HAL 'S MARSH
"When you say Hal's Marsh, I imagine a wetland full of life. Many rare and endangered bird species find their home right here. But it's not just birds, it's the whole wetland ecosystem, from plants to invertebrates, fish, and amphibians. And we may lose such beautiful wetland wildlife." - Matej Repel, ornithologist, SOS/BirdLife Slovakia
Hal's Marsh
Hal’s Marsh is located near the village of Ižkovce in the Michalovský district. It is home to protected and rare bird species, many of which find their home in Slovakia only here in the east of the country. The marsh has been drained and cut off from the Laborec River. As a result, it has been drying up, and this threat remains even today. At the same time, there have been recurring ideas of using the marsh for various economic purposes, such as using it as a pond for fish farming, a fishing ground, or for hunting.
HELP US TO BRING HAL’S MARSH UNDER THE PROTECTIVE WING OF ORNITHOLOGISTS
€15 = 21 m² of wetland
€35 = 50 m² of wetland
€100 = 142 m² of wetland
€250 = 357 m² of wetland
€1000 = 1420 m² of wetland
What is so special about this place?
Both the inconspicuous Great Bittern and the globally endangered Ferruginous Pochard nest right on this site. After many years of care, when we fed water into the marsh with a sluice gate, nature rewarded us with large colonies of Grey Herons, Purple Herons, Great White Egrets, and Pygmy Cormorants. We also regularly observe Black-crowned Night-Herons and Little Egrets. Dense stands of aquatic plants are home to Common Pochards, Garganeys, Greylag Geese, and Water Rails. At night, the deafening concert of frogs is drowned out by Spotted Crakes and Savi's Warblers. Rare species such as the Black-winged Stilt or the Common Shelduck have also been observed here. The list of species for which Hal's Marsh is probably the only home far and wide could go on and on. However, if nature conservation and the preservation of this unique site does not become the main priority and the only goal for Hal's Marsh, everything could very quickly become a thing of the past.
€45 000 ARE NEEDED TO BUY AND CARE FOR HAL'S MARSH
What is our goal?
Our goal is to permanently elevate the conservation of nature and waterbirds in Hal's Marsh to the highest priority. With your help, we will raise the funds to buy the marsh and thus preserve it for the birds and for nature. We will prevent the site from being turned into a sport fishpond, create the conditions for the annual flooding during the floods on the Laborec River, and thus preserve the habitats for the rare bird species that breed here in abundance. Thanks to you, we will be able to buy 16.8 ha of land in Hal’s Marsh and implement the most necessary technical and management measures to preserve and improve the conditions at the site. We have been given the option to buy the land, but if we fail to raise the target sum quickly enough, we may lose this opportunity.
Who are we?
We are the Slovak Ornithological Society/BirdLife Slovakia, a civil association. Our mission is to protect wild birds and their habitats. We have been operating in Slovakia for 30 years and have many successful projects under our belt. We are active all over Slovakia, and our practical conservation work is currently focused largely on Eastern Slovakia and the preserved nature that is found there, which we try to protect and improve in various ways. We have established an eco-farm and an Avescentrum - a visitor center in the most important ornithological site in Slovakia in Senné, we take care of rare, soggy meadows, we restore wetlands, we systematically put up bird boxes for rare bird species in suitable locations, we educate, inform, create tourist infrastructure, we build the public's relationship to natural values and birds and much more.
Thank you for your donation that will make it possible to save this little piece of paradise.
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