July – September 2024 - to be updated soon

Slovakia

• Additional three transmitters were installed on red footed falcons (in total we have five). We collected data from transmitters and analysis is currently undergoing by specialists.

Hungary

• We reached the 50 hectares milestone for establishment of fallow land strips.

April – June 2024

Slovakia

• Advisory Board meeting was held in Bratislava on April 17.

• T-platforms for raptors were installed in Syslovske polia in June.

• Two transmitters were installed on red footed falcon females.

• We arranged for live transmission from the nests /nest boxes. The transmission is available from the project website.

• The first film recordings started to produce educational videos.

• Number of benches installed in the recreational zones reached 32pcs.

• Additional 18ha of land is available for project portfolio, the land management by Bratislava will start in the autumn.

Hungary

• The 3rd public event with the project presence was organized in Várbalog on the 19 May back-to-back with the 5th farmer forum.

• We reached the 30 hectares milestone for establishment of fallow land strips.

• Elimination of aggressive weeds area reached 200 hectares.

• 10 biologgers were deployed on Fvesp, on 5 male and 5 female birds.

January - March 2024

Slovakia

• The 2nd project board meeting was held at Divoka voda, Čunovo, on January 25.

• The project has been presented at working meeting in relation to “Work programme for Otis tarda protection” (MoE SR), held on March 13.

• We co-organized the “Tree planting weekend” with the participation of 120 volunteers on March 16.

• 273 trees and 940 shrubs are now planted along the border areas of Syslovske polia SPA and in recreational zones.

Hungary

• 4 information notice boards were installed by FHNPD and MME, one for each of the project SPAs in Hungary.

• Fieldworks initiated for the elimination of aggressive weeds in HUFH10001 and HUFH10004.

October - December 2023

Slovakia

• Installation of additional 50 nest boxes in Syslovske polia is completed, altogether we installed 100 nest boxes in this area.

• 161 grown trees and 342 shrubs were planted in November 2023 along the border area of Syslovske polia.

• For establishment of recreational zones, we installed 4 benches in Rusovce, 20 in Čunovo.  We prepared plan for placement of additional 10 benches in Rusovce and Jarovce.

• Field excursion (great bustard watching) for project partners was organized on 25 November.

• 3 information notice boards were installed at the border area of Syslovske polia SPA.

Hungary

• The establishment of fallow land strips in Hungary reached 26 ha by December.

• 50 nest boxes were installed in HUFH10001 territory and another 50pcs in HUFH10004. Another 75 boxes were installed altogether in four different locations in the HUDI10005 and HUDI10007 SPAs.

• The project has been presented at the Wild Goose Festival in Tata, held at the Old Lake of Tata on 25 November.

• The 4th farmer forum was held on 4 November in Várbalog, with participation of experts from MME and FHNPD.

July - September 2023

• The transformation of land is initiated on 52,1ha of the land in Syslovske polia SPA in Slovakia.
• The creation of fallow land strips started on the area of 18,5ha at hungarian project sites.
• The installation of the tourist infrastructure in the outer part of the SPA Syslovske polia started by installation of amphitheater seating benches near the lake Cilina.
• FHNPD has installed two information project boards for 2 project sites in Hungary.
• The proejct partners took part and presented the project at the 5TH MEETING OF SIGNATORIES OF  THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON THE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE MIDDLE-EUROPEAN POPULATION OF THE GREAT BUSTARD AND SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM  “ADVANCES IN THE RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION OF THE  GREAT BUSTARD IN EUROPE”, 18-21 September 2023, Bratislava, Slovakia.

April - June 2023

• The Project Board meeting was held on April 27.
• We have promoted the project during the Earth´s day in Bratislava on April 23 and at Pannonbird experience festival in Austria on April 30.
• During May MME installed new nestboxes in the project sites in Hungary (HUDI10005 and 10007 SPAs), expanding current breeding sites and also some at new locations.
• The 2nd mass event in Hungary for the general public was held on the 28th of May in Várbalog. Presentations were focused on ecological farming, the connection between nature protection and agriculture, especially in relation to the Natura 2000 network.
• The 3rd farmer forum in Hungary was held on 14th April 2023 in Várbalog, with participants and experts from the FHNPD. The main topics of the forum were the protection of great bustard and red-footed falcon, as well as activities related to the fallow land strips creation.

January - March 2023

• The best practice and information exchange workshop was organized on January 24. The presentation and discussions focused on land management practices and habitat conservation.
• Related workshop focusing on target species conservation was held on March 8.
• The Study for SPA Syslovske polia SKCHVU029 has been completed.
• RPS and SNC have completed the process of the purchase of the land to be treated under specific land managmeent conditions.
• Bratislava and RPS launched the land management activities.
• Bratislava has prepared the documentation for seasonal educational route in Syslovske polia.

October - December 2022

• The partnership agreement with SNC SR was signed in October.
• The 2nd farmer forum was organized by the municipality of Várbalog in Hungary on November 18, 2022 along with the tree planting activity in the HUFH10004. 50 lime trees with individual protection were planted.
• The project was presented during the Wild Goose Festival in Tata, Hungary on November 26-27,2022
• The area covered by the fallow lands established by the farmers in Hungary reached 9,751 hectares.
• The EC monitoring mission of project took part on 29 November.
• The long-term lease agreement for the land in Syslovske polia has been officially approved by the Board of City Council of Bratislava on December 15,2022
• Installation of 50 nest boxes by RPS in Syslovske polia was completed in December 2022.
• Monitoring of 2022 baseline values was finalized, including the reports on small mammals, insects and birds monitoring.
• As a part of networking activities we participated in the discussions with experts of "baum_cityregion" project to find the common understanding of revitalizazion of the three-border-point area .
• The Ministry of Environment of the Slovak republic approved the request for the co-financing resources for the project in late December.

July - September 2022

• The declaration of the first farmers participating in the establishment of fallow land strips in Hungary was signed
• A prototype of the newly designed nest box to be installed in Syslovske polia was produced. According to a plan, 100pcs of these nest boxes will be installed in Slovakia.
• Negotiations with the land owners in Slovakia related to land lease or land purchase by the project reached the final stage.
• The field staff in Hungary has started the nestbox maintenance work.

April - June 2022

• The Project Board has been establihed, consisting of the representatives of all project beneficiaries
• The project adopted its own logo as a result of an international logo competition, receiving more than 40 proposals
• Partnership agreement was signed with the Municipality of Várbalog, Hungary
• The farmers participating in the project in Hungary started to establish fallow land strips on the area of 6,79ha
• Monitoring of target species, as well as monitoring of baseline values started
• Several meetings were organised with stakeholders in Slovakia to set a plan for infrastructure, such as bike routes, relax zones or observation towers, which is necessary as entry information for Syslovske polia study.
• 1st mass event for the general public to present the project was organized in Várbalog, Hungary on June 5, 2022

February - March 2022

• The project kick-off meeting was organized on February 8, 2022
• The project website was launched
• Partnership agreements were signed with the City of Bratislava, BirdLife Slovakia, BirdLife Hungary and Fertő–Hanság National Park Directorate
• The first farmer forum was held in Hungary, on March 18, 2022
• In Slovakia, we started to identify the land parcels for lease or purchase where the project will be implemented.
• Several field visits in Syslovske polia were organized by the project team