Description
The project is necessary for supporting restoration of natural habitats in the region of Liberec.The current examples of good practice in restoration of natural habitats in the Czech rep. are rarely connected with outdoor environmental education.The overall objective of the project is development of Land Trust belonging to Čmelák organisation, including restoration of locations with public involvement into these outdoor activities.The objective will be reached mainly by means of management intervention and involvement of volunteers, excursions and newly implemented outdoor programmes of environmental education. Among the outputs are also updated plans for caring of these habitats or support for individual visitors of the renewed habitats (e.g. families with children).The result of the project will lead to increase of target groups’ awareness (the general public, children and youth, landowners) and their motivation to actively help to restore natural habitats and to protect them.
Summary of project results
The contribution to fulfil the total and long-term goal of the project – to strengthen and develop the Čmelák Land Trust and systematically involve the general public in the activities, was a success. There were several management interventions on our land sites, where we involved volunteers; additionally, field environmental excursions were created and implemented, as well as other public events at the rejuvenated land. All these activities were promoted. We created 8 management plans of the land sites managed within the project. The plans are based on botanical and zoological mapping performed on the sites, and our long-term experience in land management. The plans consists of long-term management planning, intended target state and eco-educational use of each land site. Using volunteers’ help led to progressive improvement of site state and their education. Spreading information about the rejuvenated sites served as an example of good practice. Additionally, the sites are becoming an interesting destination and provide the citizens with meaningful leisure time spent in nature. We selected 5 sites, where Čmelák plans to start with their protection and rejuvenation in the following years, leading to large-scale extension of the project’s impacts and to spread good practice to other sites in the region. Public field events focused on practical help with rejuvenation and care for rejuvenated land were a great success from the perspective of environmental education. Field education programs led to strengthening participants’ connections in the region, their active personal participation on improvement of environment around their residence, and support of environment protecting volunteers. Use educational methods and practical experience led to deep understanding of the discussed issues, and provided the educators with some of the new approaches to education, who were inspired by, among other, non-traditional and original tools. The created manuals will affect the education of further groups that will order the program. Excursions at the selected sites familiarised the participants mainly with the site habitat, its history and further management regarding care. The participants saw the results of care for natural values on their own eyes, they also asked our experts about matters they were interested in, and thanks to the educational texts placed on selected sites and other educational elements they expanded and complemented their knowledge.
Summary of bilateral results