Bença valley, named after the village, is part of Vjosa river valley in the district of Tepelenë.

Fig.1 Situation of the nature and environmental education zone: Gjirokaster prefecture (1B) with the Bença environmental conservation area and pilot zone in Tepelenë district (1C).

Together with the Kurvelesh highland (Fig. 1) it is an area of outstanding natural beauty. It represents all the typical karst-forms such as canyons, caves, natural bridges, springs and waterfalls. Its altitude ranges from about 250 m to just over 2100 m. As such it offers a great diversity in living conditions so that we encounter a diverse flora and fauna. Inventories so far identified black trout as an endemic species of the river in which also the otter was identified. In the mountains occur wild cat, wolf and wild goat just to mention a few. The mediterranean flora is rich in aromatic plants such as Sideritis roeserii which is also used for tea. Among the trees, summer oak and mediterranean oaks, (Quercus spp), the balkan plantane and fir species cover the slopes of the mountains.
The just described characteristics give the area a high value from a nature conservation point of view. Apart from the village of Bença with only 250 inhabitants five other villages (Fig. 1, ) occur in the area. They are reached by a gravel road which is presently being improved by the Tepelenë district council. The other villages are Lekdush, Progonat, Gusmar, Rexhin, and Niviça. The latter are situated in the Kurvalesh highlands (Fig. 1) at altitudes of 900 to 1000m. Unfortunately also armful effects such as overgrazing, accelerated erosion, illegal hunting and fishing, and pollution of the environment by oil waste due to leaking oil towers, and illegal hunting is probably present. Recent information tells that a project has started to stimulate natural forest growth and renovation of a spring.

2. HOW TO GETT THERE, ACCODOMATION, INHABITANTS
Take the gravel road from Gjirokaster to the villages Lekdush, Progonat en Benca. In the smaal village Benca the Eco tourist villa is situated in just near the road and has a nice overview over the valley and the river Vjosa (I am not sure if the river was called Vjosa?). the toilets are clean. In the building also a kind of bar/restaurant is present. In the morning and evening it is possible to reach the place by hitch hiking. If you are a visitor from abroad the most easy connection is probably by travelling via the famous Greek island of Corfú. Corfu is connected by ferry on a daily basis (less than two hours cruise) to the nearby Albanian coastal town of Sarande. The host and hostess were very kind but lacked any knowledge of english in 2001. Near the eco village a (botanical) nice beautiful garden and plant nursery was present which could serve as a bio-diversity and demonstration area. The people live of sheep and goat keeping including some cows, fruits (apples, pears, citrus, figs, walnuts etc.), fuel wood collection, bee keeping and hunting. In the area there are quite a lot of footpaths in this mountainous area without a description. We had a guarded trip with an uncle of the owner of the village but this guide was at the age of 65 more used at walking in the mountains than us at the age of 30 so the walk was quite tough.

3 THE ECO CENTRE
Eco-tourism: the area of Bënça has great potential; presently it offers the following.
Infrastructure: the Eco centre with 6 double rooms, 5 toilets and bathrooms with hot and cold water, a sitting room/ restaurant with kitchen, three ample balconies with a beautiful view over the valley and river; a terraced garden with fruit trees and endemic plants. The gravel road to Kurvelesh is possible for all type of cars.
Qualities of the area:
· Food in the centre is virtually all home-made and produced without use of herbicides, pesticides and artificial fertilizer. It includes items such as bread, cheese, yogurt, fruit trees including citrus, figs and nuts. Because of irrigation vegetables and crops can be produced during the whole season. Wine and raki are also locally produced.
· Local art and traditional skills: baking of bread, cheese making, beekeeping, honey production, preparation of wine and raki. Weaving of traditional clothes and carpets, wood and stone-carving. Special is the manufacture of the shepherd flute. Traditional polyphonic music by the Bënça group, which is nationally famous.
· In the higher part at about 900 to 1000 m you find suitable flat camp grounds.
· Family of the owner of the eco center can function as local guides
· The area in Southern Albania is a karst area with many springs, canyons and caves and with a rich flora and fauna. A gravel road traverses the area from Tepelene to the Kurvelesh highlands (altitude from 900 to 2200 m).
· A mountainous scenery with impressive canyons, waterfalls and other karst phenomena such as poljes and dolines.
· It is possible to visit a local diary/milk factory at Prognat were they make cheese and to fish in the Vjosa river. At the milk factory also dozens of the Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia) are present.
· A diverse insect population such as of butterflies of which the species composition is largely unknown. Present is Emperor Moth, Jersey Tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria), nettle-tree butterfly (Libythea celtis), Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta), Scarce swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius) and Swallow tail (Papilio machaon). Frogs and toads deserve attention as well. If you look for the Pfeilnatter (Coluber jugularis) you will find this snake. The large and the small Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus)
· Several Libelloides, Dragonflies and Damselflies. (Calopertyx virgo, Aeshna isoceles, Orthetrum cancellatum, Gomphus sneiderii en Cordulegaster bidentata and C. boltonii.)
· Mammiferous animals such as wild cat, wolf, wild goat, wild pig, lynx and bats (in caves).
· Plants: Orchids like the Tongorchis, Spinnenorchis, Hondskruid of Pyramide orchis (Orchis pyramidalis) and the Vanilla orchis, Glaskruid and Bremrraap (Orobranche ).
· Birds: rare birds of prey such as the Bonelli's and Imperial eagle and two vultures (including Egyptian vulture) where present. Further common Falcon, common Raven and Buzzard. Crag Martin, Dipper and Grey wagtail are common. Red-rumped Swallow was nesting on the Eco centre's wall.
· Endemic trout (possibly Salmothymus obtusirostris) and Common eel (Anguilla anguilla) are present in the Vjosa river.

INFORMATION

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Kurvalesh Geofraphic
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INSECTS
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