Nature- and Species
Conservation

In the context of nature- and species conservation, it is often necessary to collect individual-based data of certain species from almost all groups. Various methods are selected depending on species and question. The common feature of all methods is the fact that individual animals are marked for targeted recognition and monitoring.

Attaching simple “passive” markers – such as rings on bird legs, wing- and ear tags, PITs (passive integrated transponders), colour marks, and similar – is a method which has been used for decades. It allows individuals to be recognised during capture or sighting, which is helpful, for example, when estimating population sizes or site fidelity.

To determine movement patterns (such as flight routes) or habitat use, “active” markers are used. These send out detectable signals (via VHF transmitters) or even the actual location (via GPS transmitters) at regular intervals. Nowadays, even very small animals such as songbirds or some insects can be marked.

Having many specialists in animal marking, we are active throughout Europe and parts of Africa and involved in numerous species conservation projects. Further information about our projects in Africa can be found here:

Caring for Conservation

Due to constant demand for commercial and residential areas, ecological soil functions in the natural balance as well as valuable habitats for flora and fauna get lost – especially through land consumption and sealing. RIFCON’s environmental planning team provides advice on the implementation of simple and cost-effective measures for nature preservation and biodiversity promotion. These include the natural and ecological design of parking lots or outdoor facilities, deliberate material selection for construction projects, the installation of structural elements in open spaces, and suitable maintenance concepts for green spaces.

We support you in the planning phase (development plan, open space plan), develop ecological concepts and suitable maintenance measures, and implement them in collaboration with a variety of partners.

Furthermore, we advise investors on choosing suitable locations for photovoltaic open-space installations, potential measures for biodiversity promotion, and specific measures for species conservation within such installations – with creating habitats, maintenance concepts, and monitoring having priority.

The protection and promotion of certain species (such as indicator species) play a major role in landscape maintenance. Suitable maintenance measures are applied in simple municipal green areas as well as in large-scale protected areas such as nature- and landscape conservation areas or Habitats Directive areas. Within the context of building permission procedures and intervention regulations, compensation- and replacement areas require goal-oriented maintenance measures for their preservation.

Our team has both professionally trained personnel and appropriate machinery. In addition, we cooperate with farmers and maintenance crews from nationally and internationally recognised nature- and species conservation associations. Thus, we are flexible and can be deployed almost anywhere.

Preserving nature and species starts at our very own doorstep: According to legislation, gardens must now be insect-friendly. Garden areas, on the other hand, should predominantly be kept green and water-absorbing. In principle, graveling private gardens is not permitted.

Our team assists you in designing ecological and nature-friendly garden landscapes and implementing measures which enable you to create visually appealing and highly diverse habitats – for example, by transforming typical Central European lawns or gravel gardens. We prioritise the use of natural, locally available materials and native (autochthonous) seeds. Since maintaining created structures is essential, we also offer support in this regard.

In the context of construction projects, nature- and species conservation measures as well as environment- and climate protection topics can not only generate public interest but also be substantial for a successful project delivery. Through targeted and professional marketing, your project becomes a regionally significant showcase project. We are here to assist you.

In addition to planning and implementing nature- and species conservation measures, our team also offers accompanying public relations work. It is important for us to inform interested citizens about certain measures in a way that is comprehensible to laypeople. This can be done through information boards, flyers, events, presentations, newspaper articles, and much more. In addition, measures, which have already been implemented, and their ecological development can be showcased on your website.

For us, enabling nature- and environmental experiences as well as imparting knowledge about local fauna and flora are a key concern: Therefore, we offer excursions for the young and the old on almost all topics.