On a cold morning this January, some of Hungary’s leading ecologists, conservationists, scientists, and bird experts gathered in the historical Royal Palace of Gödöllő to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Association (MME) – the largest Hungarian social organisation for the protection of birds. Surrounded by a wide variety of Hungarian snacks, they listened to a series of talks and presentations, discussed the past, present, and future of the organisation and Hungarian wildlife, and were at last part of an award ceremony recognising those who had contributed to Hungarian wildlife the most.
Among the laureates was former Hungarian State Secretary of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, science writer, and founding member of the MME László Haraszthy, who received the prestigious Schmidt Egon Memorial Medal at the ceremony. Seven months after the ceremony, the Budapest Times interviewed Haraszthy in the picturesque village of Leányfalu, where he immersed himself in nature.
What was your childhood like? What sparked your interest in wildlife conservation?
I had a happy childhood in the suburbs of Budapest. Our house had a garden, and we were surrounded by wildlife – there was a meadow right besides us, and we also had different kinds of flowers, birds, and dung beetles. I cannot tell you how old I was, but I had definitely not been enrolled at school when I started observing ants with a magnifying glass in my garden. Then, I found caterpillars – I raised them, and they flew away when they became moths. I was ten years old when I developed a strong interest in birds, and when I was a high school student, I collaborated with some much older colleagues to find a short-toed eagle nest which was damaged by irresponsible forest management. Until then, I had always dreamed of becoming an ornithologist, but the discovery of that nest made me realise that my mission was to protect nature, not research it. That was the moment I became interested in wildlife conservation.
Of all the awards you have received in your life, which one are you most proud of?
Probably the Order of the Golden Ark, which is a Dutch order of merit founded by Prince Bernhard. I believe I am still the only Hungarian with this distinction. Among those who have been awarded this honour are many great people, including Indira Gandhi and Thor Heyerdahl.
What role did you play in establishing the MME?
The MME was established in 1974. At that time, I had already been associated with the External Staff Committee of the Association of Hungarian Ornithologists (MOSZ), the MME’s predecessor. I joined the MME’s staff in 1975, and since then, I have always considerably influenced the focus and mission of the organisation.
Was founding the MME difficult?
It was difficult in the sense that socialism still had a strong influence on Hungary at the time. We founded the MME 18 years after the 1956 Revolution, so the government was still very cautious and scared of new organisations. The hero whose action made the birth of the MME possible was Hungarian forestry engineer Zoltán Rakonczay, who successfully gained political permission to establish the organisation.
What are the moments you are most proud of in the 50-year history of the MME?
This organisation came out of nothing. At the very start, there were only tens of bird enthusiasts, but since then, 50,000 people have joined us. It is impossible to list all of the programmes we have brought to life, but the MME has definitely played a major role in the conservation of saker falcons, imperial eagles, white-tailed eagles, Eurasian rollers, red-footed falcons, screech owls, and many other species.
What were the biggest challenges in the MME’s past 50 years?
There were several major challenges. Firstly, we needed – and still need – resources for our activities. At the start, we realised fewer projects with little money. When socialism became less of an impact, we received support from Western nations – they were not huge sums of money, but they were very important and helpful. After Hungary became a member of the European Union, we also had the opportunity to apply for EU grants. However, these kinds of financial support all came with instructions on where we could or could not spend the money.
As we also needed other financial resources to efficiently develop the organisation and provide education, training, and a future for our next generations, we learned from other European societies and involved the general public in sponsoring our activities. We started receiving donations from the public, which led to excellent outcomes. Many of our finances today still come from public donations, and this gives us a sense of security. Although our donations may be affected by recessions, this route allows us to establish independent opinions. And this has made it possible for us to chase our dreams.
What is the current situation with birds and amphibians – including frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts – in Hungary and central Europe? What did their situation look like in the past 50 years, and what will it look like in the next 50 years?
With birds, we have received remarkable results in the conservation of rare and critically endangered species. Saker falcon, bustard, and red-footed falcon populations have been stabilised; imperial eagle, white-tailed eagle, and Eurasian roller populations have been considerably increased. All of these are doable provided that we have energy and money to actualise special projects focusing on conserving these rare species.
That said, we have a bigger issue with our frequently occurring bird species, especially with species that live in the farmlands, such as skylarks and partridges. It is impossible to protect these species one by one, as we would need agricultural land where they could build nests, find insects to feed their hatchlings, and obtain seeds to feed themselves. As we joined the EU and picked up their agricultural management system, we lost 40% of birds in the farmlands in just 20 years. This is a shocking decrease, but it is even bigger in the case of swallows.
We are also concerned about the situation of rare bird species in older forests. In Hungary, the age distribution of forests is really poor – we have a lot of young forests, even more middle-aged forests, but very few old forests. It is the old forests that have the greatest biodiversity – from birds to insects, you can find all sorts of creatures there – but they are always on the verge of deforestation.
We have limited wiggle room to solve these issues using ordinary means. We only have two solutions here: either the government decides to do things differently, or our society wakes up and demands change.
With amphibians, we observed a huge decrease in numbers in the last ten years or so. We still have no idea whether or not this decrease is linked to some kind of chemical use. I think it is mainly the prolonged droughts that are causing this decline. In places where they used to rescue 6,000 to 8,000 frogs and toads along the streets a few years ago to prevent them from being hit by cars, we can only rescue a few hundred individuals now. However, I believe that as long as we have a proper wet season, we do have some wiggle room – as amphibians lay a huge number of eggs, we only need a few of those eggs to survive for successful conservation. The amphibian chytrid fungi – a plague that has killed amphibians worldwide – is obviously also dangerous, but we have not detected a sufficiently high level of the plague in Hungary yet for us to be concerned.
What are some concrete solutions for bringing the decline in birds in the farmlands under control?
Although the current agricultural management system aims at producing more at more intense rates, there is an increasing need in European societies to eat healthy, organic, and pesticide-free food. I believe that the only solution for our agricultural sectors is to quit the farming practices supported by the EU and head in a greener, more organic, and nature-friendly direction. Although this may negatively affect quantity, it certainly would not hurt the quality of food produced. This year, only 40% of the wheat produced in Hungary was served as food, whereas 60% of it was used as cheap fodder. If we focused more on quality in our agriculture, we would be able to keep some green space for the larks, caterpillars, moths, and bumblebees, and for everyone.
What is the biggest current threat to nature in Hungary and around the world?
Habitat loss is still a severe threat to nature both in Hungary and across the globe, and bad farming practices can further worsen it in Hungary. The spread of invasive species is also a major issue that affects all kinds of organisms, including microorganisms in the water and large mammals. We have many such examples in Hungary, the biggest of which – in my opinion – are the spread of non-native fish species in our waters and the proliferation of oak lace bugs on our trees. Originating from America, this 3-4 millimeter long insect usually stays on the bottom oak leaves and sucks juice from them. Whenever we see an oak tree with yellow or whitish leaves, that is because the oak lace bugs have sucked it. This is a serious issue in Hungary, as oak trees are our most important trees. After they experience a brutal attack like this, they might drop their leaves and lose their function, which has unprecedented consequences. Scientific research has only discovered and tracked this problem but has not offered any interventions yet. However, this issue is present across Europe, so we need international collaboration. Together, we need to start some kind of research project that focuses on bringing the spread of this insect under control.
When I interviewed you at the MME’s 50th anniversary event, you said biodiversity loss is a much more important issue than climate change and that if we do not stop it, it would extinguish humanity in the foreseeable future. Could you elaborate on this statement?
Climate change is, of course, a huge threat, especially when we look at wetlands and changes in vegetation – we do not know if forests or species that prefer colder environments would be able to endure it. However, it is for this reason that I think the invasive species that attack oak trees are more critical. Climate change has already created a crisis which has made the trees and forests less capable of tackling stress, just like how we cannot work productively under extreme heat. If in this case, a horrible invasive species attacks and sucks the trees and creates even more stress for them, it would be impossible for us to predict what would happen in 20 years. This is a very depressing situation.
What are some of the MME’s future projects?
There are three main areas of focus within the MME: protecting species and habitats, educating the public, and maintaining the organisation. We are still running the saker falcon LIFE project and will run it for many more years. We are also planning to establish a visitor and training centre. Although it is a financial challenge, we believe the new centre will play an important role in maintaining our members, education, and getting the public involved in nature-oriented projects. Moreover, there will be a gigantic visitor hall in the centre, where we will run many exciting programmes for both children and adults.
And, of course, we would like to find ways to tackle the current agricultural management system to improve our health, life span, and wildlife.
What were your highlights of the MME’s 50th anniversary celebration?
The fact that around 300 people – both young and old – came to the event from various regions across Hungary. Also, meeting those friends and colleagues whom I have worked with for many decades is a buzz in itself.
What will the MME’s 100th anniversary event be about? What will the future generations talk about there?
I have no idea – I can tell you about my hopes, though. I hope that future generations will be able to say that those rare species we have spent lots of effort conserving have stable populations. I also hope they will state that Hungary’s forests have been transformed and that instead of being places for wood production, they have become places where people can go on trips and rest and where there is an outburst of wildlife. Moreover, I hope they will be able to say that agriculture has become more quality-oriented and that instead of relying on intensive farming and spectacular technologies, it has become closer to humans.
There are many bird enthusiasts around the world. What can they – or an average person – do to support the MME?
They can support the MME on many levels. Ideally, they could join the organisation, get involved in one or more programmes, take part in wildlife surveys or outdoor work to plant or remove shrubs, or run camps where we work with children. However, some people may think this is too much – if those people happen to have a garden or a nearby park, they could protect birds by setting birdhouses and feeders in the wild, or by raising awareness of birds among their acquaintances and neighbours. However, if someone is not able to support the MME’s work in any of the ways I have mentioned, they could still contribute to the organisation financially.
What is your favourite bird, and why?
My favourite birds are predatory birds. At the start of my career, people used to shoot and poison predatory birds wherever they could. However, I realised that these birds are the ones that need the most protection – although the task of protecting these birds is a challenging one, I have always been intrigued by it.
For centuries, people around the world did not realise how important predatory birds are. They would put a feeder into their garden and see some tit* around it; they would then see a hawk attacking and eating the tit*. This sounds horrible, right? No one would ever realise that this brutal attack is actually the best thing for the tit* – by preying on the tit*, the hawk imposes stress on them, which in turn makes them more alert, faster, and smarter. In a way, the hawk facilitates the evolution of the tit*.
What is your message for the public?
Be hopeful that the nature we destroyed in the past 100 years can be restored, and act for it to happen.
