Developing an innovative method of restoring the natural environment in Podyjí National Park

A year has passed since the start of the BESTbelt project, ‘Restoring species-rich grasslands on former Robinia forest sites‘, in which project lead Land Trust Hády has been helping the national park in its fight to combat invasive tree species and protect rare native species.

 

The project area of the BESTbelt project, 'Restoring species-rich grasslands on former Robinia forest sites', is located within the protected zone of Podyjí National Park. It is situated approximately 2 km from the Czech-Austrian state border, within the European Green Belt area. This area is one of the best-preserved sites for thermophilic flora and fauna in the national park. However, the growth of invasive Robinia forests continues to pose a threat to the protected site and its native species. 
 

Supporting biodiversity in sites after the removal of invasive Robinia forests, one of the region's most significant plant pests, is the main focus at the moment. The project uses custom-built light brush harvesters to collect seed mixtures from semi-natural grasslands. These local species will replace the former Robinia forests.
Remarkably, during the summer, the project collected a large quantity of material (approximately 58 kg) from the donor sites, exceeding expectations.  These seeds were then sown in carefully prepared receptor areas. Now, we must wait and see the rare plant species germinate and turn green next year.

 

The implemented activities are part of the EU-funded BESTbelt project ‘Restoration of species-rich grasslands at sites of former Robinia forests’ which is implemented by the non-profit organization Land Trust Hády in cooperation with the Podyjí National Park from October 2024 to September 2026.

For more information, please contact the lead organization – Land Trust Hády (Pozemkový spolek Hády) – pshady(at)email.cz

You can also visit the project website: https://www.pshhady.cz/bb