Restoration of Bittern habitats in two coastal lakes in Latvia (LIFE COASTLAKE)

Project passport
Project Duration	01.09.2013. – 30.04.2018.
Project Beneficiary	Latvian Fund for Nature
Project Partners	Engure Nature Park Fondation, Pasaules Dabas fonds
Project Funding	European Union LIFE+ program, Latvian Environmental Protection Fund
Project Location	Latvia
Project Manager	Ģirts Strazdiņš
Project Co-ordinator
Project Contact Information
Project Phone	+371 67830999
Project Email	Project Email: girts.strazdins@ldf.lv
Project Address	Vilandes st. 3-7 Riga, LV-1010, Latvia
Project Home Page

Goal
Project Activities
Project Results

Project long term objective: to improve the conservation status of the Bittern Botaurus stellaris in Latvia and EU according to the framework for species conservation set by EU Species Action plan.

Project short term objectives:

To improve the conservation status of Bittern and improve ecosystem functions in two most important coastal lakes for the species – Lake Engure Natura 2000 site and Lake Pape Natura 2000 site.
To reduce the impact of direct and indirect threats on Bittern population by securing sustainable lake habitat management including improvements to existing and restoring of currently degraded breeding and feeding sites for Bittern.
To monitor and evaluate the effects of the proposed lake habitat restoration measures on the species during the project and to feed this information into future site management plans and species management recommendations (guidelines).
To establish the demonstration area for species conservation in Lake Engure in order to eliminate gaps in knowledge about the habitat requirements for Bittern among the nature conservationists. To provide the information about the species requirements, to generate the widely applicable and regionally tested habitat restoration methods and thus set the scene for further Bittern conservation actions in Latvia and Boreal region.
To enhance the public understanding of the ecological, economic and social values of the coastal wetlands via explaining the ecosystem functions and services concept and raise support for the conservation of wetland dependent species such as Bittern. To support the integration of nature conservation concerns into the business sector.

Project Activities:

A. Preparatory actions, elaboration of management plans and/or of action plans

A.1. Technical planning of restoration actions

A.2. Study on use of lake biomass

A.3. Updating the site management plan for Lake Pape Nature park

C. Concrete conservation actions

C.1. Bittern habitat restoration - demonstration area in Engure

C.2. Bittern habitat restoration - other actions in Engure

C.3. Bittern habitat restoration - actions in Pape

D. Monitoring of the impact of the project actions

D.1. Monitoring the impact of the project actions

D.2. Assessment of the socio-economic impact of the restoration actions

E. Public awareness and dissemination of results

E.1. Public awareness and dissemination work with general public

E.2. Public awareness work with local stakeholders – Engure

E.3. Public awareness work with local stakeholders – Pape

E.4. Websites

E.5. Notice boards

E.6. Layman's report

E.7. Work with nature conservation professionals

F. Overall project operation and monitoring of the project progress

F.1. Project management

F.2. After LIFE conservation plan

F.3. Audit

F.4. Networking with other LIFE+ or non LIFE projects

A.	Preparatory actions, elaboration of management plans and/or of action plans
A.1.	Report of the water sampling and content analysis for samples from Engure and Pape lakes. Sediment analysis (granulometric composition and chemical content) for both lakes.
A.2.	Mapping of the reed cover done in 2014 with the help of remote sensing technologies (reed distribution, density and biomass productivity categories are developed). Evaluation of sediment layer is done in 2014, geo-referenced spatial data of sediment layer is obtained. The research "Innovative technological solutions for the use of reed biomass and the assessment of their effectiveness".
A.3.	Updated management plan for the Lake Pape Nature park - separate management plan of Botaurus stellaris habitat protection and conservation in the Nature park “Pape” lake.
C.	Concrete conservation actions
C.1.	Restoration works in Lake Engure started in August 2014. In the selected area we have constructed the complex consisting of shallow and deeper ditches with sloping edges and patches of open water in different sizes that are mixed with reed stands. The map of completed works in Lake Engure.
C.2.	Technical planning of this action started at the end of 2015. Practical management works started after the bird nesting season – in the middle of July 2016. The map of completed works in Lake Engure.
C.3.	The action in Lake Pape started in 2015 and were completed in 2017. The map of completed works in Lake Pape.
D.	Monitoring of the impact of the project actions
D.1.	Monitoring report for 2014 in Lake Pape and Engure. Monitoring report for 2015 in Lake Pape and Engure. Monitoring report for 2016 in Lake Pape and Engure.
E.	Public awerness and dissemination of results
E.1.	Movie about Bittern and two lakes prepared and demonstrated to a wider audience (10 events) in the summer of 2017. The open air exhibition is developed and opened. The opening was on May 27, 2016 in Riga, Lucavsala Recreation Park. The exhibition schedule for the year 2016 can be found here. In 2017 exhibition was demonstrated in Engure culture house, in Kemeri National Park house and at Lake Kaņieris birdwatching tower, in Rāzna National Park and in small coastal village Bēzciems, Engure Municipality. Now the exhibition is located in Lake Engure Nature Park, where it is on display for visitors. 3 booklets in Latvian and English were produced and printed – 2000 copies of each booklet. The electronic versions are available on-line in LFN and PDF webpages: - One is devoted to the project – it provides information about the project’s objectives, goals, informs the reader about the Bittern and coastal lakes and envisages works in both project areas; - The second booklet is devoted to the project’s activities in Engure; - The third booklet is about the project’s activities in Pape. 11 Bittern listening events took place in spring 2016 and 2017.
E.2.	2500 visitor maps of Lake Engure were produced and distributed in Regional tourism information centres. Three work camps organized in Lake Engure Nature Park (one in 2015, two - in 2016). 7 school excursions (184 participants) organized in Lake Engure Nature Park in 2016. 17 school events (237 participants) took place on floating monitoring platform in Lake Engure in 2015-2017. Four meetings organized with the reed cutters. Four local meetings organized with Mērsrags Municipality and Engure Municipality.
E.3.	Five media events were organized. Mobile application for Android and iOS operating systems developed for the visitors of Nature Park Pape. Three meetings organized with the reed cutter. Two reed cutting season assessment meetings orgnized with local reed cutters.
E.4.	The project website was prepared in Latvian Fund for Nature webpage, two project areas - Lake Engure Nature Park and Nature Park Pape - websites developed. In website Dabasdati.lv visitors from Pape and Engure can report about the species seen in the park. Information page about the Bittern established. In 2015-2017 the Bittern webcam was transmitted through http://dabasdati.lv/. Two field guides prepared - reed birds and plants in lake shores.
E.5.	38 notice boards are developed, printed and set up: - 15 (plus 15 for replacement) small information boards in nature park “Lake Pape”; - 15 small information boards in nature park “Lake Engure”; - 8 large information boards in both nature parks (6 in Engure, 2 in Pape).
E.6.	Layman’s report.