• Young volunteers monitor the reproductive and behavioral characteristics of some birds using webcams.
• The project monitors five birds to study their reproductive and feeding habits.

Technology and innovation

The project's goal is to involve young people between the ages of 18 and 30 in nature protection and conservation. To this end, a group of volunteers analyzes ten webcams installed in the nests of protected birds to document everything that happens around the clock. The initiative is part of the SEO/BirdLife "webcams" project, which the organization has been developing since 2006.

Five different birds are currently being monitored: the lesser kestrel, peregrine falcon, black vulture, booted eagle, and pallid swift. The project is expected to last until August, and the findings will be published in a study coordinated by SEO/BirdLife.

According to Alberto Remacha Medina, local coordinator of the "Life Followers" project in Madrid, "the data analyzed relates to the reproduction and feeding habits of the species." Alberto specifies that 70 volunteers —of the more than 300 members of the "Life Followers" project—are involved in monitoring birds via webcams. The coordinator of this network hopes to hold a second edition in 2021.

A total of 10 cameras will be used, located in protected bird nests (Guadarrama National Park or Cabañeros National Park), through which more than 100 hours of daily observation will be carried out.

Rural Development

Initiatives like these have a clear impact on rural development. For Pablo de la Nava Martínez, coordinator of the "Life Followers" project in Spain, "this action contributes to the conservation and awareness of Natura 2000 species. Knowing the natural values that surround us greatly facilitates their appreciation, protection, and preservation. You can't conserve what you don't know." Regarding specific cases, Pablo states that "we can talk about more specific aspects, such as controlling micro-mammal populations in agricultural production, in the case of owls. Likewise, in the case of swallows, house martins, and swifts, they do incredible work controlling insect populations that could affect that production."

In conclusion, the chambers perform invaluable work in raising awareness and promoting the natural values of rural environments and their impact on a wide variety of areas, from coexistence with protected species to the socioeconomic development of a location.

SEO/BirdLife

It is a non-governmental organization dedicated to the protection of nature and birds, whose objectives are set out in the Natura 2000 Network . In the words of Pablo de la Nava Martínez, "the "Life Followers" project aims to be a link between formal training and the labor market, opening the possibility of an informal training experience for participants, as well as establishing their network of contacts in different areas, from relationships with the people who live in this rural environment to the managers and authorities in charge of its conservation and exploitation.