The Danube–Ipoly National Park is carrying out habitation management as part of a LIFE tender grant - reports ujbuda.hu. Alongside natural conservation efforts, the National Park is carrying out a series of recreational developments to meet the needs of visitors.

View from Sas Hill (Photo: ujbuda.hu)

After consultation with the public developments will commence in September, once shrubs have been pruned the walkways in the area will be renovated, fences relocated and informational boards, tables and benches placed along the routes.

Seedlings and saplings have been planted according to schedule since spring. As a result of earlier and in-progress conservation efforts several young pubescent oaks can be seen, and protected species such as the lady orchid have also returned to the area.

A lady orchid (Photo: hu.life4oakforests.eu)

With the termination of viticulture and fruit growing on the southern slopes, natural habitats have regrown with blackthorn and hawthorn shrubs, manna ash and field maple trees. The natural oak forests, however, cannot return to the area, as no acorn-bearing mother trees have survived. Thus, by limiting the number of shrubs, the National Park is creating patches of oak forests through planting saplings.

The oaks only form the backbone of the forest, and will naturally be accompanied by blackthorn, hawthorn, wayfaring trees, rose hips, manna ash and field elm trees, as well as lady orchids. Rare plant and animal species may also appear in the area such as snowdrop windflowers, purple-globe-thistles, and the Carabus coriaceus and Agapanthiola leucaspis beetles.

A public survey was completed in connection with the planned developments. The respondents highlighted the need for the renovation of the walking paths, the installation of tables and benches, rubbish bins and information boards.

Cleaned groups of ash and hawthorn (Photo: hu.life4oakforests.eu)

The developments were planned by landscape architects at the Faculty of Landscape Architecture and City Planning at Saint Stephen University in cooperation with the Association for the Protection of Sas Hill and the 11th District Council, taking public requests into consideration

The plans include making one of the main walking paths more accessible, from the "tölgyes LIFE" sign (Dayka Gábor Street) towards the "dog park". A new walkway will also be created by moving a fence and opening up a previously hidden row of ash trees. The old fence will also be replaced. The changes mean a larger area will open to visitors.

Due to an increase in visitor numbers tables and benches will be placed next to the dog park and along the row of ash trees, while also protecting the unique ecosystem. The importance of nature conservation and the efforts taken in the area will be detailed on new information boards.

The number of nesting areas for birds and bats, as well as bird feeders, insect hotels, homes for hedgehogs and butterflies, will gradually be increased in the area, which will hopefully be cleaner thanks to a number of new rubbish bins.

A map of recreational developments (Photo: hu.life4oakforests.eu)

Interviewed visitors and local residents were strongly against the creation of new parking spaces, and there was also limited support for a lookout tower, dog park development and public lighting; thus such work will not be carried out.

Work will begin in the area in September 2020.

Source: ujbuda.hu, hu.life4oakforests.eu

Cover photo: Woods on Sas Hill, Gellért Hill in the background. (Photo: hu.life4oakforests.eu)