Project title:
Joint conservation management and public awareness of the natural values of protected areas along the Romanian and Hungarian course of the Tur River – ROHU00083 TURRIVER
Partners:
Lead partner: Hortobágy National Park Directorate (www.hnpi.hu)
Romanian partner: Societatea Carpatină Ardeleană – Satu Mare / Erdélyi Kárpát Egyesület – Szatmárnémeti
Associated organisations:
Agenția Națională pentru Arii Naturale Protejate (www.ananp.gov.ro)
Asociația Crescătorilor de Taurine din Satul Turulung, comuna Turulung
Implementation period: March 2025 – September 2027
Description of the project:
The project “Joint conservation management and public awareness of the natural values of protected areas along the Romanian and Hungarian course of the Tur River” proposed by organizations involved in conserving the biodiversity and management of protected areas situated along the lower course of the Tur River in Hungary and Romania aims to improve the conservation status of habitats and species of community interest, through implementing the common conservation action plan developed in the last common project (ROHU-79 TURRIVER).
By revising the joint conservation action plan of the protected areas along the Romanian and Hungarian course of Tur river, through monitoring and re-evaluating the conservation status of species of conservation interest and invasive ones will result in a strategic document due to be adopted by the two partners. The action plan will provide the background for developing future projects aiming the conservation of natural values from the border region of the Tur River.
The project proposes to improve the conservation status of wetland ecosystems of community interest from the Natura 2000 sites on the lower course of Tur River, through conservation measures implemented by the partners with the involvement of specialized companies. The project partners will implement 3 types of conservation measures, which through a synergistic effect will produce a landscape-scale improvement of the natural protected areas.
Thus, by placing artificial roosts for bats and birds an improvement will be ensured both in terms of the numbers of these species, as well as ensuring a high phytosanitary status of the forests. By restoring wet habitats, given the landscape’s aridification trend due to climate change, breeding habitats will be ensured for numerous protected species of amphibians, reptiles and birds. By planting trees on the pastures, the former wood-pastures will be restored, which will provide habitat for species, but also shade for the animals of the local communities.
Ecological reconstruction activities will serve as a living lesson, both for biodiversity conservation specialists and for local community members, who will have the opportunity to observe the changes produced live.
Applied conservation measures, such as roosting activities for bats and birds, will serve as an example for land and forest managers, as these species have a proven pest control role.
The project proposes also to increase the level of acceptance of protected areas among local communities, through public awareness activities carried out by the specialists of the project partners and the associated organizations. In order to make the local communities aware of the need to preserve the natural values of the protected areas, the partners will address two important categories of stakeholders: children and youth from the educational units of the local communities and farmers, who through their activity have a direct impact on the lands of protected areas.
The communication objective is for members of local communities – youth and farmers – to understand the natural values of protected areas and to recognize the need to protect them.
The proposed activities will emphasize the uniqueness of the landscape, the richness in habitats and species of the area where the communities live, as well as the methods of coexistence with them, so that people’s interests do not suffer loss.
NEWS:
The project is funded by the European Union under the Interreg (www.interreg-rohu.eu) fund and co-financed by Romania and Hungary.
Budget:
European Union (ERDF): 474.838,56 EUR
Romanian Government: 106.838,67 EUR
Own contribution (RO): 11.870,97 EUR
The content of this material does not necessarily represent the official position of the European Union