The Dare to Connect project team met again, this time it was on occasion of several events: steering group meeting, working group meeting, field training of SENTINEL data truthing and ESS assessment and at the end of a field excursion. The meeting was held in Kubova Huť in the Šumava National Park in Czech republic. It was excellently organized by Czech project partner, the Ametyst NGO. 

The most important part was the working group meeting. The project partners went through all the working packages thoroughly assessing what was done, what had to be done, what were achievements and what were problems. In general, the project runs very well, some minor operational drawbacks do not cause any significant problems. 

The main part of the project was carried out in the WP3 Interconnected Green Belt, thus the WP leader University of Vienna’s representatives presented interim results and further steps. However,  work on the WP4‘s Pilot Actions is coming soon so it was also discussed and project partners presented planned activities in pilot regions. Extensive part of the meeting was dedicated to the WP1 Project management in order of further smooth project implementation. 

Fortunately, not only indoor meetings were part of the meeting. The field training of ground truthing of SENTINEL broader habitat mapping led by Thomas Wrbka (University of Vienna) was hold directly on the Czech-German border near the village of Mitterfirmiansreut. It was focused on verifying of remote sensing data and its comparing with respective habitats in examined  area. 

Participants visited three sites of the Šumava National Park on the last day of the meeting – marshlands close to Kubova Huť and Soumarský Most and the border area close to České Žleby. 

This project meeting was very important. The Dare to Connect project team got together again and it is clear today that the team plays well together and we can expect results of cooperation not only in the project focus but also in other areas of habitat connectivity and remote sensing fields of work. 

The project partners will organise next project meeting in October in Croatia.