Actions

The main aim of the LIFE+ project titled Cross-border protection of the Great Bustard in Central Europe, implemented by means of an Austro-Hungarian collaboration, is to stabilize the great bustard population within the Carpathian Basin as well as to provide appropriate circumstances for long-term, sustainable protection by averting or mitigating the most important threats. These direct actions are coupled with raising awareness  and education. Thus, the main project actions concern adequate conservation measures to each threat, including careful preparation and subsequent monitoring of their impact.

I. Preparation and planning (A actions)

By means of these actions, ground cabling shall be installed, the visitor centre will be designed along with the preparation of agricultural and game management guidelines. The latter shall be used during conservation investment as well as for communications actions.

II. Land purchase (B actions)

Occasional dispossession of land may be necessary for ground cabling.

III. Actual conservation measures (C actions)

These actions include investment for ground cabling as well as game management actions within the project sites. These actions may be regarded as direct, practical action to avert threats to the great bustard in its habitat.

IV. Monitoring (D actions)

These actions contain 'classic' conservation monitoring tasks (population census, mapping, monitoring of other protected bird species occurring in great bustard habitats, mounting tracking devices and the monitoring of tracked individuals). Furthermore, socio-economic impact assessment and project impact on certain ecosystem services shall also be assessed within the frame of D actions as these are specifically designed to monitor and evaluate the impact of other actions.

V. Professional and layman communication, education, popularization (E actions)

These actions target the development of educational resources for the key stakeholders in agriculture - first of all, agritechnological consultants. Training courses for farmers and other stakeholders, educational material, awareness raising and marketing resources aimed at farmers, game managers and the layman public shall be prepared and implemented to give an overview of the best agrotechnological practices and their conservation-minded evaluation. The construction of the Great Bustard Conservation Centre for Visitors along with a thematic trail will be carried out within the territory of the Kiskunság National Park Directorate, coupled with demonstrative events for the wider public. These actions indirectly target the aversion of threats to the species.