Background As a result of the degradation and disappearance of wetlands and, in particular, reed beds, nesting bittern (Botaurus stellaris) populations have dramatically decreased all over Europe in the last 30 years. The seven Natura 2000 network sites covered by the project are very important for the bittern. They are home to about a quarter of the French bittern nesting population and half the wintering populations. The main habitat in these sites is composed of large reed beds that are degraded to a greater or lesser degree. The low quality of the reed-bed habitat affects the reproduction success of the bittern. Degradation is mainly due to a lack of appropriate management and the intensification of human activities such as fishing, hunting and bad agricultural practices. Objectives The project aimed to restore and manage the bittern habitats, focussing in particular on the wetlands, trough hydraulic actions and the improvement of degraded reed beds. It also aimed to increase understanding of the biology and ecology of the bittern by setting up both a scientific follow-up study and a national science programme on the species at each site. In co-operation with local stakeholders (hunters, fishers and fish farmers), the project would test management approaches that combined social and economic activities with a focus on the environmental evaluation of reed beds, particularly those reed beds for whose loss farmers had been financially compensated. The project would also launch an awareness campaign targeted at social and professional bodies, schools and the general public. Results A key success of the project was that across the project area, it maintained and on some sites even increased the overall number of bitterns. It restored 210 hectares of degraded reed beds, cleaned 32 km of ditches, constructed ten new hydraulic structures and replaced or updated another eight. In addition, important information was collected on the reproductive biology (number of eggs laid, reproductive success, etc.), ecology and habitat requirements of the bittern. The project also implemented management actions across 6,500 hectares of marshes and reed beds. In addition, 20 hectares of habitat suitable for the wintering of the bittern were purchased by the LPO in the Rochefort marshes and afterwards partly classified as non-hunting territory. The project implemented bittern-specific environmental reed-bed habitat management agreements, and guidelines that were applied to 880 hectares. These measures enabled the implementation of management approaches, which combined the reed cutting and bittern presence during the breeding season by keeping at least 20% of the exploitable reed surface uncut. The objective is to pursue this management approach after LIFE with agro-environmental measures, Natura 2000 contracts or other suitable policies. The project built two observatories and a nature trail path in the Brenne and Charnier-Scamandre areas. It also produced 50 education packs and promoted bittern LIFE seminars that enabled around 300 scientists and sites managers to exchange ideas. The projected organised an awareness-raising campaign that consisted of a wide variety of activities, including the publication of information sheets and the holding of exhibitions and conferences.