Koper is an old town in the southwestern Slovenia. It is situated on the Adriatic coast of the Istrian peninsula. With Slovenian independance in 1991, it became the only commercial port in Slovenia. The most famous attraction is the Praetorian Palace on the city square.
Skocjanski zatok Nature Reserve is located near the city. For visitors is open all year around. For several centuries, man has interfered with the natural environment of the Skocjan Bay. Used as a waste disposal site, the bay was gradually transformed into a shallow semi-enclosed lagoon. In the 1980s its ultimate degradation seem inevitable not merely due to the draining and uncontrolled waste disposal but also because the lagoon water was heavily polluted. Since its restoration completed in 2007, Skocjanski zatok Nature Reserve, the northernmost brackish wetland in the Mediterranean, has resumed its role as an internationally important stopover, wintering and breeding site for many bird species. In the open area of the northern part of Bertoška bonifika food supply is abundant. The diversity of freshwater life ranging from aquatic plants to a wealth of tiny water creatures – small fishes, tadpoles, shrimps, oligomers, dragonfly and others – attracts a large number of waterfowl to this part of the reserve. Greylag Geese Anser anser, large and noisy waterfowl, feed on plants such as roots, sprouts, leaves of aquatic plants and grass on wet meadows. Reedbeds are a very important habitat for many animals species as they provide excellent shelter and a good place for feeding and breeding.
Reeds can only thrive in permanently inundated terrains. The habitat has become home to a number of birds species, including the Little Bittern, Great Reed Warbler and Reed Warbler, which have adapted to live in this special environment.