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Project Team meeting and Monitoring visit in White Carpathian Mountain range

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White Carpathians – white because of white limestone and Carpathians as they are part of the Carpathians mountain range – which stretches across central and Eastern Europe crossing Austria, Czechia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine. 

LIFE Apollo 2020 Monitor, team, and external guests met in the Czech part of White Carpathians. The visit took place between 11- 14 of April. A joint Monitoring visit and Project Team meeting were hosted by VIS (Vzdělávací a informační středisko Bílé Karpaty) – one of two Czech organizations implementing the LIFE Apollo 2020 project. By reading this post, you will find out what we were doing in White Carpathians and why it was important to us and the protection of Parnassius apollo.

Not everything can happen on Zoom: visits in the field and in-person discussions

This in-person meeting was crucial to see the effects of our actions, raise questions, and discuss different solutions. It was valuable, to gather the international project team and host the project Monitor. Visiting together project sites- this time in White Carpathians, induced important discussions. Visits in the field allow conservation projects to discuss things which do not come up in the conference room. The conference room, allowed the team to summarise ideas, which emerged thanks to the field visits.

Newly constructed breeding farm for apollo in White Carpathians by VIS

Czech and Slovakian sites in White Carpathians- visited

We have visited all together many sites together in the Czech White Carpathians where the project is implemented. We were accompanied by different experts on the Parnassius apollo species during these visits. Thanks to that it was assured that selected sites in White Carpathians (both on the Czech and Slovak sides) are suitable for the species and that the planned management measures can create conditions for the species to live. Strengthening of cooperation with Slovak partners is important not only in the context of obtaining individuals for the breeding farm od Apollo in White Carpathians but also to share knowledge on how to best take care of the species. We were happy to visit and learn in detail about Slovak Apollo butterfly sites, by zoologist Dušan Šácha from the State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic.

Common monitoring practice before Apollo Season 2023

For the past months, we were working intensively on creating a Monitoring Protocol to monitor the situation of the species and its habitat in the project sites and get ready for Apollo season 2023.  To monitor the situation of Parnassius apollo and the impact of our project, we need to monitor and analyse a lot of different parameters. In aim to do that we combine different methods. Choosing the right set of methods, defining terms and adapting the methodology to the specificity of the terrain in different project sites- is crucial. This is essential, but not always obvious even an international team and great experts. Adapting the methodology to the territorial needs requires effort and time. Meeting in person in White Carpathians and Monitoring practice which took place in the field allowed us to gather information on adjustments needed in Czech sites.

Rajhrad School great example of effective environmental education

We also had a chance to watch young people during their class and educational activities and curricula implemented by the school with which our partners cooperate- Rajhrad School.

It was a great experience to watch those young people very engaged in the topic. This class together with the teacher used multiple educational techniques in their environmental class. All these techniques had a common base: engaging students together with the teacher in discussion, role play etc. It was learning- by doing approach put into practice. Also, curriculums for other age groups have been demonstrated during the meeting. Engaging with emotions in learning is a very effective learning approach and fun!

theatre techniquest is environmental education

More learning by doing, and citizen science actions

We have discussed, as well our communication and educational aims for this year 2023, looking at our past experiences. Stay tuned for more learning by doing.

You can become part of our project by joining citizen science actions for Apollo!

Have a look at our get involved section on the website and follow us on social media!

Be ready for the 2023 Apollo season!

References:

#followapollo and the efforts of our team! Combined skills in breeding, conservation of habitats, research, environmental education, and project management constitute a great combination for the success of our LIFE project

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Field activities carried out by all partners until March 2023

Posted By: Krzysztof Kalemba 63 Views 0 Comment , , , , , , , ,

Monitoring actions

KPN & KP: Monitoring studies in 2022 covered 33 observation sites selected on three areas:

  • in the vicinity of Jelenia Góra, for the recognition of habitats in the vicinity of the place of reintroduction of Apollo’s butterfly on Chojnik sub-site,
  • in the vicinity of Uniemyśl Complex sub-site, for the identification of habitats in the vicinity of the Field Station of the Klub Przyrodników,
  • the Kaczawskie Mountains, due to the presence of closed quarries and other habitats that may be potential reintroduction sites for Apollo butterflies.

ČSOP: Monitoring of host plant Hylotelephium maximum in the CZ side of the Sudetes took place during the past year as well as monitoring of habitats in our subsite. In the near future, we need to focus on these activities which are also linked to the Citizen science campaign.

VIS: We have conducted habitat monitoring on a portion of the project sites to determine how many nectariferous and host plants are present on our project sites and to know how many host/nectariferous plants need to be seeded. While moving in the field during monitoring, we also collected seeds at appropriate times for later sowing.

EWS: Training of dogs has been completed and the first dog is certified. The first monitoring of caterpillars is planned in April 2023 in Milders, Karteis, Lofer and Virgen.

Active Conservation

KPN: We carried out sheep grazing on an area of 9,8 ha of meadows around Chonik Mt. to improve the condition of habitats. We organized an International Shepherd Dog Competition in Karkonosze. This event is a tourist attraction and a great opportunity to promote grazing as a method of nature protection, maintenance of traditional professions (i.e. shepherd) and protection of species, including butterflies closely related to habitats like xerothermic grasslands and Molinia meadows that are dependent on this traditional form of management. We have new permissions to include to our actions new meadows near Chojnik Mt. (5ha) and we plan shrubs removal from meadows in autumn 2023.

KP: We haven’t started any active conservation actions yet. They are planned for 2023. We have obtained the necessary consents to carry out the activities from the plot owners and we are in the procedure aimed at leasing key habitats for the species within the Uniemyśl sub-site. However, we have begun the process of making arrangements for conducting active conservation activities in the Kruczy Kamień reserve. 

ČSOP: Extensive debushing and deforestation on nearly 1 ha of the subsite has been done and has thus contributed to the restoration of the valuable forest-free habitat necessary for the successful reintroduction of Apollo. Monitoring of habitats has been done in the subsite as well as identification of the first stepping stones nearby. Support of the host plant population by seeding and sowing also took place; however, it is necessary to continue these activities, especially immediately after the opening of the vegetation stand.

VIS: Three sites were mowed by hand (or with the help of small machinery) and two of them were grazed by sheep. Three of the subsites were seeded with our main food plant Hylotelephium maximum at the end of 2022 and in January and February of 2023. 

EWS: The first restoration was undertaken in Lofer and Fieberbrunn in 2022 in June and September. The next habitat restoration is planned after the flight period starting in September 2023 in Milders, Hinterbichl, Virgen and Leisach. Sedum and feeding plants will be planted in May/June 2023 depending on weather in Murtal, Fieberbrunn, Lofer, and the new area Fließ, Tyrol. 

Our breeding farms and how they changed

KPN: The Karkonosze National Park obtained 60,518 eggs of Apollo for wintering 2021/2022 from our own breeding farm. After transferring part of the material for breeding at the Field Station of the Klub Przyrodników in Uniemyśl (209 eggs) and the breeding farm in Barchov (366 eggs), 59,943 eggs were allocated for breeding. 36,921 caterpillars hatched from them, which is 61.5% of the initial breeding material in 2022. The Karkonosze National Park has allocated 21,562 caterpillars for reintroduction, thus leaving 15,359 individuals for further breeding. In the KPN breeding farm, 1095 imago (7%) were obtained from 15,359 caterpillars, including 810 males and 285 females. We designated 51 males for reintroduction. 

KP: We started breeding in a temporary portable tent. From the breeding farm in KPN we received 209 eggs, from which we eventually obtained 40 butterflies. We obtained 2866 eggs from our own breeding, which are intended for further breeding in 2023. The blueprint of the target breeding tent was made and a contractor was selected and began work on its construction. We obtained plant seedlings in the field. We have started establishing a base of nectariferous plants (host plants for imago) in the garden of the field station in Uniemyśl, as well as farming of Sedum maximum (host plant for caterpillars) in the Forestry Nursery of the Kamienna Góra Forest District in Krzeszów.

ČSOP: The breeding facility and process was established within an already existing breeding farm of the most endangered Czech butterfly species in a private facility led by Miloš Andres.  

It differs from the breeding farm in KPN primarily by its size, the Czech one has a much smaller capacity – last year about 366 eggs from PL were brought in at the beginning of April and about 200 imagos have hatched.

In this breeding farm, up to thousands of individuals of different developmental stages of the Czech species of butterflies are bred; Apollo is bred in hundreds. This is the 1st ever legal breeding of Apollo in the Czech Republic. The infrastructure of the breeding facility resembles a classic 3m x 2,8m foil greenhouse, but it is covered with a scaffolding net – it protects against some external influences while remaining airy, the rainfall shade is provided by a plastic foil. The big difference is also that in the Czech breeding facility the mating is controlled – the breeder selects individuals individually for the breeding “in hand”.

VIS: The breeding station of our organization is in the construction phase. The greenhouse itself is already standing, but minor landscaping is still needed in its immediate surroundings. Also, the production of the netted part of the greenhouse and its equipment have to be arranged, which are tasks for the next month. However, we have already sown Hylotelephium maximum in the greenhouse and will shortly be sowing nectariferous plants for adult butterflies in the vicinity of the greenhouse (so far we have seeds of Centaurea jaccea agg. and Centaurea scabiosa).EWS: Specialist has been actively breeding 200 caterpillars. He is breeding the subspecies Glocknerius, Bartholomeus, Noricanus, Loferensis and Karteisjuvavus for the release. The improvements of the breeding farm will begin after the current breeding.

Other Infrastructure works

KPN: We have purchased the following equipment necessary for conservation activities:

  • a logistic support for KPN in the form of a 4×4 off-road vehicle,
  • drone for the preparation of documentation of natural habitats,
  • watering system garden in Centrum Informacyjne Karpacz,
  • wood milling machine to clearing/shrubs removal from meadows.

KP: We have obtained design documentation for the Apollo Ecocenter heating system in Uniemyśl, as well as a design for landscaping around the area station. We have also obtained a design for a breeding tent and its construction has begun. Some of the landscaping work has also begun.

VIS: Before the construction of our breeding station, we have secured the fencing of the land, which will be used not only for the breeding of Apollo butterflies but also for the cultivation of host plants and other purposes.

Since the breeding farm is located behind the village, we provided increased security not only by fencing but also by using two photo traps on poles with sending data to a mobile phone and email.

Project news 

Ahoj z České republiky – Introducing team Czechia

Posted By: Lisa Marie Mahlknecht 366 Views 0 Comment , , , , ,

The Czech part of the project is represented by two organisations, the Czech Union for Nature Conservation Hradec Králové and Education and Information Center of Bílé Karpaty Mountains.

More on the topic: There’s plenty to do at the Education and Information Center Bílé Karpaty

Practical nature conservation

The Czech Union for Nature Conservation Hradec Králové is a member of the conservation group JARO. This group protects nature in modern and yet traditional ways and they are currently one of the most active citizens‘ associations for practical nature conservation. Every year, they provide treatment for more than 900 injured wild animals at the rescue station, and over half of them are returned to the wild. However, in order to give these animals a place to be released back, nature needs to be properly cared for. The group is an expert in superbiodiversity management.

One example of their expertise is that they mow the grass depending on the time of its flowering, suppress them and help to create space for forbs. They are also engaged in clearing out woody species and forest openings. They graze sheep, goats, donkeys, and water buffalos and also help with the return of wild horses from Exmoor and backcrossed aurochs to nature. They are restoring wetlands by using heavy equipment such as bulldozers, crawlers, walking excavators, and tractors. They have already built over 50 ponds and are also abolishing old drainage canals.  They operate in the Czech Republic, Austria, part of western Slovakia, and southern Poland to protect and support the most endangered fauna, flora, and habitats.

Education and Information

Education and Information Center Bílé Karpaty has strong experience in coordination of activities in the territory of the Bílé Karpaty Biosphere Reserve (including regular cooperation with stakeholders, best practice exchange, workshops), in the mediation of services aimed at the development of the region (South-East Moravia where the Biosphere Reserve is located).

The NGO supports the advice body for municipalities and local administrations when they asses projects. The center is in charge of gaining financial resources for the region’s development and coordinates activities for all nature conservation subjects in the region. The education center manages an information data bank supporting the development of the region and cooperates with international subjects. It also provides information for tourists and visitors of the Veselí n. Moravou Town. The center gives expert counseling in the environment and nature conservation area and ensures constant preparation of printed information, methodological materials, and education tools. Education activities for school children and teachers are often organized by the center to ensure an environmental education for the public. They also work as an advisory body for the preparation of projects regarding nature reserves in the region or their development. The Center is publishing periodical printed media and is a member of national and regional networks of environmental education centers.

Get to know the members of the Czech team

Marie Petrů
Project management
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Roman Manak
Dissemination
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Tomáš Ernest Vondřejc
Reintroduction
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Tereza Macečková
Project management
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Gita Matlášková
Project management assistant
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Věra Hlubučková
Financial management
Miloš Andres
Breeding and conservation actions
Read more
David Číp
Breeding and conservation actions
Read more

#followapollo and the efforts of our team! Combined skills in breeding, conservation of habitats, research, environmental education, and project management constitute a great combination for the success of our LIFE project

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Events Project news 

Learn about breeding and reintroduction in Poland

Posted By: Lisa Marie Mahlknecht 405 Views 1 Comment , ,

Breeding and reintroduction of Parnassius apollo have quite a history in Poland. Learn about it in this posting and join our conference (19.09.2022) for free online to learn about the breeding in the LIFE Apollo2020 project. Our breeding experts from Poland, Czechia, and Austria will discuss the legal regulations, challenges, and benefits of breeding in a session from 10:15 – 10:45 CET on 19. September 2022. You will also be able to ask questions and discuss with them!

Read more on this topic: Missed the registration deadline – participate online!

The Apollo butterfly became extinct in the project areas at the end of the 19th century. In the early 20th century attempts were made by German entomologists to reintroduce it in the Sudetes The introduced individuals were kept in natural conditions in the years 1917–1926. Another attempt to reintroduce the Apollo butterfly, carried out in the Kruczy Kamień Reserve (Poland), took place in the years 1994-1995 and was made by  Jerzy Budzik.  

The species stayed in this location for the next 11 seasons. In 2019, Karkonosze National Park (KPN) introduced 150 pairs of Apollo butterflies in the Kruczy Kamień Reserve and 300 caterpillars on Chojnik Mountain and the meadows surrounding it. Monitoring in 2020 in both locations showed the presence of a new generation of the Apollo butterfly, which has undergone all development stages in natural conditions. Monitoring has shown that the species is able to use convenient habitats but still requires assistance by the supply of captive-bred specimens. 

The LIFE Apollo2020 project has started

In 2020 the “wild” population was supplemented with specimens from breeding – 490 individuals were released into the natural habitats: 250 in Kruczy Kamień Reserve and 240 on the Chojnik Mountain. In 2021 Karkonosze National Park introduced 1916 caterpillars and 2529 butterflies and in 2022 released 19 562 caterpillars in 12 locations. 

The Breeding farm in Karkonosze National Park

The Parnassius apollo breeding farm in Karkonosze National Park has been operating since 2016 and is located in the Karkonosze Gene Bank in Jagniątków. The farm has specialized infrastructure with breeding tents for caterpillars and imago including equipment, an automated greenhouse, a controlled irrigation system, infrastructure for breeding host plants for caterpillars, and a garden with a collection of nectarous plants. The staff at the Karkonosze Gene Bank have experience in breeding Parnassius apollo, which made it possible to start the reintroduction of the Apollo butterfly to natural sites in 2019 – 2022. KPN’s employees developed a system and methodology for breeding Apollo, which will be used and made available for the creation of new farms within the project.

What do you need to breed butterflies?

Equipment consists mainly of terrariums and foldable tents where caterpillars and imagines are held until their release. Terrariums are closed with a permeable net, which limits the access of predators and parasitoids and are placed in a  breeding tent, which protects them from snow and heavy rainfall. When imago appear they are placed in tents with nectariferous plants to mate. Fertilized females are placed in cotton sleeves in which they lay eggs. Eggs are put into glass containers for winter. Breeding tents are used both at the stage of caterpillar development and imago reproduction.

Also, you can join online and attend sessions from our project leaders in Poland. They will share the best key practices and learning points from the Apollo reintroduction process.

Learn more about breeding online at our conference

During our International conference on butterfly conservation, “Science, ecology and innovation for Parnassius apollo conservation in Central Europe”, the breeding experts of the LIFE Apollo2020 project from Austria, Poland, and Czechia will present and discuss the breeding process, legal regulations and challenges of breeding. Join this panel on Monday, 19. September 20200 from 10:15 – 10:45 CET and ask your questions and share your experiences on breeding with our experts! The participation is free of charge.

Our breeding experts look forward to a fruitful exchange with you!

Register here

#followapollo and the efforts of our team! Combined skills in breeding, conservation of habitats, research, environmental education, and project management constitute a great combination for the success of our LIFE project

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Project news 

Monitoring, education and feeding plants – There’s plenty to do at the Education and Information Center White Carpathians

Posted By: Lisa Marie Mahlknecht 2154 Views 1 Comment

During the last month, Education and Information Center White Carpathians (VIS) was very busy. Read what they have been up for:

Cultivation of feeding plants

Their outdoor activities started with the collection of the very important feeding plants for the Apollo caterpillars, like Hylotelephium maximum.


New Hylotelephium maximum plants for cultivation

Transplanting a nutritious plant at Rajhrad Horticulture School

Monitoring of habitats

Monitoring of habitats is another activity that is important because it can be done only during the summer. VIS took phytocoenological images from three different project sides. Phytocoenology is the part of the ecology that deals with the interrelationships of plant species living in plant communities.  The population of Apollo butterflies is highly dependent on the number of healthy habitats with enough amount of food in the area. The challenge is that some plants are easily affected by climate change and the last waves of heat can kill them in the first stages of growth.

The team also mapped an area with some rope and pegs to be able recognize the areas of habitat plants and track their amount.

                           
Sedum acre near one of the project site                     

Defined mapping area on the project site

Education and dissemination

One of the vital ideas of the LIFE Apollo2020 project is to educate people about Parnassius apollo. The project team of VIS is preparing the educational program and they have already defined the target groups for this program. Another part of the dissemination strategy is to present the Apollo2020 project in different professional environments. During the last month, the project was presented at the 26th International Congress of Entomology in Helsinki and at the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences of the University of Helsinki. The project was enthusiastically welcomed by entomologists.

#followapollo and the efforts of our team! Combined skills in breeding, conservation of habitats, research, environmental education, and project management constitute a great combination for the success of our LIFE project

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“Iiiihs” and “aaaahs” : team Austria educates the smallest

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The project partners strongly believe that social inclusion in nature conservation and strengthening of social responsibility are key factors for sustaining the reintroduced population. For this reason, a number of workshops have been held at schools in Austria in recent months. If we can’t get the smallest explorers among us excited about the Apollo butterfly and its protection, then who can we?

Austrian conservation action coordinator Magdalena Meikl reports, what she has experienced in the schools, conducting the workshops with butterfly expert Otto Feldner:

Weißbach/Lofer

At the end of June, we visited the elementary school in Weißbach/Lofer. The school is a “Naturparkschule” and is located in the middle of the Weißbach nature park. Large butterfly stickers greeted us right at the school entrance. Accordingly, the 16 children of the 1st to 4th grade had already lot of knowledge about butterflies and insects in general. They could name many species, including very rare ones like Chazara briseis. The kids even wore butterfly pants and shorts. Many told us about the caterpillars they found on stinging nettles in the garden. Some children have even bred butterflies themselves, such as the little tortoiseshell or the peacock butterfly.

Otto showed the kids eggs and larvae in different stages from Parnassius apollo. The kids were of course very enthusiastic about that! We told them about the habitats that the Apollo butterfly needs, what is necessary to restore them, and about the project in general. Furthermore, they were asked to guess how many eggs an Apollo butterfly lays. Their guesses ranged from 1 to 20. They were amazed that the Red Apollo lays up to 100 eggs and that the caterpillars hibernate fully developed in their egg covers. In the end, they could touch some of the Apollo butterflies that Otto also brought with him which was the highlight of the whole workshop.

Next year we will meet again to create “Apollo gardens” together with the kids on the area of the school.

Maria Alm

On June 15th, we had a workshop about butterflies and the Red Apollo in the 2nd  grade of the elementary school in Maria Alm, Salzburg, Austria. Apollo-expert Otto Feldner was with us again. The children had already learned about butterflies in class and were able to tell us about many other native species in addition to P. apollo. Of course, they were very enthusiastic about the Apollo eggs, caterpillars and pupae that Otto had brought with him.

They learned about the specific habitats of P. apollo and what everyone can contribute to protect this beautiful and unique butterfly. In the end, we showed the kids the Apollo butterflies, which was of course the highlight of the whole workshop. The children also got butterfly seed bags as a little present and we hope that they will create many colorful flower meadows that will support butterfly biodiversity in Maria Alm.

Fusch/Großglocknerstraße

On the 23rd of May we conducted a school workshop about P. apollo and butterflies in the primary school in Fusch/Großglocknerstraße, Austria. 21 kids from the 1st and 2nd grades learned a lot about the flying beauties from our butterfly expert Otto Feldner.

The children already knew a lot about butterflies in general and could even distinguish between butterflies and moths. Otto brought some Apollo caterpillars and butterflies for the children to see and touch. That was the highlight for the children, even if the green excretions of the caterpillars caused quite a few “Iiiiiii”. At the end, the kids could play with puzzles and memories on different butterfly species. Each child also received a little bag with wildflower seeds to create an Apollo and butterfly paradise in the garden or on the balcony.

We will see each other again next spring because we will create “Gardens for Apollo” together with the children near the school. In addition, we might do an Apollo-excursion somewhere in the valley of Fusch.

We are looking forward to visit the school and would also like to thank the class teachers for their great interest and enthusiasm!

Interested in workshops at your school?

Contact our coordinator Magdalena Meikl (magdalena.meikl@wilderness-society.org)

#followapollo and the efforts of our team! Combined skills in breeding, conservation of habitats, research, environmental education, and project management constitute a great combination for the success of our LIFE project

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Project news 

Team Poland – Three organisations combine experience

Posted By: Julia Hava 565 Views

Project leader- Karkonoski National Park (KPN), Klub Przyrodników (KP/Naturalists’ Club) and W. Szafer Institute of Botany at the Polish Academy of Science (IBPAN) constitute the Polish segment of the project team.

An experienced project leader: Karkonoski Park Narodowy

Karkonoski Park Narodowy is a public institution – one among 23 National Parks existing in Poland. KPN protects the so-called Karkonosze and their fauna and flora. Karkonosze Mountains are the part of Sudety Mountains in which Parnassius apollo became extinct in the XIX century. In 2007 KPN undertook first reintroduction attempts of the species in the area – by placing the eggs in an adequate environment. Next year the Park started to breed Parnassius apollo and release caterpillars and adult individuals. Now, thanks to the LIFE Apollo2020 project, KPN will be able to increase efforts on reintroduction, so as on the monitoring of the species and its feeding plants. 

Knowledge transfer in breeding and reintroduction experience

As part of the LIFE Apollo2020 project, Karkonoski National Park shares knowledge about the breeding of the Apollo butterfly with other partner organisations. Their knowledge serves as a foundation for establishing the methodology of monitoring Apollo in the project and its habitat. KPN plays also a very important role in knowledge transfer and in supporting the creation of new breeding stations. This year 2022,  eggs of Apollo travelled from KPN to the Czech Republic and to the new breeding station which is being established in Uniemyśl by Klub Przyrodników. Having multiple breeding stations and release points is a very important step toward creating metapopulations (groups of small populations) of Apollo. 

Co-lead: Klub Przyrodników

To be the first organisation in Poland that received funding from the LIFE Programme means years of experience and knowledge, which are crucial for a smooth project implementation.

Klub Przyrodników
Co-lead

Klub Przyrodników is a well-established association existing since 1989. It has an NGO status and unites environmentalists from the whole country. The Club implements a range of different conservation projects. It has two field stations – one in Owczary on the Polish-German border and the other one – in the South of the country, in Uniemyśl. A station in Uniemyśl will be developed during the project to facilitate the reintroduction of Parnassius apollo.  This is where a new breeding station for Apollo is located, and where Gardens for Apollo are being created, full of feeding plants for caterpillars and adult butterflies. Klub Przyrodników has a large range of responsibilities in the LIFE Apollo2020 project. KP together with KPN are responsible for the project management and coordinating the whole consortium. During the project, KP will open a new breeding station (already ongoing on the small scale), Garden for Apollo and Education Centre.

Research on the genetics of Parnassius apollo for the successful reintroduction

IBPAN –  W. Szafer Institute of Botany at the Polish Academy of Science is a third member of the Polish team. It is a well-recognised academic institution in Poland. In the project, they are participating through the work of dr Tomasz Suchan – a scientific researcher – focusing on the genetics of Parnassius apollo. Tomasz Suchan will sequence part of Apollo’s genome and will also research the population of the species in Europe – all that with the aim to inform successful reintroduction of the butterfly. Tomasz is also strongly supporting the Citizen Science component of the project.

Get to know the members of the Polish team

Magdalena Makowska
Project Manager
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Julia Hava
Project management assistant
Read more
Kamila Grzesiak
Conservation actions
Read more
Anna Bator-Kocoł
Conservation actions
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Grzegorz Hajnowski
Reintroduction
Roman Rąpała
Reintroduction
Dariusz Kuś
Project management
Tomasz Suchan
Genetics
Read more
Anna Mitek
Krzysztof Kalemba
Botanist

#followapollo and the efforts of our team! Combined skills in breeding, conservation of habitats, research, environmental education, and project management constitute a great combination for the success of our LIFE project.

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Parnassius apollo L. glocnericus, Osttirol, Iseltal, 2017-33343.JPG
Project news 

Small actions – big impacts: visiting habitats in Austria

Posted By: Lisa Marie Mahlknecht 543 Views 0 Comment ,

Together with private landowners and the Austria State Forestry (ÖBF), the Austrian team visited potential habitats in Lungau, a district of Salzburg.

Read more on team Austria: Introducing team Austria

The landowners were very interested in the project and the whole team, especially butterfly expert Otto Feldner was able to describe convincingly which measures were necessary to improve sites to habitats for butterflies. These are for example removal of bushes and small trees, replanting of foodplants and hostplants and controlled grazing for some weeks with sheep and goats to keep the habitats open and prevent them from overgrowing.

With only small actions these sites will be very promising habitats for the Apollo butterfly.

Parnassius apollo L. juvavus, ma, Karteis 2015-33336.JPG
Otto Feldner
Breeding and conservation actions Austria

Not only P. apollo will benefit

Suitable habitats in Muhrtal and Tweng were found for P.arnassius apollo and for other butterfly species like Euphydryas sp., Erebia sp. or Lycenidae. The team could already observe some caterpillars and butterflies of different species, so hopefully, populations will profit quickly from the planned habitat measures. In accordance with the landowners the first steps will start this summer. The whole project is very happy about those successful steps and looking forward to the first actions!

Project news 

Introducing team Austria

Posted By: Lisa Marie Mahlknecht 492 Views 1 Comment , ,

The LIFE Apollo2020 project combines joint efforts of three countries: Poland, Czech Republic and Austria. The Austrian part of the project is represented by European Wilderness Society.

The organization behind team Austria

European Wilderness Society (EWS) is a pan-european, non-profit organisation with a dedicated, multi-cultural team of professionals, whose mission is to identify, designate, steward and promote Europe’s last Wilderness and its wildlife. EWS coordinates the largest network of Wilderness areas in Europe, the European Wilderness Network. Its extensive online and offline European communication strategy raises awareness for Wilderness, wildlife and other conservation issues.

This project offers us the chance to not only recreate the Apollo populations but also improve the habitats of many other species.

Magdalena Meikl
National Coordinator Austria

European Wilderness Society (EWS) has long focused on the protection of biodiversity, ranging from large carnivores to small insects. It has organized workshops, seminars and training for more than 1500 Austrian, German and Ukrainian youngsters to raise awareness about insects, their role in nature and the need to protect them. With an award-winning project, EWS also organized an international insect hotel building workshop, with over 60 participants.

EWS thus has extensive experience in communication and environmental education activities, that are their main input into the project, alongside with conservational measures concentrated on Austrian Alps.

Majestic mountains

Ranging from Vorarlberg in the west to Lower Austria in the east, the Alps are one dominant landscape of Austria. They cover 60% of Austria’s territory and harbor landscapes with the highest significance for biodiversity, where great areas have remained untouched by mankind. They lie within a temperate climatic zone, while the mountainous region is characterized by a relatively humid snowy climate. It is home to more than 45,000 animal and more than 3,000 plant species.

The plants are often well-adapted to their habitat as they depend on specific topographical conditions. About half of the project area is forested, mainly by fir (Abies alba), larch (Larix decidua), spruce (Picea abies), and pine (Pinus sylvestris), Swiss pine (Pinus cembra) and black pine (Pinus nigra). Deciduous forests below​ 600 m altitude occur, consisting mostly of beech (Fagus sylvatica).

About 20% of all vascular plants can be found in the Alpine region. From valleys to mountain peaks, one comes across a gradient of diverse ecosystems with different plant species, which makes some areas very fragile and susceptible to anthropogenic changes. Especially relevant for Apollo is the larval host plant Sedum album, which is decreasing due to the increase of shade and light reduction through increasing bush vegetation.

The biggest majority of animal species is represented by invertebrates. Insect abundance and diversity have witnessed a rapid decline in recent years, largely because of the long-term effects of pollutants. Ensuring favorable conditions for umbrella insect species, like the Parnassius apollo, is therefore crucially important.

High priority areas

The project sites in Austria have been selected as they are areas with the highest priority for Parnassius apollo conservation in Austria. In those areas the butterfly population has decreased and in some areas it has even disappeared. The Austrian population decreased during the last 25 years by 20-50%. Parnassius apollo has been listed as “near threatened” on the Austrian Red List since 2005, yet subspecies are not listed separately. The most up to date Red Lists of the Austrian provinces state that the butterly is “extinct” in Burgenland and Vienna, “heavily threatened” in Styria and Carinthia, “threatened” in Tyrol, Salzburg, and Upper Austria, and “near threatened” in Vorarlberg. In Upper Austria, the it is listed as “threatened” but the lowland populations went extinct. Thus, Lower Austria has the responsibility to protect the last Parnassius apollo lowland populations and habitats for Austria.

Get to know the members of the Austrian team

Max Rossberg
Project management
Anni Henning
Financial management
Otto Feldner
Breeding and conservation actions
Read more
Lisa Marie Mahlknecht
Communications

#followapollo and the efforts of our team! Combined skills in breeding, conservation of habitats, research, environmental education, and project management constitute a great combination for the success of our LIFE project

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