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Project director: Laci Demeter. Duration: three years, to September 2011.    Pictures © Barbara Knowles and Demeter László The mountain basins of Csik and Gyergyó in the Eastern Carpathians form a unique and beautiful landscape, with a varied geology, rich biodiversity and a medieval vista of patchwork fields, meadows and pastures maintained by traditional agriculture. We aim to gather and communicate scientific evidence for the protection of small wetlands and important species of this area. Using this research, we aim to help local people to appreciate the value of the natural treasures in their area and how they can benefit from protecting them; for example through education, ecotourism and environmental subsidies for agri-environment schemes. This project has a number of related objectives:
Laci Demeter, the project director, has for several years researched the fauna and origins of some unique seasonal ponds in Csik and Gyergyó, for example by studying the fauna, revealing the age and history of the ponds; recording the distribution and migration of frogs; surveying white stork and corncrake populations. This information has been published in scientific journals, presented at conferences, and communicated widely through newspaper articles, radio interviews and environmental education. In this project, we are involving other experts and training local scientists and students to extend the research aspects of the project to other flora and fauna of conservation value in the area. A project assistant has been recruited and trained, and approximately 70 students have been involved in the field work. So far, we have identified a number of previously unrecorded wetland habitats, using high resolution aerial photographs of the region, and recruited staff and students to the project. We have spoken to the mayors of a number of villages about the special wetlands in their jurisdiction, and identified the land ownership of many of the wetlands. Fieldwork in spring 2009 mapped 253 seasonal ponds in the Csik basin, and we completed detailed water, zooplankton and botanical surveys of 60 of these ponds. We have gained practical support and help in kind from the Hargita County President, Environment Protection Agency of Hargita County, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania and Pagan Snow Cap Association. We are seeking the involvement of local communities, mayors and landowners, and local sponsors. For more information, visit the project website. You can support this project by donating field and lab equipment, or funding some of the research and education activities.  
 © Barbara Knowles 2009 |