The sixth visit of Project Monitor Stanislaw Tworek from the LIFE Monitoring Team of the CEE NEEMO EEIG took place on 15-17 May 2024. He was accompanied by the project supervisor (project adviser) on behalf of the European Commission – Rosemarie Hingsamer.
Guides throughout the visit were the ornithologists from the Upper Silesian Ornithologists’ Circle: Jacek Betleja and Mateusz Ledwoń.
On the first day, two islands on the reservoir after gravel mining Zakole A near Zator were visited. Patryk Nowacki from the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Kraków, which is a co-beneficiary of the project, discussed the results of the work. On one island, wooden logs and stone were used to strengthen the banks against erosion. On the other, steep slopes were reinforced with mesh and stone structures and beaches were prepared for the common tern.
The second day was entirely devoted to discussing project implementation. All beneficiaries gave presentations: Regional Directorates for Environmental Protection in Katowice and Krakow, the Upper Silesian Ornithological Circle and the Society for the Earth. The large number of activities and the scope of the project made our deliberations long and tedious. Finally, we showed our guests a film promoting the LIFE.VISTULA.PL project, which was very well received.
– On the last day of the visit we made a tour of the carp ponds: Rychlik in Gora, Grązowiec in Osiek and Barzyniec in Ochaby, where we observed birds on protected islands. Despite the inclement weather, we managed to swim up to the vicinity of the Bird’s Barrel on the Goczałkowicki Reservoir to show this unique island. We also visited the viewing tower and floating jetties in the Vistula Mała, which have helped to channel tourist traffic in the northern part of the Goczałkowice Reservoir. Our guests were also able to talk to the hosts of the ponds, the island’s contractor and the dam manager of the reservoir – says Damian Czechowski, project coordinator.
The representatives of the European Commission were clearly satisfied with the progress of the work and the results achieved so far. At the end, they gave us their suggestions for a course of action that should help us to successfully complete the project.
