The first year of SaveGREEN has focused not only on raising awareness on the importance of ecological connectivity but on connecting stakeholders as well who can make this concept a long-lasting reality: spatial planners, environmentalists, authorities. These key experts have been included in developing several essential outputs such as the elaboration on funding measures for green infrastructure, digital tools for effective and standardised monitoring, and the local monitoring plans for preparing the data set for the QField monitoring application extension.

What an exciting year behind the project consortium! Despite the fact that COVID made the fieldwork much harder for every partner, the enthusiasm never faded even for one minute! In the background, while the topic of ecological corridors and connectivity has been promoted wide across the CEE region, many promotional and educational materials had been developed as well.

For more SaveGREEN content visit our website: www.http://dtp.interreg-danube.eu/

 PROJECT NEWS 

A lot happened since we last met, let us share the highlights of SaveGREEN's previous project period.
 

Credit:Unsplash

QField is an open-source skeleton application developed by OPENGIS.ch that is allowing users to set up maps and forms in QGIS on their workstations, and deploy those in the field through QField application. SaveGREEN project will add a layer to this application. The development is led by Environment Agency Austria.

The starting point of this activity kicks off from the concept, that each pilot area has its own set of questions that define the characteristics of the area in the best and most detailed way for the project purposes. These questions then can be uploaded to the application that helps with monitoring on the field. Later on, the collected data will be synchronised into the Carpathian Countries Integrated Biodiversity Information System (CCIBIS) and displays the finished result maps ready to use for decision making, or other field-related scientific work, also very useful for cross-border areas' evaluation and planning.

The unified data set for the whole of the Carpathians is under the maintenance of the Carpathian Convention.

FUNDING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE - THE possible ways

Credit:Unsplash

To set long-term a sustainable base for green infrastructure measures, creating funding opportunities is critical. 

Thus, the SaveGREEN team led by WWF Romania just proposed a new set of general recommendations for funding interventions that promote GI from the EU to the regional, national, and local levels. The proposal was elaborated to discuss the possible barriers that hinder the ways forward such as lack of awareness to GI approach, lack of funds, poor quality of environmental assessments or not implementing it in regional law, non-nature protective interests enforcement, or the affected sectors unable to effectively cooperate yet.
Also, a country-by-country comparison report has been prepared.

PARTNER NEWS

Welcome to Kobernausser forest, Austria

Credit: Grillmayer - Umweltbundesamt

INVOLVED PARTNERS: WWF-CEE,  
Environment Agency Austria

The site is located to the east of the municipality of the same name and the village of Teilheim, Austria. This corridor of national importance connects the Kobernausserwald with Bavaria. The main aim must be to avoid further disruptions through spatial planning measures. The landscape structure should be increased and further disturbing patterns avoided. 

Welcome to pöttsching, austria

Credit: ASFINAG

INVOLVED PARTNERS: WWF-CEE,  
Environment Agency Austria

The ecoduct in Pöttsching was one of the first constructed green bridges to restore ecological connectivity in along the existing Austrian motorway network. The green bridge “Pöttsching” is located in the Pannonian climate region and guarantees the continuity of the Alps-Carpathian Corridor.

The Pöttschinger Forest is located in front of the Rosalia Mountains. This section is one of the most critical bottlenecks in the Alps-Carpathian corridor, although wildlife migration is still possible here. The A3 motorway represents a major barrier in this area. In addition, the settlement areas have increased significantly in recent years.

Welcome to Beskydy-Kysuce CZ-SK cross-border area

Credit: Friends of Earth CZ

INVOLVED PARTNERS:
Friend of Earth CZ, 
Transport report centre, CZ (CDV)

A BESKYDY-KYSUCE is a transboundary area on the edge of the West Carpathians in the CZ-SK borderland. Important as a case study with high fragmentation level and permanent occurrence of all three species of large carnivores (bear, wolf, lynx). These species are distributed in several mountain ranges at various population densities, influenced by different levels of fragmentation, anthropogenic mortality, and barrier effects.

Also, high variety of landscape types occurs here: both managed and unmanaged forests in the mountains extensively used pastures and scattered buildings.

Welcome to Novohrad-Nógrád SK-HU cross-border area

Credit: Weiperth

INVOLVED PARTNERS: CEEweb for Biodiversity (HUN), MATE University (HUN), WWF Slovakia (SK), SPECTRA (SK) 

The cross border area is a critical connectivity area (linkage area) within one of the most important eco-corridor for large carnivores and ungulates between the

Carpathians and the Börzsöny Mountains. Home of unique features as well, such as the natural river valley of River Ipoly/ Ipel and River Danube and some tributaries, that act as a green/blue corridor itself.

upcoming events

11th biennial ICOET virtual conference |  September 22nd and 30th 2021
ICOET is the foremost interdisciplinary, inter-agency supported conference addressing the broad range of ecological issues related to transportation systems in all modes - organized by the Road Ecology Center (UC Davis) | More info 

Photo credit: Unsplash

FAREWELL

Stay with us in the journey of creating space for nature! Follow the latest SaveGREEN related news here, and follow the #saveGREEN on social media!

STAY SAFE, STAY CURIOUS!

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!

The SaveGREEN project Team