The project
About the project
The main objective of the LIFE IP GrassBirdHabitats is to boost the populations of wet grassland breeding birds along the East Atlantic Flyway. This includes measures to increase the birds' reproduction rates in the Netherlands and Germany, and to improve their return rates from their wintering areas in West Africa.
The total project area comprises around 281,000 ha in Lower Saxony and Friesland. In Lower Saxony, the goal is to create 21,000 ha of biodiverse wet meadows, of which 19,000 ha will be public land while another 2,000 ha will be acquired through complementary funds. In Friesland, conservation management in two pilot areas totalling 100 ha will demonstrate ecological and economic sustainability and motivate farmers to participate in grassland conservation. Additionally, measures to improve the quality of meadow bird habitats will be implemented in conservation areas on 600 ha.
Furthermore, the project team will develop and implement an international Strategic Conservation Plan for wet grassland breeding birds in the Atlantic region. It will include a habitat restoration plan to improve resting and wintering areas in Europe and it will be linked to a strategic plan for West Africa. The aim is to transfer the team's experience to other European regions.
The project aims to fully implement the Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) for Natura 2000 for Germany and the Netherlands in all sections related to grassland breeding birds and their habitats. In addition to implementing EU policy on nature conservation and biodiversity, the project contributes to sustainable agriculture, water resources and climate change, to the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the 2030 Climate and Energy Framework and the European Green Deal.
