The WILDISLAnd initiativE

The Danube is an ecological corridor of great importance and one of Europe’s most valuable natural heritage. Its islands are ecological stepping stones in river ecosystems, highly valuable habitats for several species.

Photos: Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority/Dan Bandacu

The WILDisland initiative was launched by DANUBEparksCONNECTED aiming to strengthen ecological connectivity and preserve the natural wilderness in the heart of Europe, to promote river dynamics and intact sediment regime, to tighten cross-sector and cross-border cooperation regarding the Danube Wild Island Habitat Corridor, and to engage with relevant policy drivers, sectors and land managers for a joint commitment to preserve these hotspots for biodiversity.

As a result of several meetings and cross-sector conferences, a joint understanding of WILDisland guidelines was created and shared. The WILDisland working group developed a dynamic database of Danube islands: over 900 islands were identified along the Danube. The interactive map provides important details about each island and presents a thorough inventory of Danube’s most natural islands which are designated WILDislands.

Photo: Nationalpark Donau-Auen/Kovacs

WILDisland online tool published

The WILDisland online tool is the very first interactive database describing the islands along the entire river course of the Danube!

The expertise from river morphology specialists builds the base for the WILDisland inventory. Additionally, numerous valuable inputs were addressed, and the feedback from local experts considered.

Now, the online tool has been published – in the upcoming weeks and months, more and more photos and descriptions of the Danube islands will be uploaded.

The online tool can be reached on wildisland.danubeparks.org and on www.danubeparks.org

The WILDisland initiative starts living!

On Friday, 29th June 2018, the first “letter of intent” for non-intervention management was signed by Dr. Marcel Huber, the Bavarian Minister for Environment, Roland Weigert, District Administrator and Bernhard Gmehling, Mayor of Neuburg an der Donau, to ensure natural development and wilderness on two islands with an area of 5 hectares!

This is the first step to bring the WILDisland initiative onto the ground! It underlines the interest from the political level to take over the WILDisland concept into the local, Danube-wide and even EU policies.

It was a river morphology expert workshop in 2013 (Bratislava) when the WILDisland initiative was discussed for the first time by the DANUBEPARKS Network.

Now, the 2nd Danube Volunteers Day organized by the Bavarian partners of the DANUBEPARKS Network prepared the perfect frame for signing this very first commitment.

Photos: Siegfried Geißler

A video (in German) about this important day in Neuburg can be watched here.

Cross-sector cooperation – the key to bring forward WILDisland conservation

While the Danube Islands are key flagship habitats for the Danube Habitat Corridor, the Danube is also an international waterway. This makes cooperation among both sectors - conservation and navigation - extremely important.

On 29th-30th June, the cross-sector conference was organized jointly by Danube STREAM, DANUBEparksCONNECTED and Danube Sediment.

The WILDisland initiative was discussed and presented, and a joint process to develop the protection of WILDisland together was built up.

Photos: DANUBEPARKS/Blutaumüller 

The Danube wild islands from a bird's eye view - a video

Finally, we invite you to get dazzled by natural wilderness from a bird´s eye view.

The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority has prepared a video clip about the WILDisland initiative to give you an insight into this marvels and mesmerizing flagship sites for river dynamics.

In the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, 11 wild islands have been identified to have the potential of becoming future WILDislands.

Click on the video to watch: