Hunters for Nature (Myslivci pro přírodu) is the Czech Hunting Association’s (Českomoravská myslivecká jednota, ČMMJ) national conservation competition in Czechia. Launched in 2025, it provides a clear framework for documenting and recognising practical, field-based actions delivered by hunters and local hunting groups across the country.
The initiative is directly relevant to the FACE Biodiversity Manifesto (BDM) as it highlights hunter-led work across habitat restoration, birds, mammals and nature education. It also covers key action types under the BDM, including management of habitat and species, research and monitoring, and communication and education.
What Is It – Hunters for Nature aims to make local conservation efforts more visible and measurable by collecting evidence of on-the-ground actions and rewarding grassroots projects. By bringing initiatives together under one national structure, ČMMJ is helping to demonstrate how sustainable use can contribute to ecosystem recovery and biodiversity outcomes, including in the wider countryside beyond formally protected areas.
Projects are grouped under four pillars to align field activities with practical conservation priorities.
Management of habitats and species
Supporting the recovery of degraded environments through measures such as creating small ponds (tůně) to improve local water regimes and establishing bio-strips (biopásy) to enhance ecological connectivity in farmland. Actions also include targeted species recovery measures, including releases of brown hares and grey partridges, alongside habitat provisioning.
Research and monitoring (citizen science)
Promoting innovation to reduce wildlife mortality and improve monitoring. This includes the use of drones with thermal imaging to locate and rescue fawns and other wildlife ahead of mowing operations, and the development of digital tools to track wildlife population trends and field observations.
Nature education and communication
Engaging young people through local hunting clubs and practical conservation activities, including forest clean-ups, tree planting and mentorship programmes that build long-term stewardship and environmental awareness.
The competition creates a structured process for gathering data and results from hunter-led actions, including photo and video evidence. By documenting activities carried out in 2025 and 2026, ČMMJ strengthens the BDM’s role as a credible database showing tangible contributions by hunters to habitat quality and species conservation.
A key feature is the interactive map of Czechia, where each project location links to a short video explaining the initiative and its outcomes. This approach improves transparency, helps communicate results to non-specialist audiences and provides strong material for newsletters and public-facing communication.
Examples of projects across Czechia – Hunters for Nature features a broad range of initiatives, demonstrating the diversity of hunter-led conservation and education:
- Restoring wild rabbits and traditional orchards (Výčapy, Třebíč region)
A youth-led project combining habitat improvement with the planting of traditional fruit trees, involving local schoolchildren in tree planting and wildlife care (running since autumn 2024). - Protection of fawns during mowing (South Bohemia and beyond)
A long-running initiative working with more than 50 hunting grounds to locate and safely remove young animals from meadows before mowing, strengthening cooperation between hunters, farmers and the public. - Drone technology for wildlife protection
Thermal drones used to detect wildlife in tall grass, combined with public education and the development of detection software, in cooperation with hunting grounds and agricultural companies. - Increasing biodiversity in intensive farmland
Practical habitat measures, including flower strips, wildlife crops, hedgerows and the planting of more than 120 trees and shrubs, delivering year-round food and shelter for wildlife and pollinators. - National wildlife observation database
A web-based platform enabling the public to report wildlife sightings, injuries and disease observations with geolocation and photos, supporting monitoring, communication and rapid response. - Wetland and pond restoration projects
Multiple projects focused on dredging, shoreline reshaping, planting wetland vegetation and improving water retention structures, delivering benefits for amphibians, birds, insects and wider biodiversity.
Policy relevance: Hunters for Nature contributes to the delivery of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 by supporting community-based nature actions led by local stakeholders. The documented initiatives, particularly those linked to wetland and farmland restoration, are also relevant to objectives under the Nature Restoration Regulation, including restoring ecosystem functions and improving habitat connectivity in the wider landscape.
Looking ahead: “Hunting Makes Sense” campaign
ČMMJ has confirmed that Hunters for Nature will become part of the broader national communication and education campaign “Myslivost má smysl” (Hunting Makes Sense), developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic. The campaign aims to strengthen social acceptance of hunting by highlighting hunters’ role in landscape stewardship, biodiversity conservation, sustainable food and youth engagement through real stories and practical field results.
Importantly, the campaign is being developed as a transferable model that could be adapted by other FACE Members. ČMMJ sees strong potential for collaboration through FACE to scale this approach and build a shared European narrative around modern hunting and wildlife stewardship.
More information:
- Hunters for Nature Competition 2025 (interactive map and videos): https://www.cmmj.cz/soutez-myslivci-pro-prirodu-2/
- Hunters for Nature Competition 2026: https://www.cmmj.cz/soutez-pro-myslivce/
