LIFEfarms for birds: a project for the conservation of the corncrake and threatened waders

LIFEfarms for birds (officially: “Adaptation of wet grasslands and mires for sustainable farming to ensure long-term protection of corncrake and threatened waders”, acronym: LIFE21-NAT-LT-LIFEfarms for birds, No. 101074711) is an environmental conservation project funded by the EU LIFE programme. The project is aimed at improving conservation status of corncrake and breeding populations of threatened waders in Lithuania. The project goals are predominantly achieved through establishment of sustainable farming practices.

Project summary

The project is aimed at establishing demonstrative sustainable farming and mobile grazing unit to maintain favourable conservation status of the target species populations and their habitats. The target species are Corncrake, and the following waders: Great snipe, Black-tailed godwit, Common redshank, and other species EU Importance. These conservation measures will be applied in wet grasslands and mires in six special protected areas (SPAs). We are estimating that the project should have a positive impact on the local populations of the grassland waders and Corncrake, projecting an increase in their numbers by the least of 100% of each species in each of the 6 SPAs. This should result in a significant increase in their national populations (at least 3% for Corncrake, 25% for Black-tailed godwit, 6% for Common redshank, 10% for Ruff and 25% for Great snipe). We are seeking to widely spread the word on project achievements in the country and beyond, hoping to promote sustainable, biodiversity and climate friendly farming practices among all relevant stakeholders’groups. We are aiming for significant replication response in 40 farms, and endorsement of these farming practices in the strategic planning documents and national legislation that are relevant for conservation of the grassland species. 

Project duration

September 1, 2023 – December 31, 2027 (64 months)

Financial information

Total budget: 3 320 044,15 Eur

EU contribution: 2 490 032,15 Eur

Project objectives

The general objective of the project is to use established demonstrative sustainable farming and mobile grazing unit initiative for maintenance of favourable conservation status of the concrete populations of Corncrake, Great snipe, Black-tailed godwit, Common redshank and other species and habitats of EU Importance in wet grasslands and mires in six SPAs, and widely promote project achievements in the country and outside.

Specific objectives of the project:

1. Restoration and maintenance of the appropriate hydrological conditions for farming in wet grasslands in at least 280 ha of the project areas.

2. Restoration and creation of suitable habitats for target species in sites important for species conservation in at least 460 ha in project SPAs through proper management and restoration of existing and potential breeding habitats of target species.

3. Establishment of sustainable farms with demonstrative character in abandoned wet meadows and mires to ensure further maintenance of the restored areas.

4. Establishment of demonstrative mobile grazing units for maintenance of at least 240 ha of the restored habitats of target species in the areas lacking regular farming activities to ensure further maintenance of the formerly restored areas.

5. Monitoring of the project conservation status of populations of target species and their habitats, to assess the effectiveness of applied conservation measures.

6. Ensuring of the legal and effective conservation of the species through the signing of cooperation agreements with private land-owners, enlargement of the SPAs designated for the species protection, and elaboration and revision of the sites management plans and species action plans.

7. To create basis for stimulation of applying of sustainable nature and climate friendly farming in currently abandoned wet meadows and mires through enhancing replicability of the project experience in whole country and abroad.

8. Increasing capacities of stakeholders-practitioners by providing them with practical tool on nature and climate friendly farming in wetlands and wet and productive grasslands habitats and stimulating quality change of their knowledge. The main focus will be done on stakeholders working in agricultural and nature conservation sector in LT and EU.

9. Dissemination, promotion and raising of public awareness and creation of positive attitude among important stakeholders on advantages of sustainable farming in fen mires, which were traditionally used for extensive farming in Lithuania.

10. Effective management, administration and quality control of the project.

Work packages

WP1 Project management and coordination. Aims to ensure smooth, timely implementation of the project actions and reaching of the high-quality planned results, including ensuring sustainability and replication.

WP2 Restoration of the breeding habitats of Corncrake and threatened waders of bad condition. Aims to stop degradation and loss of the existing grassland habitats by restoring them and creating conditions for their proper management by applying agri-environmental measures (WP3).

WP3 Maintaining long-terms good conditions of the Corncrake and threatened waders habitats by extensive farming and cattle grazing. Aim is to ensure long-term management of the restored habitats of targeted bird species by introducing demonstrative extensive cattle grazing practices in 2 demonstrative economically sustainable cattle breading farms (in 4 farming areas Pagilutė, Kūriniai, Biržija and Kretuonas Žemaitiškės) in Aukštaitija NP and demonstrative mobile grazing initiative in areas lacking regular farming activities.

WP4 Monitoring and evaluation. Aim is to monitor progress, success and risks of the implementation of all project actions, with particular focus on the concrete conservation actions under WP2 and WP3, as well as tasks aiming to ensure project sustainability and replication (WP5) and dissemination and communication of its practices (WP6).

WP5 Sustainability, replication and exploitation of project results. Aim is to ensure long-term sustainability of the Project nature conservation results and maintain ecological effect for at least 30 years and to extend results of the project beyond its geographical territory by creating long-term incentives and raising capacities of the stakeholders to apply continuous extensive cattle farming to maintain good status of Corncrake and target waders’ habitats.

WP6 Dissemination, communication and networking. Aims to raise public awareness and create positive attitude among important stakeholders at regional and national levels on advantages of sustainable farming in fen mires and wet meadows, which were traditionally used for extensive farming in Lithuania, and to promote and disseminate project findings and experience among stakeholders locally, nationally, and internationally.

Project team

Project is coordinated by Lithuanian Ornithological Society. Project partners: Aukstaitija National Park and Labanoras Regional Park administration and Lithuanian Environmental Farms Association.

Project manager: Justina Karlonienė (Lithuanian Ornithological Society, Naugarduko 47-3, 03208 Vilnius, Lithuania, el. p. justina@birdlife.lt)

Project co-financiers

EU LIFE programme and the Ministry of Environment of Republic of Lithuania

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.