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Are there nature sites of European importance near you? Are cranes breeding there? What types of habitats and other species can you find at these sites? Check this and other key information on the EU's Natura 2000 network with the updated Natura 2000 viewer.

Yesterday, 22 May, marked the International Day for Biological Diversity, proclaimed by the United Nations. Recently, 21 May, was the European Natura 2000 Day, celebrating the world's largest coordinated network of protected areas. The Natura 2000 network covers over 18 % of the EU's land area and 7 % of its marine territory. The main purpose of the network is to safeguard Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats mentioned in the Nature Directives (Habitats and Birds Directives).

A new Natura 2000 map viewer, hosted by the European Environment Agency (EEA) on behalf of the European Commission, provides an easy access to key nature information on all Natura 2000 sites and their habitats and species. The map viewer works on mobile, tablet and computer.

By choosing a Natura 2000 site, users can obtain detailed information about the site and see what species of EU interest live there. Similarly, it is possible to check the site's habitat types of EU interest.

Other useful functions include searching by species and habitat type across the entire Natura 2000 network. Searches on EU distribution area and conservation status are also available. For advanced users the new viewer also gives the option to create your own maps by adding map layers from ArcGIS Online or your own local files.

You can find information about other EEA products for Natura 2000 here.

Related content

The Natura 2000 protected areas network