The Black Poplar was selected as a flagship species to support this work as it provides a hook for communicating with the public about protecting old forest stands, protecting dynamic rejuvenation areas and the genetic varieties of local species. The DANUBEPARKS network will elaborate a Black Poplar cadastre, as well as analyse the genetics of local variations of Black Poplar to provide a basis for future reforestation activities.

The leadership of Vojvodinašume in this activity, which is a publicly-owned forest company that manages the Protected Areas in the Serbian province of Vojvodina, is a real asset for cooperation with forestry stakeholders. The project DANUBEPARKS STEP 2.0 foresees a cross-sectorial conference on floodplain forest management in spring 2014, followed by a study visit of forestry companies from the Danube countries to Austria. Both actions will improve cross-sectorial cooperation and nature-friendly forestry measures.

Additionally, the project focused on establishing closer networks and coherent management in border zones. Examples of activities include the cross-border conservation concepts in the Austrian-Slovakian, Hungarian-Croatian and Hungarian-Serbian border zones. Additional unilateral management plans were created for the Duna-Ipoly National Park and the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve.