On October 24th, 2012, a new brochure of the “Land Niederösterreich“ is presented within the frameworks of the „LIFE 20th anniversary for Nature projects in Lower Austria“ event in Marchegg. This brochure also provides information about both LIFE projects for the protection of the Great Bustard in Austria. Additionally, the report in the programme “Land und Leute” concerning the LIFE+ project was presented to the public.

Broschüre 20 Jahre LIFE in Niederösterreich (Seiten 1, 2, 36, 37, 44 und 45; ca. 6 MB insgesamt)

A new brochure of the “Land Niederösterreich“ is presented within the frameworks of the „LIFE 20th anniversary for Nature projects in Lower Austria“ event in Marchegg. This brochure also provides information about both LIFE projects for the protection of the Great Bustard in Austria. Additionally, the report in the programme “Land und Leute” concerning the LIFE+ project was presented to the public. (Action “LIFE 20th anniversary”)

Start of the construction of the bird observation tower “LIFE+ Great Bustard Roseldorf“ for the “LIFE 20th anniversary” (Action “LIFE 20th anniversary”)

On October 17th, 2012, an article was published on the Internet, in which the Minister for Environment Niki Berlakovich describes Austria as an international model for successful protection of species. The great bustard project is mention as an example. Artikel vom 17. Oktober 2012 (pdf, 23 kB)

Artikel vom 17. Oktober 2012 (pdf, 23 kB)

October 12-13, 2012: Conference of BirdLife Austria in Salzburg (A), presentation of the LIFE+ project in many dialogues by R. Raab (Action E.4: Central European bustard coordinator)

In September 2012 an article about the effects of underground cabling and marking of power lines on the West-Pannonian Great Bustard Otis tarda population was published in the scientific journal Bird Conservation International, volume 22, issue 03.

Citation: Raab, R., Schütz, C., Spakovszky, P., Julius E. and Schulze, C. H. (2012). Underground cabling and marking of power lines: conservation measures rapidly reduced mortality of West-Pannonian Great Bustards Otis tarda. Bird Conservation International, 22, pp 299-306 doi:10.1017/S0959270911000463

Bird Conservation International im September 2012 (pdf, 684 KB; http://journals.cambridge.org)

Opening of the cycling bridge, built in the framework of the EU co-operation between Slovakia and Austria, in Schlosshof (A), presentation of the LIFE+ project in many dialogues by R. Raab (Action E.4: Central European bustard coordinator)

On August 25th, 2012 at 3:45 p.m. ORF 2 broadcasted in whole Austria a 4,5 minutes report about the Great Bustard and the measures within the LIFE+ project in the programme “Land und Leute”.

Land und Leute am 25. August 2012 (wmv, 76 MB)

Bustard experts of the Austrian LIFE+ Project and from Hungary and Slovakia meet as usual on the synchronous counting day at the border triangle to consult each other about the results of the bustard counting and to exchange information on the state of the LIFE+ Project in A and the activities after the LIFE+ Projects in H and SK (Action E.4: Central European bustard coordinator)

Project visit by Karl Hohenlohe in the project area “Westliches Weinviertel“ (Action E.4: Central European bustard coordinator)

June 18 - July 24, 2012: A total of approx. 3.9 km existing EVN 110 kV power lines in the project area Sandboden und Praterterrasse” (Abbreviation = SPT) are marked with black and white "bird protection plates" (Action C.4: Implementation marking of EVN 110 kV power lines SPT)

Visit of the LIFE+ project by a camera crew of the ORF “Land und Leute“-team for shooting of a film (Action D.3: Public relation)

Project visit by Miklos Lorent and Anna Prager, bustard experts from Hungary, in the project areas “Sandboden und Praterterrasse“, “Waasen – Hanság“ and “Parndorfer Platte – Heideboden “ (Action E.4: Central European bustard coordinator)

Considerately mowing in the project area “Waasen – Hanság“. In order to prevent the clutches or ckicks of the Great Bustard or of clutches or chicks of the Short-eared Owl from being killed by mowing special measures were undertaken from R. Raab and the farmers. Also young deer and hares benefit from these measures. (Action E.15: Control (Monitoring) – immediate measures fort he protection of clutches)

Project visit by stakeholders of the project area “Westliches Weinviertel” in the project area „Waasen – Hanság“ (Action D.7: raising awareness among stakeholders in WWV and SPT)