Sdru�ení Krajina is a land trust founded in 1997 to protect and enhance endangered wetland meadow habitats. It is now one of the largest preservation land trusts in the Czech Republic yet only controls 150 Hectares of land. Wet sphagnum meadowlands were once common in the Czech Republic but increasingly intensive agriculture has led to them disappearing at an alarming rate. The wet meadowland sustains a very wide and extensive biodiversity and is an important element in local water quality.
The project is targeting the purchase of approximately 2 Hectares of designated wet meadow and the renting of a further 10 Hectares. Once accomplished this will then allow for a programme of works to protect and enhance the land, including bridge building, removal of invasive species and mowing on a further 75 hectares.
The Update
The Wet Meadowland Trust bought/rented approximately 12 hectares of designated sphagnum wet medowlands. Mowing is particularly important to the natural cycle of these meadows yet heavy machinery cannot be used, so the meadows were all hand mown and the hay removed. Other objectives of the project were to improve access to the meadows which was done by building five crossings and four small bridges in the area. Overgrown areas of the wet meadows were also cleared, including young trees, using only traditional hand tools to protect the wetland. More than 150 landowners and other stakeholders were involved in the work.
