Natura 2000 Award - News

Restoring the Stržen River led to significant improvements in the ecological condition of the intermittent Cerknica Lake, improving protected priority habitats and important bird nesting areas.

Funded by the EU LIFE programme, this large-scale mires restoration intervention focused on the six most important mire areas in Estonia. It achieved the restoration of natural water conditions over nearly 8,000 hectares of mires.

This project implemented an impressive series of actions aimed at improving the protection of the black stork, and carried out monitoring to ensure that the black stork is now one of the most intensively monitored species in Poland.

The Wild Atlantic Nature project has delivered an extremely convincing demonstration of how farmers can be paid fairly and effectively to protect Natura 2000 sites and habitats.

A small NGO, the Artetica Cultural Association, has built a caring relationship with the Natura 2000 ‘Muzzana Woods’ site, protecting its biodiversity and cultural importance through communications and community action.

Addressing the impacts of under- and over-grazing of semi-natural pastures, this initiative has built capacity amongst local authorities and directly restored 1,670 hectares of mountain grassland areas. 

An exceptional case of how to successfully balance safeguarding biodiversity and managing visitor access in an urban Natura 2000 site, through education, awareness raising and visitor control measures.

Ocean Alive, a Portuguese NGO, has actively and collaboratively engaged the local fishing community, decision-makers and scientists in conserving and restoring threatened seagrass meadows and salt marshes.

Issue 612: Species that rely on freshwater habitat are declining in Europe. This study finds that biodiversity within smaller sites in the European Natura 2000 network is highly impacted by the land use of surrounding areas.