The report from the trip to Spain (8-15 March 2014)

According to the Action F.2 (networking with other LIFE projects) the Wigry National Park made contact with the two institutions from Spain, coordinating LIFE projects on similar issues (active protection of amphibians).

After logistic arrangements, in March of 2014 four people from the Wigry National Park working on the project LIFE 11 NAT/PL/431: Maciej Kaminski Ph.D - Deputy Head of WPN, Lech Krzysztofiak Ph.D - Chief Coordinator of the LIFE project, Aleksandra Mackiewicz MSc. Ing. from the Scientific-Educational Department and Dorota Zaborowska from the Department of Conservation, left for Spain. The trip was organized jointly with the Association "Man and Nature", which also leads the LIFE project focusing on amphibians entitled "Protection of amphibians in Natura 2000 areas in north-eastern Poland" (LIFE 12 NAT/PL/000063).

We visited two Parks of Nature (equivalent of our Landscape Parks) located in northern Spain, in the province of Alava, in the Basque Country: Parque Natural de Izki and Parque Natural del Gorbea, where the LIFE 10 NAT/ES/000572 project entitled "PRO-Izki - ecosystem Management of Izki Quercus pyrenaica forest and habitats and species of community interest related to it" is carried.

Staff of Parque Natural de Izki coordinated by José María Fernández García showed us the places where amphibians occur with a particular focus on Dalmatian frog (Rana dalmatina), told about how to protect the species, about the protection of occurrence and maintain in good condition as well as the construction of new, small ponds , used by the amphibians as a breeding place. During the meeting at the park headquarter they showed us his own film about the Park and the natural values of the region of Alava, also shared specific information on financing and project management.
The second stage of the trip was a visit to the town of Banyoles, in eastern Spain, on the Costa Brava. We met up there with Miquel Campos Llach and Quim Pou Rovira - coordinators of the LIFE project "Conservation of river fauna of Community interest in the Natura 2000 network sites of the Ter, Muga and Fluvia River basins" (LIFE 12 NAT/ES/0001091). The beneficiary of this project is the Consortium de l'Estany, dealing with the behavior of natural and cultural heritage and the promotion of economic, environmental and social functions of the region de l'Estany. One element of this project is also reconstruct and maintenance of small water-bodies as a place of life and development of amphibians.
Maciej Kaminski comprehensively presented activity of the Wigry National Park and formal issues and previous experience in the operation of our LIFE project. Finally we invited representatives of the two, friendly Spanish LIFE projects to revisit.
On the March 11th, during our stay in Spain, “Canal Alava” website published an article about our visit and the cooperation between our both LIFE projects.