Switzerland - SVS/BirdLife Switzerland

Mission of the organisation

The mission of the SVS/BirdLife Switzerland is the protection of birds and biodiversity from a local to the international level and by this making a contribution for a natural environment and for people.

Key Activities

• To make a significant contribution for the conservation of biodiversity, SVS/BirdLife Switzerland focus their activities on clear priorities, based on the analysis of the problems birds face in Switzerland, and on carefully evaluated solutions
• As a federation of several hundred local, cantonal and regional organisations, SVS/BirdLife Switzerland are active in the conservation and restoration of habitats and sites, in the implementation of species action plans, and in lobbying, education and providing information
• SVS/BirdLife Switzerland also supports projects on an international level

Habitat conservation

• Our vision is that all the landscape should be a place for birds and biodversity
• The alpine habitats still hold large natural habitats. SVS are active to preserve them from overexploitation by recreation activities
• Intensive agriculture is one of the main reasons for the decline of many birds species. SVS lobbies for a nature-friendly national agriculture policy and helps to create new habitats
• Forest habitats in Switzerland are often are still very natural. SVS actively attempts to influence the national forestry policy and the development of labels (FSC)

Site protection

• SVS/BirdLife Switzerland works in a number of demonstration reserves and develops new pratices for their management
• Many of the local, cantonal and regional organisations of SVS/BirdLife Switzerland have their own nature reserves
• SVS/BirdLife Switzerland lobbies for a legal protection of the country’s IBAs and the waterfowl sites of national and international importance

Species Action plans

• In the species work of SVS/BirdLife Switzerland, the first step is the identification of those species for which the country has the highest responsiblity
• For globally threatened species and the other most endangered species SVS/BirdLife Switzerland develops species action plans on a national level working together with sientific organisations and authorities
• The implementation of species action plans is one of the main activties of SVS/BirdLife Switzerland and its member organisations

International projects

• SVS/BirdLife Switzerland supports projects for the protection of birds and the conservation of biodiversity in Central and Eastern Europe, in the Mediterranean region and Africa, as well as worldwide
• For these projects SVS/BirdLife Switzerland works together with other BirdLife Partners in those countries. In this way SVS/BirdLife Switzerland is an active part in the supporting system of BirdLife International for the development of a strong and active conservation NGO community

Motivating people

• Public awareness and nature education of young people are important in the Swiss political system of direct democracy which gives its citizens the possiblity to vote several times a year on changes to the national constitution and laws
• The SVS is active in the motivation of the population for the conservation of biodversity through the mass media and through programmes aimed at the youth
• SVS/BirdLife Switzerland runs two of the six main nature information centres of the country and helps to develop new centres
• For public awareness SVS/BirdLife Switzerland publishes booklets, pratical guides and four journals in German, French (and partly in Italian)