Project news Archives

Field Report: Strengthening Apollo Habitats in Tyrol and Salzburg

🦋 Apollo2020 is on the move!
We’ve kicked off a new phase of fieldwork with visits to four key Apollo butterfly habitats: Hinterbichl, Virgen, and Leisach in East Tyrol, plus Karteis in Salzburg (Pongau). These stunning alpine sites are crucial stepping stones for Parnassius apollo glocnericus and P. apollo juvavus.

Together with butterfly expert Otto Feldner and project lead Max Rossberg, we used drone-based imaging to map terrain and identify microhabitats that will guide our summer restoration work. 💡🌱

Each location is part of a growing cross-border habitat network that supports the long-term survival of Apollo butterflies in the Alps. 🏔️💚

📍 Stay tuned for detailed updates from the field—and follow us as we help restore one of Europe’s most iconic alpine species!

#Apollo2020 #ParnassiusApollo #ButterflyConservation #AlpineNature #EastTyrol #Salzburg #HabitatRestoration #NatureNetwork

Monitoring Project news

Shrub Clearance in Lofer for Parnassius Apollo

🦋 Habitat Restoration for Apollo Butterflies in Lofer!
In spring 2025, a major habitat restoration effort took place on the dry steppe slope below Lärchberg near Lofer—part of the EU-LIFE project Apollo2020.

🌿 Over the years, the slope had become overgrown with shrubs and young trees (mainly spruce, hazel, and maple), blocking sunlight and crowding out the white stonecrop (Sedum album)—the only larval food plant of the Apollo butterfly.

👉 Between March 6 and April 23, 15 action days were dedicated to clearing around 30 hectares of land. The goal: reopen the slope to sunlight, restore dry grassland vegetation, and improve conditions for the rare subspecies Parnassius apollo loferensis.

💎 This site is one of the last strongholds of this genetically distinct alpine butterfly—found nowhere else in the world!

🔧 The campaign was led by Otto Feldner (European Wilderness Society), supported by the local Lärchberg-Lofer agricultural community, dedicated volunteers, and regional conservation experts from the Salzburg state government.

🌞 A strong example of how local cooperation and early action can help protect one of the Alps’ most iconic butterfly species!

#Apollo2020 #ParnassiusApollo #Loferensis #Lärchberg #ButterflyConservation #HabitatRestoration #EUlife #AlpineNature #NatureConservation

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Field Report: Strengthening Apollo Habitats in Tyrol and Salzburg

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Shrub Clearance in Lofer for Parnassius Apollo

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Midterm Report Submitted to CINEA – LIFE Apollo2020 Project Progress Update

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A conservation milestone: Apollo successfully reintroduced in Austria’s first two habitats

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Exploring the peaks and valleys: insights from the 2023 Apollo breeding season

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Dogs on a Mission: Conserving Wildlife with Naturschutzhunde

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Volunteering for Apollo in Poland

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LIFE Apollo2020 Partner Meeting and Monitoring Visit in Saalfelden, Austria

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Release of 50 Apollo butterflies in Czechia!

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Nature Restoration Law adopted: what this breaking news means

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Conservation of Parnassius apollo in Czechia, Poland and Austria