DTEK launches Track Storks initiative to support bird conservation and better energy reconstruction planning

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, has launched Track Storks, a new project that has fitted ten young white storks with GPS trackers to help Ukrainian environmental scientists and ornithologists study their migration routes and support safer planning of energy infrastructure. The project brings together scientific research, modern technology and DTEK's experience in protecting nature to help ensure that energy infrastructure is developed with greater care for wildlife.

Ten young storks have already been fitted with GPS trackers that will allow scientists to follow the birds during their first migration to warmer countries. From the second half of August, the public will also be able to follow the storks’ journey on an interactive map on the DTEK website.

As Ukraine repairs and rebuilds energy infrastructure damaged during the war, the data collected will also help DTEK take bird migration routes into account when developing and modernising energy infrastructure, reducing risks to birds and other wildlife.

Track Storks builds on DTEK's long-term work to protect biodiversity, including the #EnergyWings initiative, which DTEK Grids has implemented for more than ten years. Through the initiative, the company installs special nesting platforms on electricity poles to provide storks a safer place to build their nests. As of today, more than 900 platforms have been installed in Kyiv city and in the Kyiv, Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions. According to environmental experts, the platforms help protect around 3,600 white storks each year.

"It is important for us that modern energy develops in harmony with nature. We have been systematically working on the protection of storks for many years, and the new project will allow us to take another step forward — to help science gain new knowledge and use it to preserve biodiversity and develop energy infrastructure taking into account the needs of wildlife,"

said Alina Bondarenko, CEO of DTEK Grids.

From the second half of August, people will be able to follow the Ukrainian storks on an interactive map on the DTEK website, as well as on the project's social media channels and the platforms of NV, the project’s media partner. NV will publish updates about the birds’ journeys, interesting facts about white storks, stories of individual storks and the observation results.