Background At the beginning of the 20th century, the area between the rivers Tagliamento and Isonzo was made up of 6 000 hectares of wetlands, most of which were alkaline and calcareous fens. Currently, only 200 hectares of these habitats survive and these are dispersed in small and fragmented patches, most of which are designated as Sites of Community Importance. The remaining fens host many endemic plants and animals of EU and national importance. The project focus was on three SCI that contain the last alkaline and calcareous fens that are home to 90% of the worldwide population of Armeria helodes and 99% of the worldwide population of Erucastrum palustre. In recent years the number of these species has been decreasing despite efforts to halt their decline. Populations are threatened by their small size, the fragmentation of their natural habitat, the lowering of the water table, the eutrophication of surface waters and the abandonment of natural habitat owned by private owners. Both species are at a high risk of extinction. Objectives The project aimed to stabilise and increase the population size of plant and animal species protected by the EU Habitats Directive that are found in the alkaline and calcareous fens in the Friuli plain. Public awareness and environmental education programmes in local schools, as well as evening courses for the elderly and for the general public, would raise awareness of the conservation and cultural importance of the fens. Results The project ‘FRIULI FENS’, which was carried out in three SCIs in the plan of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (North Italy), led to the overall improvement of about 85 ha of wet habitats (wet grasslands, fens and alluvial forests). Preparatory actions focused on the administrative acts necessary to enlarge two Natura 2000 network sites and the drawing up of Management Plans for all the three sites. While less land was purchased than foreseen (2.7 ha less), more agricultural area was bought than anticipated (23.67 ha purchased instead of 20 ha). Given the impact of agricultural practices on the calcareous fens, the purchase of more agricultural land is a more effective way to tackle the threats to this habitat. Moreover, the beneficiary is expecting to purchase 2.39 ha of natural land in the Municipality of Castions di Strada in accordance with the after-LIFE conservation plan. The conservation actions consisted of the restoration of 34.5 ha (instead of the foreseen 27.9 ha) and of non-recurring management on 51.1 ha (instead of the foreseen 53 ha) of the following habitats: Alluvial forests , calcareous fens, alkaline fens, Molinia meadows on calcareous. Another success of the project was the establishment of cultivation protocols for more than 80 herbaceous species, including two species listed in Annex II of the Habitats Directive (Armeria helodes and Erucastrum palustre) and several others in the regional and national red lists. Recurring management on alluvial forests – the removal of alien species and the conversion of coppice to high forests – and the cutting of shrubs on the fens was carried out on more than 78 ha without incurring any additional cost to the project. All interventions were accompanied by detailed monitoring, which contributed to an increase in knowledge of the effects of such measures and improved scientific understanding of the two target species, Armeria helodes and Erucastrum palustre. The results of the project were widely spread, with activities carried out by the four municipalities involved in the project, reaching the local public and school children. Public understanding of the importance of biodiversity in the wet ecosystems was raised by the project. Printed materials were of very good quality and the excellent website will be kept active until 2014. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section).