In mid-May, the Dutch NGO ARK Nature visited Donau-Auen National Park with a delegation of around 20 participants as part of a multi-day study trip through the Danube and Morava floodplain regions.
The excursion, organised by Karoline Zsak and Aaron Griesbacher from the Nature & Science Department of Donau-Auen National Park, focused on restoration and protected area management along the Austrian Danube. Topics included meadow management, wildlife management, floodplain forest conservation, side-arm reconnection, and riverbank revitalisation.
A special focus of the visit was the ongoing restoration work within the LIFE WILDisland project at Schwalbeninsel. Participants visited the large-scale restoration site to learn more about the removal of embankments and groyne adaptation measures currently being implemented to restore natural river dynamics, improve hydrological connectivity, and support adjacent floodplain habitats.
Founded in 1989, ARK Nature is one of the founding organisations behind the Rewilding Europe initiative and has long been active in restoration and rewilding projects in the Netherlands and internationally. As the Dutch government is currently developing a new framework for its river programme, the delegation was particularly interested in practical examples of near-natural floodplain management and process-based restoration along large European rivers.
The visit provided an excellent opportunity for exchange and discussion on how restoration measures can support biodiversity, strengthen ecological connectivity, and allow rivers more space to develop naturally.
