At the end of last week, within the LIFE endemic PANALP project, we prepared a two-day field trip to the Duchonka forest administration, where we invited employees of the State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic from the Záhorie Protected Landscape Area, Small Carpathians Protected Landscape Area, Ponitrie Protected Landscape Area and foresters from Lesy SR .
Two donkeys from ZOO Bojnice arrived at Salaš Šurice last week. There is a territory of European importance, declared for the ground squirrel and several other rare and protected animals, called Owl’s Castle.
We participated in the study visit with our project coordinator in the Austrian Donau-Auen National Park.
Together with our DANUBEPARKS partners, we are launching a new project focused on the entire flow of the Danube, which will bring restoration of the side arms and the revitalization of the islands.
In August, we prepared another fence for sheep grazing, so that ground squirrels would do better. This time, we have built more than 1 km of fencing in the village of Jesenské in the Cerova vrchovina, and grazing on the 4.4 hectares of ground squirrel locality can begin.
A fat ground squirrel, a healthy ground squirrel, this applies especially in this period before hibernation. Ground squirrels can weigh up to more than 500 g. In the spring, they weigh around 200 g. If you see a skinny ground squirrel during this late summer period, you are probably seeing him for the last time.
As part of the project, we are also carrying out genetic research, and at the same time we are strengthening localities where there are so few individuals and interbreeding would deffinetelly occur between them.
Wetlands are used directly for educating the public. Microtus minibus runs in Hungary. In Austria you can sail among the reeds.
Throughout the month of July, a crowdfunding campaign was active to fund the publication of our children’s fairy tale book – Stories from the Meadows and Wetlands. We are pleased to say that the campaign was successful.
The level of the Danube has risen by about 4 meters in recent days. This brought life-threatening floods to the landscape and nature of the Danube region.