Imagine walking through the Slovak lowlands, hundreds of kilometers from the nearest sea, and coming across plants underfoot that belong on coastal beaches. Sounds impossible? The answer to this mystery lies in inland salt marshes (slaniská) – some of the most extraordinary and, at the same time, most endangered habitats in Slovakia and across Europe.
Clearing meadows of encroaching woody vegetation, raking mown grass or helping plant protected plant species – these are just some of the tasks where an extra pair of enthusiastic hands always comes in handy.
We would like to share with you what we managed to achieve last year in terms of water revitalization, restoration of meadows and pastures, floodplain forests, and protection of ground squirrels and turtles. If you look at the report, you will see how much work, volunteer help, and support from you, individuals, or companies, is behind it.
The results of the 2025 breeding season came as a very welcome surprise. This year we recorded 38 territories and 36 breeding pairs, the highest number in the past quarter century! Thanks to systematic monitoring, we have now confirmed a positive trend in the number of breeding pairs for the fifth consecutive season. One of the most colourful birds in our landscape is making a remarkable comeback.
When we say “endemic plant,” most people think of species like Daphne arbuscula, Onosma tornensis, or the Slovak pasqueflower (Pulsatilla slavica). Only few, however, know the Moravian ragwort (Tephroseris longifolia subsp. moravica). Yet this is an extremely rare member of the aster family that blooms only at the turn of May and June, on just…
During their traditional migratory stopover, a flock of black-tailed godwits landed at the Ostrovik meadow in the SPA Senianske rybníky.
The European roller is the flagship species for nature conservation in Slovakia’s steppes—rare cultural landscape habitats whose fate lies in human hands. The future of this species and others like it depends on the actions of farmers, conservationists, and policymakers.
One of the main measures of the project will be the restoration of wetlands by creating 3 new water areas on the Slovak side and restoring 2 earth-filled cut-off river channels on the Hungarian side. These will provide suitable habitats for the European pond turtle and at the same time promote better water retention in the landscape during dry periods.
Currently, 70 new nest boxes are being installed on power line poles in the SPA Medzibodrožie area. The European roller didn’t nest in Slovakia for a full decade after 2010.
The reintroduction of the protected species Pseudophilotes bavius and Phengaris teleius began in the Romanian project sites in 2023. In the following season, several individuals of Ph. teleius were observed in sites near Angofa, thus the reintroduction effort for this species can be considered successful.