Background The project focused on two SPA’s located in eastern Slovakia – Senne SPA and Medzibodrozie – which both belong to the most important breeding and resting sites of rare, endangered and vulnerable water birds in Slovakia, including globally threatened and migratory species. The international importance of both sites is recognised in their status as Important Bird Areas and designation as RAMSAR sites. The Senne depression and Medzibodrozie plains flooded regularly before river regulation took place in the 1960s and 70s. In 1970s, a fishpond system was built in the Senne depression to support commercial fishing as well as bird protection. Nowadays, however, due to the unfavourable water regime caused by improper water management, wetland habitats are neither suitable for good aqua-cultural production nor for sufficiently supporting wildlife. The conflicting interests of local stakeholders (commercial fishing, hunting etc.), disturbance, lack of public support and insufficient capacity of nature conservation authorities to address the problems have also contributed to the unfavourable conservation status of target bird species. Objectives The overall objective of the project was to achieve a favourable conservation status for breeding and migrating birds listed in Annex I of the Birds and Habitats Directive in the Senne and Medzibodrozie SPAs through improving habitats in key locations. Management plans would be drawn up for both SPAs targeted by the project, and restoration projects would be developed to ensure the implementation of the restoration works that aim to improve small water management infrastructure and achieve favourable water regimes at the respective localities. An aqua-environmental scheme would be developed and tested in order to secure sustainable financing of environmentally friendly management of wetlands. The project also aimed to purchase land within Senne SPA site in order to secure control over the core areas for breeding and migrating identification birds. Conservation management of meadows leading to the restoration and subsequent maintenance of the favourable conservation status of bird habitats would be achieved through the acquisition of land under agro-environmental schemes at both SPAs. New localities with breeding and feeding habitat for qualifying birds would also be created in the Senne and Medzibodrozie SPAs. Finally, small tourist infrastructure (bird-watching towers, visitor boards etc.) would be installed, including facilities for regulating visitors’ access to the SPAs. Lessons learned and knowledge gained within the project would be disseminated both in popular and in scientific presentations. An After-Life Conservation Plan would be developed to ensure sustainability of conservation measures set-up and implemented in a framework of the LIFE Project. Results The project achieved nearly all its objectives. Legal approval of the Management Plan for the SPA Senné is still to be granted and the aqua-environmental scheme still remains to be successfully tested. In order to reach its overall objective, 33 specific actions were implemented. Preparatory actions: A high-quality Management Plan for Senne SPA was drawn up; technical/construction projects were prepared for the building of water gates in both project sites as well as for the restoration of the main dyke in Senne National Nature Reserve. The proposal for the pilot aqua-environmental scheme on fishponds was developed and submitted to the ministry of agriculture. However, it was not formalised through inclusion into the operational programme “Fisheries of the Slovak Republic 2007-2013”, neither was it tested by fish farming company Dona at Senne Fishponds. Procurement of all works, goods and services was implemented in accordance with the Procurement Act. Land purchase: The targeted purchase of 50 ha of wet meadows important for birds in Senne SPA was exceeded. A total of 54.4 ha of land was purchased by SOS/BirdLife Slovakia at Ostrovik Meadows. Non-recurring measures: The non-recurring management in the project sites was focused on restoration of water regime and habitats for birds and on the development of the tourist infrastructure. Two larger water gates and three smaller sluices were built in Senne SPA and two water gates were built in Medzibodrozie SPA. Thanks to these constructions, the water regime was improved on 990 ha of wet meadows. The main dyke at the Senne NNR was restored and consequently the water table level on the pond in the reserve was stabilised at levels favourable for water fowl. The improved water level in the NNR positively affected bird habitats and populations including two species of European importance – the the common crane (Grus grus) and the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) – that started to breed for first time ever in the NNR. More than 200 ha of meadows and 14.5 ha of wetlands were restored directly through implementing tailored restoration measures. A total of 0.91 ha and 2.17 ha of breeding and feeding habitats respectively were restored in Senne SPA. The size of the restored breeding and feeding habitats in Medzibodrozie SPA totals 0.3 ha. The small infrastructure that was established within a framework of the project includes an instructional trail with 13 information boards, five bird watching towers and five rest places in Senne SPA, as well as an instructional trail, information centre and two watching towers in Medzibodrozie SPA. Recurring measures: Recurring management in Senne SPA was focused on maintaining favourable habitats and conditions for birds in purchased land at Ostrovik meadow. Attempts to implement of aqua-environmental scheme on Senne fish-ponds, however, failed. But the failure has not had thus far a substantial negative impact on other vegetation at commercial fish ponds iin Senne. Public awareness and dissemination: In total 35 presentations were given in local schools and for the public; 24 guided tours and 14 conservation camps were organised in Senne SPA. Also, 56 meetings and other events with various stakeholders, including two excursions to properly managed Natura 2000 sites, took place. Several well-designed informational and dissemination materials, such as T-shirts, a poster, a brochure, stickers, a book called Birds of the Senne in the past and present, were produced and distributed. A mobile exhibition, ‘Natural values of SPAs Senne and Medzibodrozie’ was also created and exhibited at various locations. It was seen by more than 9 700 visitors In total seven information signs with the project logo were installed at both project sites. Close contact with media was established and maintained throughout the project. A 30-minute film, ‘Bird Paradise Senne and Medzibodrozie’, was made and broadcasted on national Slovak TV channels. Monitoring: Experts monitored the status of birds and habitats in the project sites, and results were published in annual and summary monitoring reports. The environmental benefits of the project were clearly visible and measurable following the finalising of all planned construction works (sluices, water gates, reparation of dyke etc.). The status of breeding/feeding/migrating birds, especially Annex I species in Senne and Medzibodrozie SPAs, in restored habitats have generally improved. Regular monitoring of the birds established under the project allows for informed management of the species in the long term. Degraded meadows and wetlands at Senne SPA (Blata and Ostrovik locations) were abandoned for more than 10 years and they suffered from lack of water, but also from the spreading of invasive weed species as a consequence of long-term abandonment. After mulching most of bushes and weeds were removed, and after recovery of the hydrological regime through building of water gates and sluices these habitats now support breeding of several threatened bird species. Furthermore since the habitat restoration efforts started, thousands of birds have now stopped here during spring migration. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Conservation Plan (see "Read more" section).