New habitats for more biodiversity...

...and more awareness for nature conservation

Since the beginning of 2024, we have been creating new habitats in the nature park with the support of the EU "Rural Development" funding program in order to preserve and increase biodiversity and species diversity, while at the same time sensitizing our visitors to the importance of nature conservation.

Expansion of spawning biotopes 

We are expanding the network of small standing bodies of water that are vital for the survival of yellow-bellied toads and Alpine crested newts and are also creating new spawning grounds in existing clearings to protect the animal population from predators in the long term.

New breeding opportunities for endangered species

We are creating additional breeding opportunities for those species that have been categorised as "high" priority for action in our nature conservation concept. These include stag beetles, bats, wild bees, etc.

We pay particular attention to old-growth and deadwood areas within the forest, areas along the forest edges and forest meadows. With the involvement of external experts, we will create additional breeding opportunities and improve or create new habitats based on the current table of protected areas for animal species worthy of protection (stag beetles, bats, wild bees, etc.).

Upgrading the "Schöffelsteinwiese"

We are once again improving the forest meadow on the Schöffelstein, which was cleared in 2015 and has been continuously renaturalised since then, in line with nature conservation criteria. This includes mowing twice a year, professional removal of the cuttings and (in cooperation with the Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve team) the introduction of seeds from ecologically suitable forest meadows in the region. We will also introduce grass and wildflower species that are currently lacking and supplement the forest edge (which is an important habitat for many animal species) with wood piles and root boxes.

We also want to emphasise the importance of the meadow area for our visitors with an interactive board.

Participatory monitoring

With participatory monitoring, we want to encourage our visitors to observe the species worthy of protection that we are protecting with the measures more closely. These important - and often overlooked - animal and plant species are to be "brought to the fore" and brought closer to the population and nature park guests.

Information about "nature conservation as an added value"

As a sensible and necessary addition to the nature conservation measures, we will contribute to ensuring that the population does not see nature conservation as a detached "matter for nature conservationists", but as a "way of life" to ensure a sustainable future. We want to realise this with the help of a brochure.

The project is funded by the Nature Conservation Department of the Province of Lower Austria as part of the European Union's "Rural Development Programme".