1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000
200 kilometers from Budapest, the Hortebagi National Park is one of Europe's most beautiful natural sites.

2
00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:14,000
Over 80,000 hectares of grassland, steppes and wetlands offer an exceptional mosaic of flora and fauna.

3
00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:19,000
The park belongs to the Natura 2000 European Network.

4
00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:27,000
Across Europe, some 25,000 sites have been made part of this network in order to protect and manage wild species

5
00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,000
and the rarest and most endangered habitats in Europe.

6
00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:38,000
In the Hungary of the 1950s, however, the characteristic properties of the Hortebagi site were destroyed.

7
00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:42,000
Dams were erected and canals like this one were dug.

8
00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:46,000
Rice was planted, but it grew poorly and the paddies were abandoned.

9
00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:55,000
In 2002, the natural habitat was restored thanks to European funding from the LIFE project.

10
00:00:55,000 --> 00:01:00,000
This map shows the network of dams and canals that made up the rice fields.

11
00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:06,000
There used to be a wide canal and two dams at this spot.

12
00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:10,000
The canal was used to irrigate the rice fields.

13
00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:17,000
Last year it was filled in, and you can see here the ponds and natural habitat of the pusta.

14
00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,000
They only formed last year and are still young.

15
00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,000
Nature takes years to develop.

16
00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:32,000
Over a four-year period, 500 kilometers of canals were filled in.

17
00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:35,000
The natural vegetation is coming back.

18
00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,000
Plants that had disappeared for decades are growing again.

19
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:45,000
Plantain, fescue grass, Limonitalia and Salicornia are springing up again from the alkaline and salty soil.

20
00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,000
The pastures that had always made up the landscape are back.

21
00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:53,000
For over 2,000 years, farmers had grazed their herds on this fertile land.

22
00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,000
The rice paddies had displaced them.

23
00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:02,000
These cows were introduced into the Hungarian pusta with Turkish immigration in the 16th century.

24
00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,000
They are unique in Europe.

25
00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:10,000
Known as grey cows, they play an important role in restoring biodiversity.

26
00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:14,000
Plants not native to the habitat do not survive their grazing.

27
00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:25,000
By grazing animals on the filled-in canals, we can keep species not native to this habitat from growing.

28
00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:33,000
That enables the natural vegetation to return to its habitat.

29
00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:42,000
The Hontabegi River flows through the park for a distance of 55 kilometers.

30
00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:49,000
When the dams and canals were built, it was prevented from playing its role in maintaining the ecological balance of the pusta.

31
00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:56,000
Now, at the end of winter, when the thaw comes, its bed overflows naturally, irrigating the vast plains.

32
00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:00,000
Migratory birds nest and feed in it until the end of the summer.

33
00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:05,000
In autumn, the park is home to the biggest number of cranes in Europe, up to 80,000.

34
00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:12,000
The natural flow of surface waters has made it possible to restore the natural habitat of Hontabegi Park.

35
00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:17,000
Wetlands like these that used to be drained are reclaiming their place in this vast territory.

36
00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:30,000
These wetlands play an important role as a vital habitat for migratory birds and for different species and insects.

37
00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:35,000
The LIFE program helped us to preserve this rich and living habitat.

38
00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:41,000
Thanks to the program, the rich biodiversity of the past has been restored.

39
00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:53,000
More than 330 species of birds have been identified on the site, some of which are particularly endangered in Europe.

40
00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:57,000
This rich biodiversity is accessible to park visitors.

41
00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:05,000
The Natura 2000 sites aim to combine balanced and sustainable habitat management with economic and social concerns.

42
00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:12,000
Natura 2000 does not, in principle, ban the exploitation of the land or natural resources or the development of tourism.

43
00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:20,000
This site aims to create real synergy between nature conservation and the preservation of local cultures.

44
00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:25,000
The new information center welcomes both Hungarian and foreign visitors every year.

45
00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:33,000
The park attaches a great deal of importance to preserving the rural traditions that are still very much alive in the collective memory.

46
00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:43,000
With the rehabilitation of this territory, it can once again be used naturally.

47
00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,000
This land can be used for grazing.

48
00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:57,000
Tourists can see the results when they come here, because some of the roads going through the puszta lead to areas restored under the LIFE program.

49
00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:05,000
A genuine partnership has been created between the local population and the park's management.

50
00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:12,000
Without disturbing the habitat, visitors can discover the traditional ways of life of the Hungarian countryside.

51
00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:21,000
By improving the quality of pasture for herds, by involving farmers in the project, a sustainable economy is bringing new vitality to the region.

52
00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:30,000
Now we're off to another Natura 2000 site in Belgium.

53
00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:39,000
In the heart of the Walloon region, for centuries the Saint-Hubert plateau provided a habitat for flora and fauna, specific to the peat bogs found here.

54
00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:46,000
Everything changed at the end of the 19th century though, when coal mining was at its peak in Belgium.

55
00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:50,000
Wood was needed as supports in the mining galleries.

56
00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:57,000
Over the years, massive planting of spruce shifted the balance of biodiversity in the area.

57
00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:03,000
Since 2003, the LIFE program has provided funding to restore the natural habitat.

58
00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:16,000
Probably what is most original in the Saint-Hubert LIFE project in Belgium is that almost all the other European projects are backed up by nature conservation groups, but this one was initiated by a hunters' association.

59
00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:21,000
What connection is there between hunting and nature conservation?

60
00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:26,000
Land planted with coniferous trees provides no food for the region's big animals.

61
00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:32,000
With the felling of hectares of spruce trees, the landscapes return to their original state.

62
00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:38,000
Nature groups lent their support to the project, which has brought back flora and fauna that had disappeared.

63
00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:45,000
Hunters realized that these open areas would provide more food for game and make it easier to see the animals.

64
00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:52,000
The management of a project like this one by a hunters' association is not very common in Europe.

65
00:06:53,000 --> 00:07:06,000
The LIFE project is a wonderful opportunity for us to demonstrate to other forest users that hunters also look after the environment and are not just interested in fire plans and kill ratios.

66
00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:12,000
We attach a great deal of importance to the environment in which we practice our sport.

67
00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,000
Spruce trees do not grow in soggy ground.

68
00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:21,000
This is one of the drains dug to remove the water from the peat bogs.

69
00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:27,000
The planting of spruce on this fragile soil led to the development of a very invasive grass, mullinia.

70
00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:35,000
To keep it from spreading further, and to allow the native plants to grow back, the forest of coniferous trees began to be felled.

71
00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:39,000
Slowly, the local sphagnum moss began to develop.

72
00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:43,000
The natural sponginess of the peat bogs is gaining ground little by little.

73
00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,000
The natural vegetation is coming back to the site.

74
00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:59,000
But the most interesting aspect is the extraordinary partnership between groups who generally do not talk to each other, or do so with difficulty.

75
00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:08,000
Landowners, hunters, tourism offices, local landowners and nature conservation groups are obliged to come together to meet this challenge in four years.

76
00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:10,000
That is really exceptional.

77
00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:17,000
Landowners were reluctant at first, but they were quick to realize what they stood to gain from improvement of the landscape.

78
00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:24,000
Especially because the second generation of spruce was not growing well in the severely impoverished soil.

79
00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:30,000
It didn't bother me because I was cutting down trees that had no future.

80
00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:33,000
I was taking down trees that would not develop well.

81
00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:36,000
It was a way of correcting a mistake.

82
00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:41,000
I was hunting from this hide two months ago, and I saw mallards on that little pond.

83
00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:48,000
In the 40 years I've been hunting here, I had never seen ducks in this region, so I was delighted.

84
00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:56,000
This life project is bringing back other animals, different animals, which is a real pleasure.

85
00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:07,000
At European level, landowners' interests are represented in Brussels by the European Landowners' Organization.

86
00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:11,000
Restoring biodiversity is one of the group's concerns.

87
00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:26,000
The ELO has become involved in Natura 2000 because it represents one of the most essential aspects of the life of rural landowners,

88
00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:30,000
who have always developed and respected the quality of the environment.

89
00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:36,000
Even if Natura 2000 can be a constraint, it offers many opportunities,

90
00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:43,000
and that is what we try to highlight and develop by participating with civil society, NGOs and political leaders

91
00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:48,000
in the development of a sustainable network acceptable to all the partners.

92
00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:58,000
Preserving or restoring biodiversity and the ecosystem in different habitats,

93
00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:01,000
from the countryside to mountains to the marine environment,

94
00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:05,000
that is the main objective of the European Natura 2000 network.

95
00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:10,000
It reconciles ecological requirements with economic and social necessities.

96
00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:15,000
Supporting and strengthening this network is a priority for the European Union,

97
00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:20,000
which is committed to halting the loss of its biodiversity by 2010.