How to create species-rich lawns at the European Green Belt?
What is a brush seed harvester and what are the differences between different types of seeds? A BESTbelt project organized an educational walk through the Podyjí National Park for the public.
The BESTbelt project ‘Restoring species-rich grasslands on former Robinia forest sites’ organized an excursion for the public in cooperation with the Podyjí National Park Administration. During the excursion, participants learned how to restore a species-rich lawn in a place where black locust and other invasive species used to grow, and learned more about the related BESTbelt project and its activities.
The project experts demonstrated a brush seed harvester and how it works, and explained how to recognize ripe seeds of various species. Participants learned how to collect herb and grass seeds, where to look for them and how to properly prepare the areas for sowing. An unexpected nice surprise was meeting ground squirrels, which now thrive on maintained lawns!
This year's waves of drought and heat show especially how important it is to return species-rich lawns to the landscape – which are oases for pollinators who are threatened by a lack of food! The excursion was a great opportunity to discuss the possibilities of using seed mixtures not only in practical nature conservation, but also in the immediate surroundings of each of us. Through the excursion, a motivating and inspiring atmosphere has been created, which will help to keep the learning, share it with others and implement it in the future!
The project "Restoring species-rich grasslands on former Robinia forest sites" is implemented by the Land Trust Hády in collaboration with the Podyji National Park from October 2024 to September 2026 and is funded by the BESTbelt project.
For more information, please contact:
Land Trust Hády (Pozemkový spolek Hády) – pshady(at)email.cz