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 a few small meadows in the White Carpathians, the Strážov Mountains, Vtáčnik, and Tribeč. Moreover, in all known localities, it survives in only dozens or, at best, hundreds of individuals. Precisely because of its uniqueness and vulnerability, we chose the ragwort as one of the target species of the LIFE Endemic PANALP project.

The greatest threat to this species today is land abandonment. Without management, meadows become overgrown with invasive shrubs and trees, and important transitional habitats between meadows and forests—such as forest steppes or pasture woods—are disappearing from our landscapes. These are key habitats for many rare species. In addition to the ragwort, the decline of such habitats also affects the Clouded Apollo butterfly (Parnassius mnemosyne), another target species of our project. Both of these species can be found together in the SCI Vršatské bradlá, at the Lysá locality, where we have devoted the most effort to saving the endemic ragwort to date.

In recent years, we have cleared the overgrowing edges of this meadow, all the way to the border of the adjacent forest plot. Without this intervention, the steep meadow would have gradually disappeared into the shadow of the forest, despite occasional mowing and grazing. Thanks to targeted restoration, we have doubled the area suitable for the ragwort’s life. However, the local population is also long-term threatened by browsing by game. Therefore, state conservationists from the Biele Karpaty Protected Landscape Area administration have begun to protect flowering individuals with individual enclosures, which allow them to flower and seed safely. Additionally, as part of our project activities from 2021 to 2023, we manually sowed hundreds of seeds collected in previous seasons.

We will still have to wait a few more years to see the full impact of all these activities, but early successes are already visible. In the cleared areas, sterile (non-flowering) plants have begun to appear, and after decades of decline, the number of flowering individuals has started to rise again. For illustration, while botanists counted 700 individuals here in 2006, by the start of the project their numbers had dropped to just dozens. But in 2022, we recorded 148 ragworts during monitoring, and in 2023 nearly 170! It thus appears that, thanks in part to our project’s efforts, the most difficult period for this endemic plant in the Vršatec area may already be over.

During their traditional migratory stopover, a flock of black-tailed godwits landed at the Ostrovik meadow in the SPA Senianske rybníky. This species no longer breeds in Slovakia due to the loss of suitable habitats, but dozens of individuals stop here during migration. We hope that if habitat conditions improve—also thanks to the LIFE 4 STEPPE BIRDS project—godwits may one day return to Slovakia as breeding birds.

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. We know the methods and tools for its protection. The question is whether they will be effectively implemented and sustained, both in Slovakia and beyond. Our project LIFE21-NAT-SK-LIFE 4 STEPPE BIRDS aims to support the roller through habitat restoration and the installation of hundreds of nest boxes.
Read more about the roller in this article.

BROZ is implementing a new project “Cross-border initiative to support the conservation of the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis)”, funded by the Interreg Hungary-Slovakia Programme. 

The aim of the project is to improve the habitat status of the European pond turtle through practical field measures, public education and joint monitoring of the endangered species on both sides of the border.

One of the main measures of the project will be the restoration of wetlands by creating 3 new bodies of water on the Slovakian side and restoring 2 earth-filled dead river channels on the Hungarian side. These will provide suitable habitats for the European pond turtle and also promote better water retention in the landscape during dry periods. In addition to the benefits for the turtle population, the new habitats are also expected to support biodiversity in a wider context.

“Restoration of wetlands and natural habitats are crucial for the conservation of more than just this critically endangered species,” says Tomáš Kušík, chairman of the conservation organisation BROZ.

“We also plan to create places to observe turtles in the wild.” He added. 

The project, supported by a €546 344 contribution from the European Union, is being implemented in cooperation with the Hungarian national park Fertő-Hanság Nemzeti Park. 

The project builds on the activities of BROZ, which has been working on the European turtle for a long time. One of the objectives of the project is also to transfer the acquired knowledge and experience to the Hungarian partners through bilateral workshops, study trips and a jointly developed methodology for the conservation of this turtle.  

There are several reasons for the decline of the European pond turtle population in our territory: regulation of watercourses, cutting off of river side channels, intensification of agriculture, conversion of its habitats to arable land, use of chemicals and the spread of a non-native species – the pond slider turtle (Trachemys scripta). 

During a previous project implemented by BROZ for the protection of the European pond turtle, several wetlands were revitalised, restored and new sites suitable for laying eggs were created. 

A critical time in the turtles’ lives is the egg-laying and hatching phase, when the turtles face predation by foxes and other predators or threats from agricultural work, the BROZ said in its reports. A trained dog, Rexa, is involved in protecting the eggs, locating turtle eggs buried in the ground so that they can be secured with a protective mesh and protected from foxes and other predators that like to dig up the eggs. Over the past three seasons, Rexa has been able to locate and protect 70 nests, 20 eggs each, representing potentially up to 1,400 baby turtles.

The search for and protection of hatchlings of the European pond turtle will also be carried out by experts from Fertő-Hanság National Park as part of the project. Monitoring of the turtle population will also be carried out on both sides of the border.

The project also promotes cooperation with the public through a mobile application developed by the Hungarian partners, which will also be available in Slovakia. Citizens will be able to contribute by locating turtles and reporting the presence of non-native species. This form of participation promotes environmental education and raises awareness of nature conservation.

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. But in 2020, it returned—and its population has been steadily growing: from 6 pairs in 2020 to 29 pairs in 2025. As a steppe species, it needs vast grasslands and tree cavities, which can be replaced with nest boxes.

Thanks to this success, the LIFE 4 STEPPE BIRDS project aims to install up to 800 nest boxes across suitable habitats.

Watch the video from the nest box installation!

The nest box production was supported by the 365.bank Foundation and the VSE Foundation, with installation assistance from VSD.

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.

Last weekend, SOS/BirdLife Slovakia organised the 21st volunteer camp to mow Bird Island in the SPA Dunajské luhy. Despite the heat and hard work, 45 participants mowed and raked nearly the entire island.

The habitat was restored for gull species and the rare spotted crake.

This practical conservation camp was supported through the LIFE21-NAT-SK-LIFE 4 STEPPE BIRDS project.

The roller has appeared in western Slovakia—this time near Bratislava. This increases the chances of its return as a breeding species in the region.

This is clear proof that our conservation activities, including those under LIFE 4 STEPPE BIRDS, are working.

Among the countries where the European roller went extinct, only Slovakia has successfully brought it back. The LIFE 4 STEPPE BIRDS project plays a vital role in this story.

One key action has been the systematic installation of nest boxes. Recently, more boxes were added in SPA Medzibodrožie with help from dedicated volunteers.

Check out photos from this year’s monitoring and maintenance in the region.

A European roller was seen hunting above a biostrip near Šoporňa. The sighting during the breeding season shows there’s hope it could return as a nesting species—if we help with targeted conservation measures. That’s why we’re also placing nest boxes in western Slovakia as part of the LIFE 4 STEPPE BIRDS project.

Read more in the article.