Background Inland salt marshes are created where saline ground water rises to the surface. The salts come primarily from the Zechstein formation which came into being around 250 million years ago when a sea covered today's Central Europe. Normally, thick layers of clay prevent the rise of saline water into the freshwater near the surface. In places where there is no such clay, saline water can rise to the surface. The salt levels can be quite low, but are enough to provide a competitive advantage for particular kinds of vegetation, such as strawberry clover (Trifolium fragiferum) and the orchid orchis palustris. Salt meadows and pastures are semi-natural environments which first developed through their extensive use as prairies and pastures. The inland salt meadows in Brandenburg, near Berlin, are geological and botanical rarities providing important links with salt meadows to the East and West. They are generally of small size, but relatively numerous and contain several plant species endemic to Central Europe. However the salt marshes are threatened both by the abandonment of extensive grazing, leading to overgrowth, and by intensification, leading to conversion into agricultural land. Furthermore, conditions for saline vegetation in Brandenburg have significantly worsened in the last decades. Notably, the marshes are suffering from salt imbalances due to changes in the hydrological conditions, previously regulated by traditional irrigation and drainage systems. Objectives The overarching objective of the Salzstellen Brandenburgs project was to contribute to the conservation and regeneration of the inland salt marshes of Brandenburg. The project sought to restore the characteristic habitats and species of the most representative salt marshes in the area and introduce sustainable management practices. The project planned to elaborate an action plan to improve and, where possible, re-establish the conditions for the existence of salt meadows and pastures in several areas in Brandenburg. Specific measures foreseen included: Restoring the hydrological balance of several marshes and saline areas; Removing overgrowth affecting the marshes; and Initiating extensive cultivation of meadows.The project also aimed to stimulate local interest in the project's aims and activities with educational activities and to implement measures aimed at the development of tourism to the area. Results The project successfully achieved its objectives and improved the conservation status of inland salt marshes in Brandenburg. The project actions led to the extension of this rare habitat type, stabilisation of the water regime and the establishment of appropriate management procedures. The project implemented a number of interventions which restored stability to the hydrological balance of the area. Key measures included: constructing a ground sill in the Marstallwiesen, in order to raise the water level permanently; re-connecting about 1 000 m of old meanders; and removing five old weirs. It increased water levels over 312 ha, which was an excellent result. It also showed how water level in several meadows could be regulated according to the requirements of the target species and the current weather conditions. Detailed knowledge of the local hydrology was found to be essential to successful implementation of salt marsh restoration. The beneficiary carried out specific additional actions to restore the unique habitats provided by the salt marshes: mowing of reeds over 196 ha; clearing of shrubs and small trees from 27 ha; planting of 240 m of groves; and creation of 11 ponds. The interventions were shown to benefit salt marsh biodiversity. In several project sites, Apium repens and Angelica palustris were identified for the first time. The project tested the appropriateness of agri-environmental actions in regard to conservation of wet meadows and developed management plans for 523 ha of nature conservation sites covering the salt marshes of Brandenburg. To support ongoing management of some of the most important sites, the project purchased 96 ha of land and a further 18 ha were provided to the State of Brandenburg (beneficiary) in the frame of the transfer of former “Prussia property” (Preußeneigentum). The activities highlighted that the restoration of inland salt marshes is only meaningful if long-term management can be ensured in co-operation with concerned land users. A notable project output was a specific Action Plan for Farmers and the establishment of trust between land users and conservationists will be the basis for future conservation, dependent on the availability of agri-environmental support. To raise awareness on the project, its importance and its achievements, it produced information leaflets, a salt-trail map, a scientific brochure, several scientific articles in professional journals, a mobile exhibition, 11 information boards, one observation tower and one observation platform. It organised more than 40 excursions, public events and project presentations and the project was mentioned in more than 60 press articles. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Conservation Plan (see "Read more" section).