New habitats and greater awareness of nature conservation (2024–25)

Protection and promotion of biodiversity in the nature park

Between January 2024 and March 2025, we implemented comprehensive nature conservation measures in the nature park. With support from the EU's Rural Development (RD) funding programme, we created new habitats and increased biodiversity in the protected area.

New habitats for greater biodiversity and increased awareness of nature conservation

Between January 2024 and March 2025, with the support of the EU's Rural Development funding programme, we successfully created new habitats in the nature park to preserve and increase biodiversity and species diversity. At the same time, we raised awareness among our visitors of the importance of nature conservation.

Expansion of spawning waters & breeding opportunities

We created four wetland biotopes, including for the yellow-bellied toad and Alpine crested newt, supplemented by information boards for visitors. For species in need of special protection, such as stag beetles, Alpine longhorn beetles, bats and wild bees, we have set up additional deadwood hedges, nesting aids and habitat trees, paying particular attention to old and deadwood areas within the forest, areas along the forest edges and forest meadows.

Natural addition to the Schöffelwiese

We have further improved the forest meadow at Schöffelstein, which was cleared in 2015 and has been continuously renaturalised since then, in line with nature conservation principles and by introducing seeds from ecologically suitable forest meadows in the region. We also supplemented the forest edge (which is an important habitat for many animal species) with wood piles and root stumps and highlighted the importance of the meadow area for biodiversity with an interactive board for our visitors.

Participatory lay monitoring

We encouraged our visitors to take a closer look at the species we are protecting with our specific measures. School classes in particular took part and were able to improve their understanding of ecology in the process.

Visitor information on "Nature conservation as added value"

As a useful and necessary addition to our measures, we produced and distributed a 24-page brochure entitled "Nature conservation as added value". The brochure clearly conveys the importance of the nature park for biodiversity and contains practical tips for sustainable everyday living. This has helped us to ensure that the population does not see nature conservation as an abstract "matter for conservationists", but as a "way of life" to secure a sustainable future.

The project was funded by the Nature Conservation Department of the Province of Lower Austria as part of the EU's "Rural Development" (LE) funding programme.