European Rewilding Network

Rewilding rivers and Danube floodplains in Slovakia

BROZ – conservation association

MAREK JANOS 76

We are dedicated to promoting wilderness and actively work to restore and protect natural habitats for keystone species. Additionally, we focus on maintaining the integrity and functionality of natural processes. It’s important for us to keep ‘’living rivers’’, create and restore wetlands which were dried, destroyed or changed to arable land. Our work aims to help nature, but it has also wider benefits, for all of us. Management of protected areas, sustainable forest management, agriculture, fisheries management, and active measures to support the natural reproduction of native fish species – society benefits from healthy ecosystems.

We are the most active conservation association in Slovakia, dedicated to revitalizing a wide range of habitats and species. Our team consists of scientists and experts in ecology and nature conservation, and we understand the importance of sharing this knowledge with public. We are also a unique and collaborative team, which drives us to work hard, stay motivated, and overcome various challenges. Our results demonstrate the quality of our work and love for biodiversity and nature, and we are committed to continuing our efforts.

Specification Description Achievements Exchange
Project: Rewilding rivers and Danube floodplains in Slovakia
Region: Dunajské Luhy, Slovakia
Type of project: Creating space for wilder nature
Aim and vision: Our mission is to protect and restore the natural heritage of the Danube lowlands, the Little and White Carpathians, Záhorie, and Bratislava. We focus on restoration of wetlands, river sidearms, forests, meadows, and pastures.
Our efforts aim to safeguard the well-preserved ecosystems in the region, which still offer unique opportunities to protect biodiversity and natural habitats. We collaborate with experts, universities, and institutions in nature conservation, forestry, and water management to achieve our goals effectively.
Results so far: We have been active in nature conservation for more than 25 years. Since 1997, we have restored several wetlands, restored and reconnected many river sidearms, and created or restored natural habitats for various protected and endangered species. We have also organized numerous educational activities for the public. All our achievements so far can be found on our website and social media (FB,IG).
Inspirational value: As we are an old organization, we’ve gained a lot of knowledge, confidence and expertise. In the beginning we started locall focusing on the immediate surroundings of our capital city, Bratislava. Throughout the years we’ve expanded; we are now active at a multitude of locations across Slovakia. We’ve learned that there is no obstacle in our work that cannot be overcome, and, we have learned that the most important approach is to actively try to find common ground with people who have a different point of view. Starting from a local organization, we are now restoring whole river and wetland ecosystems, reinstating pasture across the country, working over a hundred local farmers and making a visible impact in Slovakia. Throughout over two decades of work, we have also actively collaborated with our neighboring countries. In this regard – especially with the capital city bordering on two countries, Hungary and Austria – our long-term determination to connect people over common goals has been our ultimate achievement.
Experience you would like to share: We are eager to contribute our knowledge, experience, and share our results or host other initiatives and show them our nature and work. We are also pleased to collaborate with other initiatives across Europe, as we believe that the more we work together, the greater the impact we can make.
Experience you would like to gain: We believe it’s very important to connect with other organizations and exchange knowledge and information. It’s always fruitful to have collaboration, especially in these times when it’s even more important to hold together, learn together and make an impact together. We would like to exchange, to meet, and to learn from others. We hope that through connecting with like-minded organizations across Europe doing similar, vital work, we can strengthen both ours and the network’s ability to achieve our common goals. More concretely, since a big part of our work focuses on the Danube floodplains and the Danube running through ten European countries, we believe it’s important to exchange expertise on rewilding of precious river ecosystems.
Map
Country
Slovakia
Start year
1997
Size (ha)
2700
Area type
Forest-grassland mosaic, Natural islands, Riparian floodplains, Wetlands
Natural process
Flooding, Natural grazing, River dynamics
Flagship species
Beaver, Otter
Rewilding rivers and Danube floodplains in Slovakia
MAREK JANOS 76

We are dedicated to promoting wilderness and actively work to restore and protect natural habitats for keystone species. Additionally, we focus on maintaining the integrity and functionality of natural processes. It’s important for us to keep ‘’living rivers’’, create and restore wetlands which were dried, destroyed or changed to arable land. Our work aims to help nature, but it has also wider benefits, for all of us. Management of protected areas, sustainable forest management, agriculture, fisheries management, and active measures to support the natural reproduction of native fish species – society benefits from healthy ecosystems.

We are the most active conservation association in Slovakia, dedicated to revitalizing a wide range of habitats and species. Our team consists of scientists and experts in ecology and nature conservation, and we understand the importance of sharing this knowledge with public. We are also a unique and collaborative team, which drives us to work hard, stay motivated, and overcome various challenges. Our results demonstrate the quality of our work and love for biodiversity and nature, and we are committed to continuing our efforts.

Map
Country
Slovakia
Start year
1997
Size (ha)
2700
Area type
Forest-grassland mosaic, Natural islands, Riparian floodplains, Wetlands
Natural process
Flooding, Natural grazing, River dynamics
Flagship species
Beaver, Otter
Specification
Project: Rewilding rivers and Danube floodplains in Slovakia
Region: Dunajské Luhy, Slovakia
Description
Type of project: Creating space for wilder nature
Aim and vision: Our mission is to protect and restore the natural heritage of the Danube lowlands, the Little and White Carpathians, Záhorie, and Bratislava. We focus on restoration of wetlands, river sidearms, forests, meadows, and pastures.
Our efforts aim to safeguard the well-preserved ecosystems in the region, which still offer unique opportunities to protect biodiversity and natural habitats. We collaborate with experts, universities, and institutions in nature conservation, forestry, and water management to achieve our goals effectively.
Achievements
Results so far: We have been active in nature conservation for more than 25 years. Since 1997, we have restored several wetlands, restored and reconnected many river sidearms, and created or restored natural habitats for various protected and endangered species. We have also organized numerous educational activities for the public. All our achievements so far can be found on our website and social media (FB,IG).
Exchange
Inspirational value: As we are an old organization, we’ve gained a lot of knowledge, confidence and expertise. In the beginning we started locall focusing on the immediate surroundings of our capital city, Bratislava. Throughout the years we’ve expanded; we are now active at a multitude of locations across Slovakia. We’ve learned that there is no obstacle in our work that cannot be overcome, and, we have learned that the most important approach is to actively try to find common ground with people who have a different point of view. Starting from a local organization, we are now restoring whole river and wetland ecosystems, reinstating pasture across the country, working over a hundred local farmers and making a visible impact in Slovakia. Throughout over two decades of work, we have also actively collaborated with our neighboring countries. In this regard – especially with the capital city bordering on two countries, Hungary and Austria – our long-term determination to connect people over common goals has been our ultimate achievement.
Experience you would like to share: We are eager to contribute our knowledge, experience, and share our results or host other initiatives and show them our nature and work. We are also pleased to collaborate with other initiatives across Europe, as we believe that the more we work together, the greater the impact we can make.
Experience you would like to gain: We believe it’s very important to connect with other organizations and exchange knowledge and information. It’s always fruitful to have collaboration, especially in these times when it’s even more important to hold together, learn together and make an impact together. We would like to exchange, to meet, and to learn from others. We hope that through connecting with like-minded organizations across Europe doing similar, vital work, we can strengthen both ours and the network’s ability to achieve our common goals. More concretely, since a big part of our work focuses on the Danube floodplains and the Danube running through ten European countries, we believe it’s important to exchange expertise on rewilding of precious river ecosystems.
Rewilding rivers and Danube floodplains in Slovakia
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