“Nature is the only promise we can count on”, Peter Handke
In Serbia, April 11 is celebrated as Nature Protection Day. This day aims to highlight the importance of preserving nature for the survival of wildlife, the quality of the environment, and human life. It also emphasizes the significance of managing protected areas. Nature Protection Day in Serbia was established by the Nature Protection Law in 2009 to raise public awareness about the importance of preserving natural heritage.
Each year, relevant institutions mark April 11 with programs and specially designed activities reflecting the national theme.

In Serbia, April 11th has been chosen as Nature Protection Day because, on this date in 1949, the status of a natural area was first designated as a protected natural asset. This area includes the waterfalls within the “Velika and Mala Ripaljka” Natural Monument in the Sokobanja municipality. In this early period of applying the law, both living and non-living natural objects were protected, symbolizing the unity and uniqueness of Serbia’s nature. The Ripaljka waterfall is one of the most beautiful in our country. It was formed on the Gradašnica river, which flows into the Moravica river below Sokobanja. It consists of 11 sections, with a total height of about 40 meters. The largest section, known as Velika Ripaljka, stands 11 meters high, followed by a smaller waterfall of 5 meters, while the others range from 0.5 to 2 meters.
Protected areas are regions with pronounced geological, biological, ecosystem, or landscape diversity, and are declared protected areas of general interest by an act of protection. They are categorized into three groups: areas of exceptional (international, national) importance, great (provincial, regional) significance, and local importance. The first protected area on the territory of modern-day Serbia was Obedska Bara, which was designated for protection as early as 1874.
Soon after the founding of the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia, the first acts protecting complex nature were enacted. On the recommendation of the Natural History Museum, the Ostrozub reserve was protected, primarily due to the presence of the stenoendemic relict species, cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus).

The Richness of Serbia’s nature, one of the 158 centers of global biodiversity, is rich in a wide variety of habitats, such as steppes, sand dunes, salt marshes, and pristine forests located in the canyons and gorges of wild rivers and mountains. This makes Serbia one of six European biodiversity hotspots, with ecosystems ranging from sub-Mediterranean to subarctic types.
Our most well-preserved and significant parts of natural heritage are protected within a system of 470 protected areas, covering 7.66% of Serbia’s territory.

The importance of Serbia’s plant and animal life is underscored by the fact that, despite occupying only 0.82% of the European continent, Serbia is home to 18.6% of Europe’s vascular flora, with birds making up 66% of the vertebrate fauna.
This year, as in the previous one, under the measures to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of preserved and unpolluted nature as an invaluable ally in overcoming the pandemic and maintaining overall health.

The Public Enterprise “Kopaonik National Park” marked the national Nature Protection Day by organizing a small-scale cleanup action to remove waste accumulated during the winter season. Employees and park users participated in the action, which took place in a limited area due to lingering snow.