We were lucky to hold the 3rd partner meeting of the ReCo project to restore and connect nature in the European Green Belt. Just adjacent to the meeting venue lies the unique canyon of the River Dyje/Thaya along the border of the Czech Republic and Austria. Podyjí National Park and Nationalpark Thayatal are active project partners within ReCo implementing restoration activities in order to enhance the ecological status of valuable habitats and species. Project partners exchanged about the current stage of the implementation of restoration measures in this part of the European Green Belt. Enhancing biodiversity of specialised wetland and wild cat research and release in this cross-border pilot region were prominent topics. The event was accompanied by a 1,5-day meeting with seminars on other project activities. In addition, project partners had an opportunity to contribute to hands-on restoration work: on one of the ReCo pilot sites, a dry meadow near Retz, they worked hard on removing a small patch of Robina trees, an alien species overgrowing the local vegetation. Nature restoration can be both helpful and fun!
CR Jörg Schmiedel