The Hungarian Society for Ornithology and Nature Conservation (MME) and the National Association of Bird-Friendly Settlements (Matelosz) are announcing a tender for the title of Bird-Friendly Settlement of the Year for municipalities with a deadline of 15 November.
Municipalities that have already taken steps to restore harmony between man and nature can apply for the pilot project, and in which bird protection and nature protection devices (burrows, den colonies) have been installed in their areas and public institutions for at least one year.
Municipalities of Hungarian settlements that are not among the settlements of the Bird-Friendly Settlement Model Project announced by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment in 2022 and 2023 and which can undertake the installation of educational trail markers and equipment delivered to them this year, can apply for the tender. It is not a requirement to participate in the tender, but it is an advantage if the settlement has a nature and/or biodiversity conservation strategy, any nature or environmental protection regulations, or if there is a nature conservation officer or person entrusted with similar tasks among the municipal staff.
It is also advantageous for any settlement ordinance to mention the appropriate timing for felling trees and shrubs, procedures for swallow- and bat-friendly building renovation, water retention strategy, reduction of light pollution, and biological control of mosquitoes, even if this is not the case. By decree, the above has already been applied.
The winning applicant will receive, among other things, a bird-friendly garden path. The application can only be submitted electronically by submitting the form at the end of the application notice by November 15. The bid will be judged by the joint professional committee between the Ministry of Municipality and Environment and Mateloch Company. Applicants will be notified of the result within ten days of the application deadline.
