Wellcome to the web page of the LIFE NATURE project No.LIFE05NAT/LT/000094 "Protection of Emys orbicularis and Amphibians in the North European lowlands".
Turtles and amphibians have so far survived many millions of years as part of nature, but now are threatened because of a number of factors related to our modern way of living. Intensive agriculture activities, lack of knowledge and care strongly decreased suitable habitats for turtles and amphibians. Natural environments such as open water areas became dry, sandy slops dissaparead under thick layer of vegetation, wet meadows have
overgrown 
with bushes resulting in rapid distinction of populations. Only in separate less affected areas in Lithuania, Poland and Germany viable populations managed to survive.
To keep the populations viable restoration measures will be applied: pond digging and restoration, improvement and creation of turtle nesting sites, creation of hibernation sites, establishing a grazing management and management of terrestrial habitats, rearing of turtles to support small populations and small-scale genetic investigation in order to determine the possible inbreeding in small populations, to calculate effective population size and to separate authentic turtle populations from genetically polluted populations in West-Poland and Germany.
The European Commission has agreed to contribute 49.5 of the total project cost of 2,346,185 and the remaining 50.5% is matched partner funding from Lithuania, Poland and Germany.
