Description
The Kurovice Quarry is a protected area involved in Natura 2000 system important for its extraordinary environmental conditions with rare species and biotops, regionally known mostly as a turistic site. The aim of the project corresponding to the care plan for years 2013 – 2023 is to support the local biodiversity and conservation by education activities and volunteering related to the Zlin region. Local schools will be involved in environmental education programs, including methodology provided to teachers. Volunteering related to the conservation will take place on site. The project expects to interest local kindergarten children, basic school pupils and high school students as well as public to create a positive relationship to the locality and a need of the conservation. The project outputs will be environmentally educated children in the locality, installed notice board on site, conservation arrangements on site, two public events, and realised inventarisation explorations.
Summary of project results
Natural monument and site of Community importance Kurovice Quarry has become an effective tool of education in schools, public enlightenment and regional youth and community activation, and also provided a series of new discoveries in natural sciences documented during inventory surveys. Programmes and events were realised for schools as follows: 33 educational programmes with participation of 714 pupils and students, 5 educational events (112 participants), 3 inventory surveys (54 participated pupils). 4 cultural events were organised with total participation of 326 visitors and 21 volunteers involved. The project goals were completely fulfilled in the aspect of participants and in many aspects, goals even exceeded the expected outcomes. Biodiversity was supported, moreover it has developed to higher biodiversity level by documenting new animal and plant species and by planting suitable habitat tree species and by partial clearing of invasive species at and nearby the locality of Kurovice Quarry in cooperation with volunteers from local community and regional interested associations. 51 volunteers were involved within 6 volunteering working brigades. Transregional publicity of cultural events addressed not only local residents, but also visitors out of the region. 50 visitors came to 2 public lectures. Abandoned quarry, where illegal dumps were removed in previous years and where visitors came primarily for seasonal summer water recreation, is now presented as a valuable natural treasure via the web lomkurovice.info, the educational (nature) trail, the information leaflets and the brochure, which is the result of surveys in cooperation with the Museum of Wallachia. Topic of environmental education and enlightenment was strengthened in cooperation with partner schools. New educational programs were created as well as experimental 5 methodologies that are now available for schools visiting the quarry. The project has brought the lasting values to the region in terms of new discoveries, increased public and schools awareness about the locality and local protected species, establishing cooperation with witnesses, many scientists and arranging contacts with the owner of the quarry with potential of a long-term and beneficial cooperation.
Summary of bilateral results