More information
Description
The project focuses on the area of the Šibenec hill above the town of Beroun, where the remains of steppe vegetation have been preserved. The area has been grazed by a flock of sheep since the 1950s and has been fallow since the 1970s. Thanks to this fact, nowadays it is a preserved integral area, which has considerable potential for the support and development of the relevant habitat. Berounská zeleň association has managed the two largest plots of land on the Šibenec hill. On the area of one of the plots is the old Třešňovka orchard. 58 new solitary fruit trees have been planted in the orchard. Since 2019, extensive grazing, combined with manual mowing, has been applied abruptly. In its activities, Berounská zeleň was inspired by the Prague Pasture Association, which has been running similar activities since 2015 in the nearby area of Radotín. Prague Pasture has also become a partner of the project and shares with the association know-how and good practice. From spring to autumn 2020, mapping of endangered species took place at the site. The association sees the need to implement the project plan in the fact that in the cadastral territory of the town of Beroun it is the only locality with such a complete steppe habitat. At the same time, however, it is a place threatened by growing urban sites. The problem is that the association does not yet have its own herd, nor the capacities to run extensive grazing or mowing continuously. The previous maintenance of the areas took place on the basis of voluntary work of the members of the association with the involvement of the public. Working with the public and the Beroun community remains an important part of the project plan.
Summary of project results
With the Steppes of Beroun project, we continued our previous activities on the 1999/26 plot, where we have been grazing and mowing by hand for the second year. We acquired this land from the town of Beroun on a ten-year loan. The land in question, as well as the surrounding adjacent land, is covered with continuous steppe vegetation, yet it is at risk of being developed in the future, as it has been listed as a building site in the zoning plan since 2017. The aim of the Berounské steppe project was to continue the management and to prove, through monitoring of endangered species, that plots 1999/26 and 2001/8 (currently owned by the Office for State Representation in Property Matters) are naturally valuable sites that need to be protected in the future rather than developed. The management and monitoring was also linked to awareness raising activities, whether entomological walks, night insect watching, or articles on the web, social media and regional media. The monitoring has shown the presence of a number of protected and endangered species, which has provided us with important arguments to try to convince the city to change the zoning plan in the future. At our initiative, a request was made to the State Property Office to transfer the 2001/8 land to the ownership of the city in the public interest and to convert it to public green space in the next zoning change. This request is now being processed. The City Council and City Council unanimously supported this request. In the next steps, we will try to convince city representatives to transfer another adjacent parcel of land, which has the same prairie character, to public green space in the future, and on which we have also been monitoring. The ultimate goal is to negotiate with the Departments of Planning, Environment, and Property and Investment to have a Significant Landscape Feature designated on the affected lands. Thanks to the management of grazing and mowing, we have made the site accessible, so that it is now a popular place for Beroun citizens to go for walks, as well as for leisure activities related to nature conservation, in which we cooperate with local schools and organisations (Primary School V Zahradach Kytka, Scout Troop).
As part of the Berounské steppes project, we implemented continuous grazing with a flock of sheep and goats, supplemented by occasional grazing of horses and donkeys. At the same time, we manually mowed the land and removed the infestations. All these activities have led to the clearing of the land to achieve the so-called forest-free landscape, i.e. a cultural landscape that allows the development and protection of the steppe habitat present here. The management of the land by grazing and mowing was supplemented by continuous and final monitoring of endangered species in cooperation with the team from the Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Charles University. This activity was essential in order to make the case for future protection of the land in question, which is an absolutely crucial long-term goal for us, going beyond the implementation period and support from the Norway Grants and the State Environmental Fund. We are continuing to pursue this goal beyond the implementation phase of the project by negotiating with the city and other stakeholders, trying to find resources to continue management, and planning an advocacy campaign to help get the public voice on our side as well. We have also held public events and lectures, and worked with local schools, and other organizations to implement the project. These activities were important to raise awareness of the project and its importance in terms of protecting and promoting the valuable steppe habitat that is located within the city limits and is at risk of being destroyed by development in the future
The project pointed out that the land in question is very important and valuable in the context of our city. The results of the monitoring exceeded our initial expectations and provided us with a compelling rationale for negotiating with the city and other stakeholders. Only thanks to the results of the project is there hope that we will be able to save the valuable habitat of the Steppes of Beroun from future development that is possible on the site in terms of the zoning plan. The expected long-term impact of the implemented activities is the designation of the Important Landscape Element, the preservation of the land in its natural form and its sustainable management.