The network of Grassland Conservation Management Advisory Service is available for free!
Our grassland habitats are not as well known and popular as other ecosystems, but they are just as valuable as our forests and wetlands. Think about it: when we say grassland, most people think of freshly mown lawns in their gardens, but our country is home to such diverse grassland habitats as the Hortobágy salt marshes, the sandy grasslands of the Kishunság, or the marshes of the Őrség, which provide a home or feeding ground for countless species.
The Grassland-HU LIFE integrated project, with Herman Ottó Institute Nonprofit Ltd. as coordinating beneficiary, focuses on the conservation of grassland habitats and their associated species. This is to be achieved through actions such as the preparation of a National Grassland Strategy Plan, the assessment and monitoring of the baseline condition of grasslands, the preparation of species conservation plans, the establishment of a Grassland Conservation Management Advisory Service, and the promotion of awareness of invasive species and their control.
14 project partners, including 9 national parks and the National Chamber of Agriculture, are involved in the most efficient implementation of the nationwide actions.
Farmers who graze cattle of sheep and mow grassland play a key role in maintaining and preserving the good condition of our grasslands. Thus, the project would like to pay special attention to maintaining contact with them. To facilitate this, a Grassland Conservation Management Advisory Service has been set up, which has an important role to play in working with farmers and their representative organisations.
The help of grassland advisers is available free of charge to everyone, contact details for each county can be found here.
A key activity of the advisers, available in all national park directorates, is to help grassland managers to understand their options for nature-friendly grassland management. Field visits are therefore an integral part of their work, with the aim of identifying potential problems in a specific area during joint field visits with the farmer and providing technical support to help resolve them.
Proper management is essential for the survival of most of our grass species. Therefore, we need to keep in mind both management and conservation interests, which can only be achieved through cooperation. The aim of the Grassland-HU project is to implement plans that take both aspects into account, in order to preserve the long-term value of grassland habitats.
Source: Grassland-HU LIFE IP