Students and teachers join forces to support the restoration of Danube floating marshes: WWF's Heroes of Nature Award presented for the first time

The "Let's Recreate It!" floating marshes restoration project of Batthyány Kázmér Secondary School in Szigetszentmiklós has become the first recipient of the WWF Hungary Heroes of Nature Award, a new recognition supported by Coca-Cola HBC Hungary for the first time. Established with the intention of becoming a long-term tradition, the award recognizes grassroots conservation initiatives that demonstrate how local collaboration can deliver real solutions to environmental challenges.

What began as a response to a serious local environmental disaster has grown into a nationally recognized conservation initiative. The expert jury of WWF Hungary selected the project's founders and coordinators, teachers Krisztina Beáta Sete and Zoltán Czita, as the first recipients of the Heroes of Nature Award. László Gajdos, Minister for the Living Environment, also attended the award ceremony held on 10 September. The award was presented to the teachers by Márta Vetier, Director of WWF Hungary, while the certificates were presented by Ágnes Kovács, Managing Director of Coca-Cola HBC Hungary.

About the Heroes of Nature Award

WWF Hungary established the award to shine a spotlight on community-led conservation initiatives that have already proven at the local level that perseverance, professional cooperation, and community engagement can achieve tangible environmental results. Beyond professional recognition, the award also provides financial support through the involvement of Coca-Cola HBC Hungary, helping to ensure the long-term continuation of the floating marsh restoration project.

In the future, WWF Hungary will use the Heroes of Nature Award to recognize conservation initiatives that are exemplary from a professional perspective and inspire other communities to take action. For each award cycle, WWF experts evaluate candidates based on their conservation achievements, social impact, and long-term significance.

"Let's Recreate It!" floating marsh restoration project: The first award winner

The story of the first award-winning project began with a major environmental incident. In December 2020, unknown perpetrators discharged approximately 6,000 liters of used oil into the Ráckeve branch of the Danube river. Although much of the pollution was absorbed by reed beds along the shoreline, the protected floating marshes in Szigetszentmiklós and its surrounding wildlife suffered significant damage. During the cleanup operation, nearly 2,000 square meters of contaminated reed beds and wetland habitat had to be removed.

Floating marshes are unique ecosystems that develop over long periods through the accumulation and interconnection of plant remains and peat-forming layers on the water's surface. These floating habitats support distinctive plant and animal communities and therefore represent exceptional conservation value. Their destruction is particularly serious because, under natural conditions, their formation is an extremely slow process.

The incident inspired students and their teachers Krisztina Beáta Sete and Zoltán Czita, who continue to coordinate the project today, to take action. They reached out to ecologists specializing in the research and restoration of floating fens. Guided by these experts, they launched a restoration program in which native plant species are established on reed rafts, creating artificial floating marsh formations that can gradually contribute to the regeneration of the damaged habitat. From the outset, students have played an active role, becoming not only participants but also drivers of ecological restoration.

Over the past six years, students have constructed more than 100 square meters of artificial floating marsh habitats. The initiative has since evolved into an international collaboration, with the school's partner institutions in Germany and Satu Mare, Romania, also joining the effort.

WWF Hungary hopes that the award-winning initiatives will not only receive recognition and financial support, but will also inspire other communities to launch similar conservation projects in their own regions. The organization looks forward to the continued engagement and support of the corporate sector, as restoring nature is a shared responsibility that requries collective actions.