A Serbian bird-watching group uses crowdfunding to buy and preserve a woodland habitat

PLANDISTE, Serbia (AP) — The merry chirping of birds echoed through towering trees in a small woodland in northeastern Serbia. Down on the ground, animal tracks could be seen imprinted in the moist grass and moss.

The 5-acre (2-hectare) piece of land, dubbed the Nightingale's Forest, is a rare patch of thick greenery in the flat, farming region of Serbia. The Balkan country's Bird Protection and Study Society bought the land last year through crowdfunding to preserve the forest and set an example in environmental protection.

“This woodland was privately owned, and we saw it was put up for sale,” society representative Uros Stojiljkovic told The Associated Press, adding that the trees probably would have been cut down if someone else had bought the land.

“The value of timber was higher than its (land) price," Stojiljkovic said. "We protected it this way."

The success of the crowdfunding initiative is seen as a sign of growing interest in nature protection among people in Serbia as the country faces environmental problems from air and river pollution and waste management to profit-driven construction threatening green areas, particularly in big cities.

Authorities have pledged to boost environmental care as part of the country's European Union membership bid, but protection groups have warned little has been done in reality.

The Nightingale's Forest is home to a variety of bird and animal species who thrive on its moist habitat, Stojiljkovic explained. The new owners now plan to list the plants and animals there while preserving the woodland as it is.

The purchase price of 8,000 euros ($9,500) was collected in less than a month and hundreds of people have continued to donate funds that will be used for field work or additional land purchases, said Natasa Jancic, who was involved in the campaign.

“Individually, we can't do much, but as an active and stable community, we can achieve a lot,” Jancic said.

Launched some 30 years ago as a small, expert-only group, the Bird Protection and Study Society has grown into a community of nature lovers, which is more proof of a mounting interest in the environment, Jancic said.

“We have many families who are members, many nature lovers who may not be that active in the field but they want to contribute somehow,” Jancic added.

Just 5 acres under protection won't change much on a larger scale, but it's a good first step, Stojiljkovic said.

“Every village or town should have a Nightingale’s Forest of its own for a cumulative effect,” he said. “It is important to start somewhere.”