Project “LIFE16 NAT / PL / 000766 Protection of the habitats of wetland birds in the Upper Vistula Valley” (acronym: LIFE.VISTULA.PL), whose aim is to protect and improve the habitat of wetland birds, in particular Nycticorax nycticorax night heron and common tern Sterna hirundo will be implemented in 2018-2022 in partnership with the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Kraków, the Society for Earth and the Upper Silesian Ornithological Circle. The activities will be carried out in four Natura 2000 areas located in the Silesian and Lesser Poland Voivodships:

• Upper Vistula Valley PLB240001 – Silesian Voivodeship,
• Lower Sola Valley PLB120004 – Silesian and Lesser Poland Voivodships,
• Lower Skawa Valley PLB120005 – Lesser Poland Voivodeship,
• Ponds in Brzeszcze PLB120009 – Silesian and Lesser Poland voivodships.

The most important tasks planned for implementation include securing the shores of islands on breeding ponds, gravel pits and the Goczałkowice reservoir, repairing pond infrastructure, raising knowledge about habitats used by the night blind to enable its effective protection, regulating tourism and rationally making available the Natura areas covered by the project and disseminating methods nature protection in the economic use of artificial water reservoirs.

The project is implemented thanks to the financial support of the European Union and the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management. The total value of the project is EUR 4 315 534.