Bratislava, Slovakia. June 30th, 2020. As the Slovakian ConnectGREEN taskforce has been undergoing intensive fieldwork for mapping ecological corridors and barriers, national media has kept an eye on their efforts. As a result, ecological connectivity has entered the public agenda in Slovakia through its broad media coverage.

Migration corridors and barriers mapping in protected landscape areas (PLA) in the areas of the Slovak-Czech border and Slovak- Hungary border was great occasion to let the media know more about ConnectGREEN project aims.

Project partner WWF together with the SNC SR and Spectra prepared press release (PR in Slovak: http://slovakia.panda.org/?uNewsID=362910  ) which explained what we are mapping in PLAs, where is the mapping taking place and why. In the PR we explained ConnectGREEN project aims and expected outputs.

And here are the main media responses:

We were invited to Slovak national TV morning studio (4.5.2020, https://www.rtvs.sk/televizia/archiv/14026/225184) to explain the project and to talk about large carnivores migration needs, the threats the animals face on migration corridors and possible solutions:

And Slovak National TV evening news reporter joined field work in PLA Kysuce in north Slovakia and made a long story for evening news (3.6.2020, link to TV evening news https://www.rtvs.sk/televizia/archiv/13986/229888)and link to TV facebook, where they published the story as well: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=561911914719656):

As well the news TV TA3 was interested in story from field, so the reporter joined the mapping in PLA Stražovske vrchy (17.5.2020 https://www.ta3.com/clanok/1183422/migracne-trasy-pre-selmy-chybaju-ochranari-hladaju-riesenia.html)

Not only TV and Radio stations were attracted by the field work story, as well online and print media published the press release. F.e. online magazine pluska.sk (5.5.2020):

And the story was popular among general public on social media as well, WWF Slovakia and SNC published posts with pictures from field and post with press release.

WWF Slovakia FB:

SNC FB:

And we expect further media coverage later on, as there are press conference and press field trips planned for next months in ConnectGREEN. The fact that the media already know about project can helps us with further coverage of the topic, as the journalists may be curious about outputs of projects. Let’s wish that no virus or any other problem won’t threat our plans.