia, France, the Netherlands as well as North and South America looked at Vetschau.

After two years the Internet users were able to follow this past summer the breeding, raising and caring of three young storks. The last two "childless" years were behind and the triplets Chess, Mila and Gwen developed magnificently to the delight of all observers. During both preceding years the stork chicks were victims of aspergillosis, a type of pneumonia caused by mould fungi. To combat this, during September of 2006 the nest was removed and replaced with a new nest base.

The Institute for Fowl Diseases at the Free University of Berlin investigates this problem in the course of doctoral work and in cooperation with NABU-Calau for two years now in order to find ways to reduce the loss of chicks. Many Stork Friends are participating in the financing of this scientific study.

A film worth seeing has been produced about the "Internet Storks 2007" The DVD may be ordered by e-mail to storchenzentrum-NL@t-online.de

Background:

The Internet project www.storchennest.de runs now for ten years. envia Mitteldeutsche Energie AG (Central German Energy Co. [enviaM]), Chemnitz, Germany along with the enviaM-Telecommunications daughter envia TEL GmbH, Markkleeberg, Germany and the Regional Association Calau of the Federation for Nature Protection of Germany (NABU) operate the project. On the website one may observe at every turn one of the in Germany endangered animal species. A web cam makes it possible to deliver from the NABU White Stork Centre moving sound pictures. It allows for unique observation into stork nest. Mating, brood, raising and caring of the young ones could be watched live.

enviaM is the leading regional energy service provider in the new Federal States of Germany. The company serves within Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia about 1.6 million customers with electricity, gas, heat, water and energy near activities. 45% of the value added and 75% of the purchase and investment volumes remain in eastern Germany. A scant 50% of the electricity requirements are covered by local lignite (brown coal).

Your contact person at envia Mitteldeutsche Energie AG is:
Stefan Buscher
Press Officer
Telephone: +49 - 3 71 - 4 82 - 17 44
Fax: +49 - 3 71 - 4 82 - 20 6
E-Mail: Stefan.Buscher@enviaM.de

Your contact person at Regionalverband Calau of the Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) is:
Winfried Boehmer
Telephone: +49 - 3 54 33 - 41 00
Fax: +49 - 3 54 33 - 5 59 60
E-Mail: storchenzentrum-nl@t-online.de

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