The Slovenia Times

Environment & Nature

The European Commission has approved an advance payment of €100 million from the EU Solidarity Fund to support Slovenia's reconstruction efforts after the damage caused by the devastating August floods. The rest of the €400 million that Slovenia asked for is expected to be paid out next year.
The a
Slovenians now see climate change impacts and environmental degradation as the number one challenge for the nation, followed by the increased cost of living and access to healthcare, the latest climate survey of the European Investment Bank (EIB), conducted just after the August floods in Slovenia,
This summer, two members of the Piran Marine Biology Station of the National Institute of Biology took part in an international research expedition in the Pacific that uncovered a whole new ecosystem in volcanic cavities beneath hydrothermal vents at the depth of around 2,500 metres.
The team beli
A unique web-based digital atlas providing data on natural disasters in Slovenia all the way back to the 14th century has been made available by the Anton Melik Geographical Institute. The application also provides data about the most common types of natural disaster hazards for specific locations.
The glacier below Slovenia's highest peak, Mt Triglav (2,864 m) is under an imminent threat of disappearing with the latest measurements showing it has split into two parts, shrunk and thinned in the past year.
Geographers carried out geodetic measurements of the glaciers below Mt Triglav and Mt Sk
After days of miserable weather, skywatchers in parts of Slovenia were rewarded with a beautiful spectacle in the early evening on 5 November as the skies were lit up by the northern lights.
Sightings of the aurora borealis were reported mainly from the northern and eastern parts of the country, fr
Strong winds and huge waves wreaked havoc in one of Slovenia's most picturesque coastal towns on 3 November. Several seafront bars and restaurants in Piran were destroyed, a sea wall was torn apart and rocks thrown into the seafront road.
"I'm a local, here from Piran, and I can hardly remember eve
Three months after extreme flooding that hit most of the country, Slovenia braced for more floods and landslides on 2 November, but thankfully worst-case scenario did not materialise. After a brief respite forecast for 4 November, the weather will turn again but the situation should be less risky.
A three-year project involving the renaturation of wetland habitats along the entire course of the Mura, one of the most pristine rivers in Slovenia, has been completed. Over 106 hectares of wetland habitats have been restored in the most extensive such project on the river to date.
The main object
The Nicobar pigeon, the closest living relative of the extinct dodo, is becoming increasingly scarce in the wild, but a Celje zoo has decided to start breeding the birds in a bid to help preserve the species.
A male Nicobar pigeon that hatched in Brno Zoo in the Czech Republic in early September h

Unlocking the mystery of the olm's longevity

Environment & NatureScience & Education
The olm, a snake-like and almost translucent blind animal that can be found in Slovenian caves, has been the subject of research for over 100 years due to its unusual characteristics. Biologist Rok Kostanjšek, who has been analysing the amphibian's genome, says there is great biomedical potential w
A northern bald ibis, a large migratory bird long considered extinct, has been spotted near Lake Cerknica in the south-central Slovenia. The bird is bred in Austria as part of a repopulation project and equipped with a GPS tracker.
"It travelled from Austria to Venice, to the Trieste Gulf, across I