Schoolchildren tracking beavers on the border between the Czech Republic and Bavaria

Cross-border cooperation in action! Czech and German schoolchildren followed the European beaver's footsteps as part of the BESTbelt project ”Cross-border handshake between people and nature”. Read how they discovered nature, learned about the importance of beavers, and broke down language barriers!

 

The Czech NGO Spolek Ametyst is actively involved in projects aimed at strengthening biodiversity protection along the European Green Belt. Together with their German partner LBV-Zentrum Mensch und Natur, they are currently focusing on connecting people and nature on the Bohemian-Bavarian border. They involved students from schools in Všeruby in the Czech Republic and Eschlkam in Germany, both located in the habitats of the European beaver (Castor fiber). The beaver was chosen as a model species due to limited public awareness of its positive impact on ecological stability and biodiversity.

A three days program under the BESTbelt project “Cross-border handshake between people and nature”, combined theoretical learning with practical field research and an international meeting. The initial days involved students exploring beaver characteristics and their role as ecosystem engineers. A special aspect was the comparison of current beaver traces with photos from ten years ago, allowing students to understand the species' long-term impact. This culminated in an international meeting in Všeruby, where Czech and German students collaborated. The German students presented on beaver adaptations, while the Czech group led observations of local beaver activity, including dams and felled trees. Students also learned about aquatic invertebrates in beaver-influenced environments and engaged in creative activities like building beaver lodges. This fostered cross-cultural learning and helped overcome language barriers through shared experiences, effectively connecting people with nature on the ground.

 

These activities are part of the EU-funded BESTbelt project "Cross-border handshake between people and nature", which is implemented by Spolek Ametyst (Czech Republic) together with LBV-Zentrum Mensch und Natur (Germany) from November 2024 to September 2026.

Contact person: Ing. Vlasta Benediktová, Spolek Ametyst, benediktova(at)ametyst21.cz