For several years now, we have successfully grazed sheep and donkeys at Devín Castle, and this year we managed to expand the pasture to the Devín castle Rock – which is located in the southern part, directly under the walls.

Sheep grazing has a long-term tradition in Spiš, and for its restoration in the meadows of Spišské Podhradie, several entities sterted to cooperate – the conservation association BROZ, the Administration of the Slovak Raj National Park, the city of Spišské Podhradie, and the Bishopric of Spišské with its seat in Spišské Podhradie at the Spišská Kapitula.

In addition to the successful activities in the Strážovské vrchy, as part of the LIFE Panalp project, we also started to restore rare grass habitats in the Samll Carpathians. In the westernmost Slovak mountain range, this spring, in cooperation with the Museum of the City of Bratislava, we started grazing on the Devín Castle Rock.

On 16 May, together with experts from the Water Research Institute, we participated in the meeting of the Slovak-Hungarian Boundary Waters Commission to present the plans, visions and activities of our Danube LIFE projects

On Monday, sheep of our original breed – valaška – traveled to Spiš to get to know the new barn and meet the shepherd. As early as next week, we are going to release them at a beautiful location, on a meadow near Spišské Podhradie with a view of UNESCO location Spišský hrad.

The project team (BROZ and PRIF UK) headed to explore the Netherlands in September 2022. The reason is that a relative of the pannonian root vole lives here. Another endemic subspecies – Microtus oeconomus arenicola has found a refuge there after the ice age.

In September 2022, the first Microtus II study tour, previously postponed due to the pandemic was finally organized. Together with our stakeholders, we explored the wetlands of Balaton-felvidéki National Park in Hungary. Around Lake Balaton

The winter season is ideal for crossing the original river arms. Exposed majestic poplars and willows let us know where their paths led. Nowadays, most of the river side arms are only supplied with water for a very limited period of increased flows in the Danube. All efforts to tame our rivers have led to a deterioration in the condition of the floodplain forest habitats. The WILDisland project plans to restore and connect the two original relics of the arms, which once formed the very dynamic and varied Medvedovska river branch system, with the main flow of the Danube. We expect that increased groundwater infiltration will also improve conditions for the adjacent floodplain forests.

The first step towards the restoration of the river branch in the Kráľovská lúka area was the preparation of an expert study by specialists from the Water Research Institute.

At the beginning of this year, we planted a total of 4 850 seedlings in the project areas in Vojka nad Dunajom and on Veľkolelské Island (PLA Dunajské luhy).

In the frame of the project LIFE Danube floodplains monitoring of amphibians continued also during the 2022 season. Several areas within six locations were monitored. Amphibian reproduction was greatly affected by the simulated flooding regime.

In 2019, the ground squirrel was listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, and population curves throughout Europe show a continuing downward trend.
Despite these trends, the number of Slovak ground squirrels continues to increase after decades. Thanks to nothing else than the LIFE Sysel project.

Today we planted fruit trees at the Ďurkovec sysľovisko near Tomášovský výhľad in Slovak paradise. It was a great and useful event and we thank everyone who participated. All of us are looking forward to the harvest, both for us and for the groundhogs.

On Saturday 19th of November, together with volunteers we have started working on tidying up the Čiliž brook. The brook flows nearby a landfill in Veľký Meder. The landfill had been closed for quite some time, however, the access was closed only recently.

In august, we borrowed a Microtus minibus from our Hungarian partner Pisztráng Kör.  The minibus is an outdoor mobile laboratory for all ages. The van is equipped with all necessary tool to be used by all curious explorer for research of different biotopes and its residents.

In the course of each LIFE project, control monitoring visits are regularly held to monitor whether the activities are progressing according to plan. This year on 11.-13.10. the LIFE Danube Floodplains project was inspected by an external monitor from the NEEMO team.

In March 2017, in cooperation with the local agricultural association, we restored by grassing an area (approximately 23 ha) of waterlogged fields and degraded meadows near the Číčovské dead arm.

The diversity of micro-environments created by the mouths and teeth of grazing cattle could be compared to the diversity of infrastructure in a city.

In the frame of the Restoration and management of Danube floodplain habitat LIFE project we prepared this year new informational and promotional materials. Beside the wall calendar for 2022 we published also other language versions of project leaflet (currently available in Slovak, Hungary and English).

Krasín hill starts to look like it used to, thanks to our grazing restoration.

There are habitats which can stand dry weather much better than others. We call them drough-loving habitats or xerotherms.

Thanks to the cooperation with VÚVH, 12 pieces of MERATCH equipment were deployed, which are placed on individual weirs within the Danube branch system and monitor the state of the water level with an accuracy of 1 millimetre.

The Slovak mountains hide small treasures, which many have no idea that they exist in our country. They are wild orchids, and it is the Strážovské and Súľovské vrchy that can boast one of the highest species diversity in Central Europe.

The WILDisland team met at the Croatian Danube in the Kopački Rit Nature Park, where we took part in a project management workshop.

On recent wanderings through the floodplain forest, the restoration of which was supported by the Dedoles company, we addressed other possibilities of our cooperation.
How about creating a joint collection of socks? And draw attention to disappearing biodiversity?
And so the Endangered Species collection was created, thanks to which species more or less conspicuously disappearing from our country got on the socks and information about them on the Dedoles website.

There is always something going on at the ground squirrel locality in the Tisovský Kras. We just recently finished cleaning before the pasture will start and we are still raking the cleared piles of bushes. We strengthened the squirrel colony with individuals from Murán. The ones you see there with some kind of pattern on their back are the new settlers. We shortened their hair with scissors, the lower part of which is black. In this way, they will have patterns by which we can recognize them and follow their fate. And the most important thing – whether they mate with local residents.

Recently an annual inspection of the Microtus II project activities, known as Monitoring Mission has taken place. The mission is conducted by an external monitor is European Commission.

Take a look at the two Danube islands that will get the new look thanks to the LIFE WILDisland project.

We have prepared the first plan for the restoration of the Istragov wetlands, with the aim of year-round presence of water in Istragov.

The ground squirrels, which were part of the first part of the captures on March 18-25, 2022, are already in their new homes and are obviously doing well.

In the Danube floodplians, we organized a workshop for experts from various fields of nature protection, agriculture and energy.

Over the weekend we started with capture of ground squirrels at the Bratislava airport, these days we are continuing in the Slovak Kras and the Muránska planina will follow.

From several ground squirrels localities in Slovakia, they tell us that the squirrels are waking up.

On the borders of ÚEV Čiližské močiare, the home to a large population of the Pannonian root vole, we planted a tree line of hawthorns, oaks and alders and completed it with an agate stakes.

As part of the LIFE Microtus II project, we will modify the end of the Čiližský potok brook so it will flow freely and create new wetlands on an area of approximately 40 hectares.

Pine trees and spruce trees gradually overgrew even the territory of Svarkovica prtected area. The shading and acid fallout of needles increasingly changed the ecological factors of the environment, and without human intervention, the rare habitat and the species bound to it would gradually disappear even from this hotspot of biodiversity.

We recently reported on the results of amphibian monitoring in the Danube floodplains in 2019 and 2020 and the impact of simulated floods on their populations. Nowadays, we hold in our hands a report from the observations from 2021, which were carried out by zoologist Peter Mikulíček before and after the flood in the target area.

The area of the so called Danube Inland Delta between Bratislava and Sap used to be full of life. The unique system of river branches, periodic floods and healthy floodplain habitats offered an optimal environment for the reproduction of fish and amphibians.

At the site of the maountain Apollo, one of our rarest butterflies, we cleared approximately 1 hectare of debris from invasive trees. Since this light-loving species of butterfly requires sufficient space with nutritious and nectar-producing plants. We believe that this intervention will greatly help the maintenance of this species in the territory and, among other things, will also support other species of rare plants and insects.

On 23 October 2021, an enthusiastic team of current and former DINPD staff members and their relatives devoted their Saturday morning to hands-on nature conservation at the Szársomlyó site of the LIFE endemic PANALP project. They cut down overgrown bushes and smaller trees on the most Southern habitat of the rare and vulnerable Vincetoxicum pannonicum.

This year’s autumn monitoring has yielded gratifying results. We found that the number of voles in the locality near the village of Čiližská Radvaň increased compared to previous years.

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.

Our documentary movie Land of meadows: a forgotten story was streamed on international film festival focused on food production and sustainable development Agrofilm and has won the price Award of the Slovak Agriculture and Food Chamber for the Slovak Film.  We are very grateful to the organizers and the jury of the festival for this opportunity…

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.

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.

The BROZ people decided to issue a fairy-tale book for children and to translate the environmental connections into a children´s language.

Within the project of the Conservation of Birds in SPA Ostrovné Lúky we organized a summer welcome event in the SEV Dropie. It was attended by the local residents, stakeholders and primary school students.

The water flow is lower than agreed.
Two simulated floods of the Danube inland delta take place after a long time. After a series of negotiations and a successful petition, we managed to enforce what is approved in the Manipulation plan for the Gabčíkovo water dam. Until now, the flooding process has been depending on a complex administrative process.

In the winter, when it is the best time for tree planting, we planted more than 30,000 trees – the native tree species of the Danube floodplain forests.

One of the outputs of the Conservation of Birds in SPA Ostrovné Lúky Project was also a documentary film titled the Land of Meadows: a forgotten story.

In the summer months – July, August, as every year, we organize five tours of children’s summer camps on Velky Lel Island.

Two floods of this rare wetland will take place this year. We are looking forward to it, but we are still only halfway there.

Did you know that rivers and wetlands are considered one of the richest ecosystems in terms of diversity of life? During the last century, however, almost 90% of them have been lost due to human intervention, which is also related to the decline of frogs. In the past, therefore, “frog concerts” during the spring were a common part of the stay in nature, now it is increasingly rare to find places where we can enjoy them.

In the area of the Inland Danube Delta in the cadastre of the village of Bodíky, in 2020 we expanded the grazing of cows on floodplain meadows by approximately 8 ha. In order to support biodiversity, in addition to grazing on the site, we cut head willows.

Our Hungarian project partner, Pisztráng Kör, obtained a minibus, so called
Microtus Minibus, for the purposes of this project.

You can find out about the state of grazing ground squirrel populations in Slovakia, what their needs are and what threatens their ground squirrels in an article in Denník N. The article was illustrated by Monika Pascoe Mikyšková.

Currently, the wetlands on Velký Lél Island are full of water.
A few years ago, we did such a thing – we changed the slope of the bottom in the drainage channel. It was a canal designed to drain water from Velký Lél Island. It was built in the past so that the water from the island flowed away after the floods sooner and people could use the meadows for grazing cattle as soon as possible.

The petition for the rescue of the Inland Danube Delta, signed by 11,603 people, serves as a basis for negotiations with the Water Management Enterprise and the Ministry of the Environment. We aim to increase the amount of water that flows in the Inland Danube Delta.

For the second weekend, the geocachers from OZ Permoníci did not resist the spell of volunteering in Tokaj area. In this time at the SCI Veľký Kopec.

We manually cleaned pastures densely overgrown with invasive agate and expansive woody plants. Of course, in compliance with all regulations.

Serényi´s cistern on the Plešivská Planina in the Slovak Karst was built in 1913 to ensure water for grazing animals and improve grazing conditions on the plain.
Today, there is a lack of water for animals, because the cistern is not functional and unfortunately it no longer fulfils its role.

We delivered a petition for the rescue of the Inland Danube Delta to the Minister of the
Environment, Ján Budaj. The petition was signed by 11,603 people.

Dear Minister of the Environment,

We, the signatories of this petition, turn to you in demand of a modification of the Temporary management terms for Gabčíkovo – Nagymaros Barrage System in the territory of Slovak Republic in order to provide the necessary care and protection for the last remains of the Danube inland delta in Slovak territory.

Floodplain forests are often overlooked in the search for solutions of climate change. However, floodplain forest restoration can play a very important role in reducing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere.

Trees have the ability to capture large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere and store it as carbon in their tissues. An adult tree can sequester up to 22kg of CO2 in one year.
As a result, forests are extremely important in slowing down the ongoing climate change caused by high concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere as a result of burning of fossil fuels and habitat destruction.

The impact of climate change in southern Slovakia is already very noticeable today. Increased temperature and lack of rainfall affect not only farmers but also the surrounding nature.

About a year ago, we started renewal activities in the area of European importance Sedliská pri Hlohovci. The southern part of this area consists of beautiful xerothermic meadows with pulsatilla and adonis, which were used as pastures in the past.

Tarbucka hill stretches over the villages Streda nad Bodrogom, Veľký Kamenec and Malý Kamenec. Thanks to its specific subsoil and suitable microclimatic conditions, Tarbucka hosts rare drought and thermophilic herbaceous vegetation and provides a home for many protected species of plants and animals. Thanks to these natural values it has been declared a Territory of European Importance.

Make yourself, your friends or family happy and get a nice Christmas present!
Wear a T-shirt with mandala of Danube nature made by an art graphic designer Riki Watzka – you will support the conservation of Danube floodplains.
Support the conservation of Danube floodplains with 20 Eur or more and we will be glad to send you our original T-shirt made of organic cotton.

The Kľúčovské rameno arm – already the eighth arm, which, together with partner organizations, we managed to restore in the river branch system of the Danube. Together we are celebrating another significant milestone in our efforts to restore the Danube inland delta. Work began in March and finished in November 2019. A side overflow was…

On 24.-25. 9. 2019 we organized an excursion where we demonstrated restora-tion activities done during the project. Together with employees from Ministry of Environment, local offices and other „stakeholders“ we could see and also hear how the Danube floodplains

We will restore small-scale wetlands in SPA Ostrovné Lúky. Not only is it a big support for local biodiversity in the local intensely agricultural landscape, wetlands also help to store fresh water in an area which is suffering from a long-term drought. They also play a significant role as carbon sinks and therefore act as mitigators of climate…

In spring 2018 we managed to restore the canal on Veľkolélsky ostrov island and to create  periodical wetlands of about 41 hectares. In the past the canal was built to drain the island meadows quickly after floods. Now it is adjusted to be able to bring the water into the dry middle of the island…

It is the first year of project running and we already succeeded in restoring the rare dry grassland habitats. One of the first project localitites which was restored through grazing in Fabiánka, part of the biggest karst plain in Slovakia – the Silicka plain.

During the weekend we worked with saw chains. A not-so-standard activity for conservationists but much needed for the old pollard willows and the creation of suitable micro-habitats for an array of different species. It might sound strange, but coppicing helps the old willows, it can extend their life-span by up to a 100 years! During long-term and…

Since February 2018 restoration works on the channel have been done in the middle of the Danube Island Veľký Lél. The channel takes the water from the river branch bringing it into the middle of the Island. Originally it was built by the locals in the last centuries and it had opposite purpose than it…

Meadows are ecologically valuable areas. In the Danube floodplain forest, meadows were maintained by grazing of mowing. However, in the context of the change of management, they gradually became wane. Within the action of  restoration of traditional grazing we returned traditional grazing into this area. The grazing is located near village Bodíky and its area…

On 14th November 2017, BROZ organised the networking took with representatives of the Austrian LIFE „Restoration of the Lower Morava Floodplains“, which is focused on water restoration measures. Networking took place between representatives of BROZ and the Austrian organizations Via Donau and WWF, which are focusing on water restorations of the river branches rivers on…

After the restoration measurement in spring 2017 first possitive results are seen. In the area of former branch river system (project acitivity C.2) near the village Vojka, river arms as long as 800 meters were restored which created permanent wetlands on the area of 1 ha. Water which was brought to dry places using restoration…

Few weeks before Christmas we managed to install a barrier against motor vehicles which we placed on deserted field road in the edge of National Natural Reserve Apálsky ostrov near the Komárno town (SKUEV Dolnovážske luhy). It´s purpose is to block the access of motor vehicles into the reserve. Due to this measurement the road…

28.10. 2017 – Silvia Halkova was a quest in the broadcast Panorama in Radio Regina. Listen a reportage about nature of Danube floodplains and their protection.    

Partner of the project – NLC – has managed to grow several native tree species that will be planted soon in the forest – common oaks, barren pear and apple trees, lindens and black poplars. Altogether 4325 seedlings have been grown. In the same time “mother heads” of black and white poplars have been planted …

The aim of the event – Ecological management and restoration of watercourses – was to inform the water experts and environmentalists about actual trends in water management and nature conservation. Motivate them to cooperation in solution of water restoration and water conservation. Within this event we organized professional workshop – How to restore Danube river…

In September 2017 was realized the restoration of the Porec stream between the railway and the highway in the length of about 600 m. The itself restoration starts about 150 m from the railway and ends at sluice on the field road about 80 m from the highway, at a length of 496 m. The…

The former Adit under the Slovinec Hill was a significant wintering place for bats in the past. In 2011, the Adit was closed, which was prevented access for these valuable animals. The re-opening of the Adit was realised in 2017 by our association in cooperation with Civic association SAOLA – Nature Conservation and State nature…

In the rooms of hydraulic laboratory of the Water research institute (VÚVH) the employees created physical model of the part of the river-branch system. The model optimalise the main parameters, position and configuration of crosswise structures with the aim to achieve optimal conditions of the stream. Using this model and following field measurements and calculations…

In May 2017 we managed to restore and create new wetlands in Danube floodplains near Dobrohošť. After digging a canal the water got into terrain depressions where ideal conditions for native floodplain species was created – e.g. amphibians and birds bound to open water bodies. Apart from amphibians a rare migratory birds appeared right after…

Partner of the project – NLC – has managed to grow several native tree species that will be planted soon in the forest – common oaks, barren pear and apple trees, lindens and black poplars. Altogether 4325 seedlings have been grown. In the same time “mother heads” of black and white poplars have been planted…

Devínska Kobyla is one of the most visited areas for population of the capital. It is characterized by a high diversity of fauna and flora. It is part of the Protected Landscape Area Malé Karpaty and also it belongs to the Network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union NATURA 2000.…

On 28.1.2017 took place in project area Danube floodplain forest expert workshop. The main objective was introducing the area of Danube floodplain forest, management in this area and experiences with nature conservation. Workshop manage project manager Andrej Devečka, who focused on activities: C.1: Restoration and management of forest habitats, B.1: Long-term lease of land and…

This activity consists of three main activities: a) removal of invasive species b) planting of native tree species  and c) marking and preserving valuable trees and modification of logging. video.

In the Nature reservation Devínska Kobyla finished first phase of restoration of rare grasslands. The Works were coordinated by DAPHNE – Institute of Applied Ecology in cooperation with Administration of Protected Landscape Area Malé Karpaty. Felling self-seeded trees on NPR Devinska Kobyla it ended the first phase of restoration of rare bow. The work is…

Devínska rameno river branch starts about kilometer from the confluence of rivers Danube and Morava. It bathes Slovanský ostrov Island near castle Devín. Water bathes Island only sometimes, when the level of the Danube river is high. Most of time the water in Devínske rameno river branch is stagnant and bed is dry. Regional Association…

The motto of this year’s the World Day of wetlands lays stress on the important role, which wetlands play in our lives. The future of humanity depends on wetlands. The wetlands withholds and cleans water, offers fishes, rice and crops, which feed a milion of people of the world. Wetlands works like nature sponge, reduce…

BROZ launched an activity in the NNR Devínska Kobyla today- restoration of a traditional grazing. On the lower terrace of the Weitov quarry, in an electrical enclosure, there is an initial herd of 23 goats, which will supervised by a shepherd, gradually pasture area of about six hectares.

For conservationists from BROZ, it is important not only to restore and protect wetlands, but also to highlight their important role in the ecosystem, of which man is a part. Therefore, activities to improve information and awareness among the general public, are one of the priorities.  

At the end of the year, BROZ once again carried out the planting of native tree and shrub species in the area of the Danube floodplains. There are further planting activities planned in the spring of this year, in which schools and public can take part of. These will be associated with a professional lecture…

Based on an earlier visit of colleagues from České středohorí, who visited in the spring, along with mayors and officials, Devínska Kobyla, we were invited to the PLA to see their project areas and types of management of steppe habitats.