EOur association has been committed to nature conservation since its foundation, and it is safe to say that we have achieved successes in the region of Hajdúság. An example of our successes is that the Municipality of the City of Hajdúböszörmény assigned us to manage seven protected areas of local importance in Hajdúböszörmény.
Protected areas of local importance
In the subregion of Hajdúböszörmény, we strived to save the still-existing natural values of our habitat for future generations, by getting several areas of local importance, protected trees and tree lines designated and listed as protected.
Based on our proposals, first in 1992 and then in 2000 the Municipality of the City of Hajdúböszörmény declared the upper part of the valley of the Tócó stream, two forest sections (which may be the last of the former sand steppe oak woods of Nyírség in the Város-forest in Hajdúböszörmény), the Partos meadow and Nagy-nyerges water habitats, as well as the areas of the Disznósháti-greenlands in Pród, as bearing great botanical value, to be protected. Furthermore, numerous protected trees and tree lines located both in urbanised and non-urbanised areas of Hajdúböszörmény were declared as protected areas of local importance and as natural monuments.
There were examples of designating protected areas of local importance in other areas of Hajdú-Bihar county, too, in the past years. We also submitted a proposal to the local municipality, together with the Association for the Protection of Plains in 2010, for the protection of a habitat rich in early spring crocus reticulatus in the Takó hill, which is in the Hungarian-Romanian border section of Bagamér, located in the Southern Nyírség region. Also in 2010, once again in cooperation with the Association for the Protection of Plains, we composed a proposal to declare protected the rich peucedanum officinale population of two greenlands located near Pocsaj in Hajdú-Bihar county.
From 2006 to 2008 we were able to fully survey approximately 120 local protected values (areas, monuments) of the settlements of Hajdú-Bihar county, with the support of the Ministry of Environment Protection and Water Management, in the framework of a targeted campaign. In the course of the survey we made a file of every value, recording the condition and physical parameters of the particular value, and our proposal as regards protection, preservation and presentability. We published the results of the survey in a book rich in illustrations, under the title “The Natural Values of the Settlements of Hajdú-Bihar County”.
Our activity regarding protected areas of local importance also proved to be significant in the subregion of Sárospatak in 2009. Our research work related to the northern slopes of the Szemince Mountains being declared as protected values, as well as our campaign carried out with the Bodrog Association. We also patrol and monitor numerous protected areas of local importance of the subregion, starting off from our base located in Bodrogolaszi.
Other activities in the field of nature conservation
Our association started a large-scale nature conservation project with the support of the Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme: we carried out nature conservation works on the Natura 2000 territory of the oak woods of Debrecen-Hajdúböszörmény, which includes the repopulation of protected and character plants, placement of artificial bird and bat dens, and the monitoring of the Natura 2000 indicator species. Furthermore, we pursue a plethora of bird protection activities, such as the counting of long-eared owls, counting and protection of cranes, management of den sites, protection activities related to the white stork, and placement of artificial stork nests. Our botanical activities include the counting of white helleborine and planting indigenous trees and shrubs.
