On March 30th and first of April, the Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) project FARMBIRD officially kicked off in Workum, the Netherlands. With an inspiring opening by the regional deputy Matthijs de Vries, partners from across Europe came together to start a joint mission: strengthening farmland bird populations through innovative monitoring technologies.
From knowledge to collaboration
The first day focused on exchange and alignment. During the work package sessions, partners shared their expertise across a range of monitoring techniques — including drones, camera systems, remote sensing and bioacoustics. By presenting their pilot sites and experiences, participants identified key challenges and opportunities for collaboration across regions.
Follow-up sessions allowed partners to explore how these technologies can complement each other and how they can be effectively applied in real-world conditions. Insights from other Interreg projects, such as PolliConnect , provided valuable lessons on implementation and stakeholder engagement.
Technology in practice
Hands-on demonstrations showcased the potential of cutting-edge tools, including:
- LiDAR for vegetation structure and habitat analysis byJan Wiersma
- acoustic monitoring for biodiversity detection byWouter Vansteelant
- near real-time tracking of chicks during critical life stages bySimon Vandepitte
These sessions highlighted how technology can support better-informed conservation strategies and more sustainable land management.
Engaging farmers and communities
On the second day, the focus shifted to communication, citizen science and farmer engagement by Planeet van Betekenis. Through interactive sessions, partners worked on a shared narrative and explored how to ensure that innovative tools are not only effective, but also adopted in practice. A key question: how do we bridge the gap between technology and day-to-day farming?
From data to landscape – field visit to the Workumerwaard by Jeroen de Vries, Provincie Fryslân, Bond Friese VogelWachten, Campus Fryslân - University of Groningen
The field visit to the Workumerwaard brought everything together. Participants experienced firsthand how monitoring techniques are applied in the field, including chick tracking, drone use and habitat observation. It clearly demonstrated the importance of connecting scientific research with practical implementation.
What is FARMBIRD?
FARMBIRD is a European collaboration project that develops and applies innovative monitoring technologies to improve farmland bird conservation. By combining data, technology and cross-border cooperation, the project aims to create sustainable habitats and support future-proof farming systems across North-West Europe.