The European Stork Villages Network brings together communities across Europe with a special connection to the White Stork and a shared commitment to protecting the landscapes, habitats and wildlife on which these remarkable birds depend.
The initiative was established by the EuroNatur Foundation in 1994 in response to the loss of White Stork habitat across Europe. Since then, communities in countries across the continent have been recognised as European Stork Villages, celebrating places where people have made an exceptional contribution to the conservation of White Storks and nature.
Photo by Green Balkans
At the heart of the network is the understanding that protecting storks means protecting much more than the birds themselves. White storks depend on healthy, wildlife-rich landscapes, including wetlands, grasslands and rewilded countryside. By safeguarding and restoring these habitats, communities create space for countless other species too.
What Makes a European Stork Village?
European Stork Villages are places where storks, people and landscapes have become closely connected. Each village is different, but members of the network share a commitment to finding practical ways for people and wildlife to thrive alongside one another.
This can include protecting and restoring feeding habitats, providing safe nesting sites, making power lines safer for birds, working alongside conservation organisations and protected areas, and monitoring local stork populations. Just as importantly, European Stork Villages help people discover and celebrate their local wildlife through education, community projects, festivals and other events.
Photo by Cam Parfit
The designation recognizes not only the presence of white storks, but the enthusiasm and commitment of the people who live alongside them. Together, the villages form a network for exchanging knowledge, sharing successful approaches to conservation and inspiring communities across national borders.
Knepp and Storrington Join The Network
In 2025, Knepp and Storrington joined the European Stork Villages Network, recognising the extraordinary return of the White Stork to this part of Sussex and the growing relationship between the birds and the surrounding community.
Being part of the network connects our local work with communities protecting white storks across Europe. We share information and data, exchange ideas and experiences with other Stork Villages, and represent the White Stork Project at the network’s annual conference.
Photo by Cam Parfit
Photo by Sylvie Augendre
Closer to home, membership is also about celebrating the storks with the wider community and helping more people connect with the wildlife and landscapes around them. Each year, this includes the White Stork and Nature Revival Festival in Storrington, bringing people together to celebrate the return of the storks and the wider revival of nature.
White storks are great travellers. Their migrations connect landscapes, countries and communities across thousands of miles. Being part of the European Stork Villages Network reflects that same idea: the conservation of these birds cannot happen in isolation. By sharing knowledge, protecting habitats and bringing people together, communities across Europe can help secure a future for White Storks and the many other species that share their landscapes.
More information to follow on this exciting achievement and more can be found out from the ESVN website here: ESVN: Villages