Large carnivore monitoring in the West Carpathians
Join the project and help with effective conservation of endangered species
Friends of the Earth Czech Republic organize field monitoring of lynx and wolf in the mountains on the Czech-Slovakian border. Join the action, help with field research, conservation, learn about large mammals and their role in forest ecosystem... and find people with simmiliar interest!
Date: 4.-12.2.2012
Locality Javorníky Mts. (Czech-Slovakian border), Protected landscape area Beskydy
Main goal: Field study of lynx and wolf occurence and ecology in the West Carpathians. Snow tracking, collection of samples for DNA analyses, installation of camera traps.
Bacground information:
Wolves, lynx and bears have been natural compartment of forest ecosystem in Central Europe for thousands of years, but their populations suffered from hunting and destruction of habitat in last centuries. The conservation effort and socioeconomic changes in countryside in last decades allowed the gradual recovering of populations of large carnivores throughout the Europe. Also the West Carpathian Mountains have become the home of these controversial and charismatic species as well. Until know, little is known about their impact of forest ecosystem, habitat requirements, genetic structure and migration corridors. Impact of legal wolf hunting in Slovakia seems to be a mojor force influencing the dispersal of animlas to the the west. The aim of the conservation research project is to answer all these questions and to protect wolves and lynx in their mountain habitat.
Photo: Karel Brož
Organizer:
Friends of the Earth Czech Republic (FoE CR) are active in nature conservation and especially large carnivore issues for more than 15 years. In the Czech Republic, the organization is the most active NGO in this field. FoE CR have realized a number of projects focused on species conservation, monitoring, public education and awareness campaigns mostly in Protected landscape area Beskydy. FoE CR experts cooperate with state nature conservancy, universities and other European NGOs. About a hundred of trained volunteers are participating field monitoring each year.
Project coordinator, field biologist Miroslav Kutal is working with large carnivores monitoring and consvervation for 10 years. Currently he is a PhD student at the Department of Forest Ecology, Mendel University Brno. He is an author of both scientific and popular articles and gives lectures about large carnivore issues for volunteers, officials and university students.
Meals and accomodation:
Mountain chalet: shower, half board, lunch in the field during the monitoring. Capacity is limited to 10 people.
Prize: 250 € until 15.1.2012 (wire transfer), 300 € in cash on the place (see details in Application form)
Essential equipment: winter trek boots, warm winter clothes (including some reserves), gaiters, headlight, smaller backpack for one-day trips.
Recommended equipment: snowshoes (depends on weather, we have some pairs to lend), GPS
Arrival: By direct train from Prague to Vsetín (three and half hour without changing a train). We will pick you up on railway station and take you on the field station by car. Recommnended connections:
| Praha hl. n. | 9:17 | 11:17 | 13:17 | 15:17 | 16:51 |
| Vsetín | 12:54 | 14:54 | 16:54 | 18:54 | 21:12 |
Program:
1. Day (Saturday 4.2.): arrival, welcome dinner
2. Day (Sunday 5.2.): training in field monitoring, recognition of large carnivore tracks
3- 8. Day (Monday-Saturday):
- field monitoring in small groups (2-4 people): snow tracking, installation and control over trail cameras (intensity depending on weather).
- 1-2 rest days: processing of field data; lectures in preferred issues: measures for large carnivore conservation; threats: overhunting, migration barriers and landscape fragmentation; role of large carnivores in the forest ecosystem
9. Day (Sunday 12.2.): Departure
Additional notes
Climatic conditions and nature
Number of days when temperature does not exceed 0°C varies between 25-60 a year. There can be one and half meter of snow or just several centimeters. We will inform you some days before your departure if it is reasonable to take snowshoes with you. In any case we have some pairs to lend.
The main mountain range of Javorniky slightly exceeds 1000 meters above sea level. The mountains are mostly covered by beech-fir-spruce forests (both managed and left without interventions), the tree line is is lowered by sheep grazing only on the top of the mountains. There are no avalanches in the Javorníky Mts. at all!
Field monitoring
Monitoring will be conducted 1-5 days after snowfall on transect routes with assumed presence of large carnivores. Each group will be led by experienced field guide, who will show you nice Carpathian beech-fir forests and also other endangered species (three-toed woodpecker, white-backed woodpecker or hazel grouse) or they tracks. All data will be saved in GPS and documented for later analyses.
In case of finding a lynx or wolf tracks, animal will be backtracked in order to assess the number of animals, to see the track of the animal to find other traces, such as droppings, scent-mark places, or remains of prey. Samples of droppings or hairs will be collected for DNA and food analyses. Automatic trail cameras will be installed in the vicinity of scent marks or prey remains.
The length of patrol will depend on weather, snow depth and time spent by snow tracking reaching 15-20 km in average. Primarily they will be planned along tourist paths and forest roads.
Depending on the interest of particpants we will move to a small log cabin without electricity for 1-2 to monitor more remote areas - or even to overnight in the forest on the snow (in that case, good sleeping bag or two poor sleeping bags are needed).
Cultural events
We will have a taste of traditional meals and plum brandy. In days with bad weather for monitoring we can visit local museum of folk traditions or invite local folkloric group or musicians.
Application form
If you are interested to join large carnivore survey in 2012, please fill in the application form and send it until 15th Janury 2012 to miroslav.kutal@hnutiduha.cz
More information
Miroslav Kutal
E-mail: miroslav.kutal@hnutiduha.cz
Fix line: + 420 585 204 643
Cell phone: + 420 728 832 889
