Carnivore Tracking Project wins prestigious award
1.7.2024, Carnivores.cz
The Carnivore Tracking Project was awarded by the prestigious prize of The European Union's Citizen Science Prize 2024. The volunteer initiative, which has focused on the conservation of wolves, lynxes and bears for more than 20 years, promotes their coexistence with humans, brings important scientific knowledge and helps to dispel local prejudices and fears.
The European Union's Citizen Science Prize 2024 recognises, showcases and supports projects whose social and political impact helps to further the development of a pluralistic, inclusive and sustainable society in Europe. The European Commission has entrusted the organisation of this prestigious and highly honoured competition to Ars Electronica in Linz.
The Commission awarded the project with the words: "Monitoring programme for three large carnivore species –wolves, lynx and bears– in the Czech and Slovak Republics engaging local communities in multiple ways and providing significant scientific results since 2002. Also, its communication and engagement models mark this as a remarkable example of how to bring together different groups,such as local nature enthusiasts, artists, students or hunters."
The recovery of large carnivores in European landscapes affected by human activity is challenging and requires the ability of human society to tolerate these charismatic keystone species. Wolves, lynx and bears are not only an important part of forest ecosystems, but also a source of many local conflicts, especially in areas with high livestock densities.
"Many conflicts stem from prejudices, legends, misinformation and fear of the unknown," explains Romana Uhrinová, the manager of the Carnivore Conservation Programme, Friends od the Earth Czech Republic. "In areas that have been inhabited by large carnivores in recent years, local residents often have no personal experience with these animals. Therefore, education and public involvement is crucial."
The Wolf and Lynx Patrols project started as a voluntary initiative with the aim of:
1. To protect large carnivores from poaching.
2. to collect reliable data on their presence by monitoring and collecting other indirect signs of their presence, such as scat or fur.
3. Involve local people in data collection and education about large carnivores.
Each year, three-day introductory workshops are held for new volunteers in several areas where large carnivores occur. Field data collection is then organized through smaller monitoring events or individually throughout the year.
"The scientific quality of the project is high," adds the project's expert guarantor Miroslav Kutal, who works as an academic at the Department of Forest Ecology at Mendel University in Brno. "The data collected by the volunteers generated new findings published in prestigious journals such as Science, PloS ONE, Scientific Reports or Conservation Letters."
Carnivore Conervation Programme invites all those interested in protected carnivores to join or support this important project. Together we can contribute to their conservation and promote coexistence with humans.
