During the last two decades abandonment of farmlands was unfavourable for breeding waders of hay and pastures. Since 2001 special grass mowing in parts of the area resulted in an increase of breeding waders' numbers. However, in 2011 the process of agricultural rehabilitation led to simultaneous ploughing on large areas of meadows and some new drainage. New threats to meadow waders, contrary to land abandonment, were caused in particular by new landowners, who had no appropriate information about biodiversity value of their lands.

The work aims on long-term conservation of waders, including globally declined and threatened Great Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit and Eurasian Curlew, in agricultural landscapes of the Homeland of the Crane area. These agricultural lands (300 sq.km) should eventually be included in regional Nature Park. However, urgent measures are required to stop destructive management on these lands, which has already started in 2011, and to prevent a loss of valuable wader habitats. This will be achieved by the following activities:

1) gathering up-to-date information on wader distribution and plans of agricultural rehabilitation in the target area;

2) developing actual conservation recommendations for these lands, reconciling them with land-users and initiating the implementation process;

3) promulgating conservation measures among people from local communities.

All mentioned activities will be implemented by project executor in close cooperation with Taldom Administration of PNAs, volunteers (photographers, birdwatchers, students, visiting Homeland of the Crane area on weekends) will aid in land use mapping, making photographs for promotional materials, counting migrating birds.