Public institution for management of protected parts of nature and ecological network of Virovitica-Podravina County was established on 12th March 2002. by the Decision of establishment of a Public institution for management of protected parts of nature and ecological network of Virovitica-Podravina County (“Official Gazette of Virovitica-Podravina County No. 1/02, in accordance with the Law. The founder of the Public Institution is Virovitica-Podravina County. Public institution is independent in carrying out its activities and operations in accordance with the Law, the Statute of the Public Institution and other general acts of the Public Institution.

The public institution carries out its activity through the following activities:

  1. Protection and conservation of natural values
  2. Collaboration and communication with the local community
  3. Education and interpretation
  4. Visiting and Promotion
  5. Capacity development and enabling the work of the Public institution

 

These activities are carried out by the Public Institution as a public service, and besides the above mentioned, the Public Institution may perform other activities that serve the above-mentioned activities, if those activities are in a smaller extent carried out along with the described activity of the Public institution.

 

The public institution also conducts regular activities in project preparation, monitoring of species and rescue of endangered species and returning to nature, of which the following are emphasized:

  • Preparation and application of projects that will contribute to the protection and preservation of the natural values ​​of the VPC at the national and international level (he Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, INTERREG Programmes, Calls for proposals of National Ministries);
  • Monitoring of: white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), white Stork (Ciconia ciconia), black stork (Ciconia nigra), swallow (Hirundo rustica), woodpeckers (Dryocopus martius), fritillary (Fratillaria meleagris) and other plant and animal species in the VPC area, with the aim of increasing monitoring of the number of species and habitats in the VPC area,
  • In the last 2 years, the Public Institution has participated in the restoration, ringing and returning to nature of Natura 2000 protected species; of white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), , more different species of white storks (Ciconia ciconia), and 4 swans (Cygnus olor).

 

Apart from the participation of the Public Institution in numerous projects, the Public Institution organizes numerous public events and educational workshops with the aim of presenting and promoting the natural heritage, as well as raising public awareness of the importance of nature’s preservation and improvement. It is actively working with t The Croatian Environment and Nature Agency (former DZZP), the Ministry of Environment and Energy, and the Nature Conservation Inspectorate and other public institutions at the regional level as well as with public institutions of national parks and nature parks and non-governmental organizations at local, regional and international level. Public institution of VPC is one of the founders of the international Association Green Belt, which includes 23 countries from Baltic to the Black Sea, and director of the Public institution of VPC is a member of the International Environmental Protection and Nature Conservation Committee of the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve, the Subcommittee for the Nature conservation.

Public institution is managing the Informational Educational Center – Hostel “Dravska priča”, and it designs contents and programs for visitors. Seven employees of the Public Institution of VPC participate in the implementation of all these activities.

The Public institution of VPC has its headquarters in Čađavica, in village Noskovci, in building which extends on 800 m2 of space. The entire facility is an Informational Educational Center managed by the Public institution of VPC, and in this space (at 10m2) there is also a Regional School.

Building of the Informational Educational Center – Hostel “Dravska priča” is surrounded by a park that is a protected monument of park architecture, which is also filled with various contents for visitors, such as the educational trail, the arbour, the hotel for insects, the recovery area for storks and the CITES Educational Corner.


The additional content for the users of the facility is a 2 kilometres long educational trail “Dravi u zagrljaj“, equipped with 20 info educational boards, rests and bird watchtower on the coast

Drava river and connects the object of the Informational Educational Center with the Drava river. In the vicinity of the Informational Educational Center there is a cycling trail with rest for cyclists in front of the Center.