The game “Discover Úľany Wetland” is available on the Heritage Game project portal; it guides visitors along the nature trail near Pusté Úľany. It was developed in collaboration between the University of Trnava and the organization Pre Úľany – Pro Fudemus, n. o. Through seven stops, it introduces the wetland environment and explains how both natural processes and human activity have shaped the local landscape.
The site near Pusté Úľany is located in the northern part of the Danube Lowlands, in the Galanta District. It is part of the larger Úľanská Wetland Special Protection Area, which is part of the European Natura 2000 network. The area is protected to preserve the habitats of several bird species, including the marsh harrier and the little bittern.
The water bodies, reed beds, and floodplain forest create an environment within the surrounding agricultural landscape where birds can forage, nest, and rest during migration. Wetland habitats are also important for water retention in the landscape.
Eco-cultural Heritage and Local Stewardship
The Úľany Wetland can also be viewed as an eco-cultural heritage site. Its natural values are linked to the history of land use and the knowledge of local people. The former peat extraction serves as a reminder of human economic interventions in the area. The restoration project combines the planting of willow trees used for wickerwork with a tribute to the traditional use of willow.
The nonprofit organization Pre Úľany – Pro Fudemus is dedicated to the preservation of cultural values, education, and the environment in the village. Together with volunteers, it has restored vegetation, planted hundreds of trees, and built an approximately 1.5-kilometer-long nature trail featuring overlooks and educational elements. For the “Úľanská Wetland Nature Trail” project, the organization received the Atlas Award in the category of Nature Conservation in Slovakia. The digital game builds on this local work and complements educational opportunities directly in the field.
Seven stops with field tasks
The game combines short texts and audio clips with questions related to specific locations. At the Rahno lookout, for example, players consider why bodies of water and the surrounding vegetation are important to birds. Other stops explain the formation of peat and floodplain forests. The stops also include the Da Vinci Bridge and a swing featuring the Penrose triangle.
Discover Úľany Wetland is available in Slovak and English and runs in a web browser. The activities are designed to help players explore the area while walking the nature trail.
About the Project
The game was developed as part of the Erasmus+ project “The Heritage Game: A Gamification Model for Community-Based Heritage Work,” which explores the use of game-based principles in community-based cultural heritage work. Trnava University in Trnava is one of seven partner universities. Project No. 2023-1-PT01-KA220-HED-000154261 is co-funded by the European Union.
More information Hra Discover Úľany Wetland · Heritage Game
Author: doc. Mgr. Lucia Nováková, PhD.
