Ullals Albufera - Recovery of a priority habitat in l'Albufera natural Park

The project aimed to recover the two most important permanently flooded freshwater pools within the lagoon L'Albufera de Valencia, in Spain, “Ullal de Baldoví” and “Ullal dels Sants”. The project achieved the following results: A management plan for the restored area; Acquisition of nearly 6 ha of paddy fields to be included in the ‘reserve area’ and transformed into the target priority habitat; Completion of all non-recurring actions in both target ‘ullals’ in order to achieve their integral environmental restoration; Creation and reinforcement of clods and perimeter irrigation canals; Restoration of the lagoon system and recovery of marsh areas; Fencing and perimeter protection; Improvement of infrastructures for education and naturalist uses; Signposting and installation of information panels; Plantation works; Improvement of access. Ecological and biological monitoring was carried out on the restored areas. Dissemination activities included the production of informative materials (a leaflet, a didactic unit, a CD, a pen drive and a pin). A project website was also created and 12 quarterly digital bulletins were published. The project leaders also took part in scientific forums, published articles, organised guided visits and carried out educational activities.