Category: Environmental projects

LIFE BEAVER

The European beaver was almost eradicated in most of the European countries good two hundred years ago, after hundreds of years of merciless hunt and chase, the species ending on the verge of extinction. In the last few decades, it is successfully being reintroduced back to its native home range with the help of many reintroduction programmes, such as e. g. in Croatia, from where it naturally spread across the border to the neighbouring Slovenia. The beaver is successfully traversing many obstacles in cultural landscape, even river barriers. However, it is with enormous strain tackling obstacles in human mentality of selfish tendency to overexploitation of natural resources, falsely believing they are in inexhaustible amount, bending them to human will and need. The beaver is likewise adapting its riparian habitat to its own needs, however, at the same time, it is also maintaining it and keeping it hospitable for other species – as well as for humans: it is increasing biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics of inland waters.

The recent return of the beavers to Posavina in Croatia 24 years ago counted to a total number of 85 animals. Today, the largest population of the biggest European rodent by far, counts over 10.000 animals; they are spread throughout all of Croatia, parts of Bosnia and Hercegovina, Serbia, Austria and Hungary. The beavers also expanded to Slovenia, utilising Sava, Mura, Drava and Kolpa as commuting routes from Croatia. The beaver, present in both countries today, is considered to have a favourable conservation status. This is also one of the reasons why two different Croatian partners joined forces: The Faculty of Forestry in Zagreb, which was responsible for the reintroduction of the beavers to Croatia in the first instance, and the Museum of Ivanić Grada, located within a small town Ivanić Grad, near the area where first beavers were released into the wild. The beavers were adopted so passionately by the locals of the town, that they are now interwoven with almost all of its public life, presenting a perfect example of a possible peaceful coexistence between man and beaver.

The beaver is returning to a significantly modified human environment: in the last century Europe alone, we managed to destroy between 50 and 90 % of wetlands, of which 377.000 km2 were used for new agricultural areas. In light of the current climate change, we can therefore already feel the effects that these impacts of missing habitat have on our environment. We can ask ourselves, whether it will be possible to retain the natural water flow in our landscape and keep it clean from various harming pollutants with which human civilisation is burdening it with? How will we prevent, or at least reduce, the flooding events and erosion and establish CO2 sinks, how are we going to stop the devastating drop in species biodiversity in our predominant environments? The beaver can help us with these difficult tasks at hand, but we first need to familiarise ourselves with this vaguely known species in detail and understand its ecology, which is one of the main goals of this project. The experts are estimating the value of the ecosystem services, which wetlands are providing us with, to be at least 16.000 €/ha/year. About 150 km2 of wetlands can purify estimated 32 million m3 of water per year. Wetlands, which are created or maintained by beaver, can locally have even higher value. An area of 150 km2 of wetlands can purify 32 million m3 water per year. All these extensive wetland areas can be maintained and expanded for free by an army of 100.000 ecosystem engineers – beavers.  With the help of one of our project partners, the Forestry Institute of Slovenia, who has much expertise with data modelling, it will be possible to estimate the value of the ecosystem and beaver functions. Based on these assessments, we will also be able to create a model of potential spread of the beaver population, to understand where its natural limits lie.

We will try to avoid from putting too much emphasis on comparing the pros and cons of various animal groups in educational and awareness raising tasks included in this project. This way, we will prevent utilitarian thinking, where only the maximisation of species benefit in the ecosystem is sought after. Thinking about natural impacts beaver causes with its key engineering behaviour in aquatic ecosystems, will be shared amongst widest of audience. Particularly, we will direct it towards various target groups, which have most contact with the beaver: farmers, foresters, land owners, water managers, fishermen and hunters. We will also try to have an influence on agriculture, water management and environmental politics. In this light, we will also test how the system for »damage« evaluation of wild animal activities and compensation scheme assessment works. Requests for financial damage compensation, which beaver causes in Slovenia, are on the increase with every passing year. Will the beaver, whom we drove to the edge of extinction and destroyed most of its living environment, also send us a bill for damage compensation? When will we discover that the main damage, we are causing, is really to ourselves and that the beaver can only help us reverse it?

Unknowingly, the beaver acts in its natural aquatic environment according to the various European environmental legislation and contributes to its goals: Habitats Directive, Water Framework Directive, Floods Directive, Nitrate Directive, Drinking Water Directive, Environmental Liability Directive …, it also importantly contributes to the goals of the EU Biodiversity Strategy and acts in the direction towards environmental change adaptation. 

Therefore, now is the time for people to adapt to the changes brought about to our landscape by the beaver and not the other way around.  Us, project partners, will do everything we can for the returning beaver to be also accepted by the people living along riparian habitats of Slovenia and Croatia. We will especially be pleased, if our project results can also help our neighbouring countries, where beaver already inhabits, or where it can spread further using natural pathways. Therefore, we can proudly say that LIFE BEAVER project welcomes the beaver’s return.

Project acronym:LIFE BEAVER

Project number: LIFE19 GIE/SI/001111

Year of the LIFE call for proposals: 2019

Priority area: Environmental management and information

Project title (ENG):LIFE with the beaver, wetlands and climate change

Project title (SI): Živeti z bobrom, mokrišči in podnebnimi spremembami

Project tile (HR): Živjeti sa dabrom, vlažnim staništima i klimatskim promjenama

Project start: 1. 9. 2020
Project end: 31. 8. 2024
Project web site: https://life-beaver.eu
Project FB profile:https://www.facebook.com/LIFEAquaviva

Applicant: Lutra, Inštitut za ohranjanje naravne dediščine (SI)
Partners: Sveučilište u Zagrebu – Šumarski fakultet (HR), Gozdarski inštitut Slovenije (SI), MuzejIvanić – Grada (HR)

Project budget: 913,861 €
European Commission Contribution: 491.647€

ALLGREEN

Climate changes have become a fact, that has bigger and bigger impact on our lives, and therefore, a change in thinking and lifestyle towards sustainable development is necessary. The LUTRA Institute, which was an applicant and manager of LIFE AQUALUTRA project, already envisaged that  Otter Centre would not only be intended for the research of inland aquatic ecosystems and the otter as an umbrella and charismatic species, but would be a carrier of various educational and awareness-raising activities for nature conservation and environmental protection in the wider geographical and social environment of the entire Őrség-Raab-Goričko Landscape Park.

We already upgraded the equipment and content of the AQUALUTRA centre in several projects (Vidrology with the support of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, LIFE AQUAVIVA), but with limited financial resources we have not yet achieved all the objectives set in the design of the center. Nature conservation activities of the centre will be supplemented with environmental protection, as both areas are closely linked. Therefore, we are planning to set up an educational platform for informing and raising visitors’ awareness on climate change and how to adapt to them, and to show measures for everybody to every day contribute to reducing the carbon footprint. We want to show a few simple solutions for a sustainable way of building with natural materials, for renewable energy sources (wind, solar), for economical use of water (rainwater harvesting) and cleaning of urban waste water (plant treatment plant).

 

Title: All shades of green

Acronym: ALLGREEN

Applicant: Lutra, Institute for Conservation of Natural Heritage

Co-financiers: Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning

Funding program: Funds for environmental projects of non-governmental organizations for 2018 and 2019

Duration: from August 2018 to October 2019

BIODIVERSITY – ART OF LIFE

Biodiversity – Art of life

Biodiversity is a fantastic variety of life, one of the most valuable and most noble features of our planet. It is a key element of ecosystem services, on which we all depend of. Slovenia possesses one of the highest biodiversity in Europe, which is not sufficiently recognized and therefore not appreciated enough. Therefore, National Institute of Biology prepared with nine partners 5-year communication LIFE project with a meaningful title LIFE NATURAVIVA.

The overall goal of the project is to reveal the exceptional natural values ​​of Slovenia and its significance and to highlight the threats that biodiversity here faces. What are the consequences of losing a species? What are the benefits of rich biodiversity?

Most activities will take place in protected areas, therefore there are five Slovenian natural parks included as project partners. However, we will not forget about nature outside parks, since “nature is everywhere”. Communication on the value of biodiversity must reach every corner of Slovenia. Therefore, we will connect messages on the value of biodiversity with cultural heritage and art, join events and concerts, and address an audience that does not expect this – looking for cultural and artistic events, and facing a message about the threat to nature. All events will be recorded and used as promotional short films for various media.

We will educate various target groups and raise awareness of the need to conserve biodiversity.  among various target groups, from kindergartens to students, from farmers to politicians, and therefore they use different approaches. We will participate in fairs, exhibitions and environmental days. We will prepare and publish a luxurious book on the biodiversity of Slovenia, record a film, prepare several outdoor and indoor exhibitions, informative leaflets etc, city posters, coloring book, summer school, workshops etc.

Title: Biodiversity – Art of Life

Acronym: LIFE NATURAVIVA

Applicant: National Institute of Biology (NIB)

Partners:

  • LUTRA, Institute for Conservation of Natural Heritage
  • Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia
  • Triglav National Park
  • Ljubljana Marsh Nature Park
  • Kozjansko Regional park
  • Goričko Nature Park
  • Notranjska Regional Park
  • University of Ljubljana
  • Grm Novo Mesto – Center of Biotechnics and Tourism

Co-financiers:

  • European Commission
  • Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning (MESP)

Funding program: LIFE

Duration: from September 2017 to August 2022

Project website: http://www.naturaviva.si/

FB project profile: https://www.facebook.com/life.naturaviva/

Biodiversity

The project was designed for revitalizing and enriching the activities at Otter’s Information Centre AQUALUTRA in Križevci in Goričko. We have expanded exsisting activities for education and promotion of inland water ecosystems and otter as an umbrella species, with new ones  about nature conservation, good agricultural practices suitable for protected (Natura 2000) areas with an emphasis on biodiversity conservation and the development of a sustainable, nature-friendly tourism. We used different approaches, from direct contact (lectures of experts) through films, practical displays, guided learning pathways to interactive workshops; special attention was paid to the participation of target groups in agricultural activities and nature conservation campaigns which, as demonstrations of good practice, contributed to the preservation of endangered species, typical habitats and ecosystems of Goričko. We also restore some habitats and planted old varieties of high-trunk fruit trees.

Project activities, frontal, interactive and practical, were prepared for very different target groups: kindergartens, schools (science days and excursions for local schools and the wider region), local people (citizens, farmers, etc.), excursion groups of tourists, visitors of Goričko Nature Park and guests of thermal spas in region of Pomurje.

 

Title: Biodiversity under Otter’s Roof in Goričko

Acronym: Biodiversity

Applicant: Lutra, Institute for Conservation of Natural Heritage

Co-financiers: Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning

Funding program: Funds for environmental projects of non-governmental organizations for 2016 and 2017

Duration: from September 2016 to October 2017

GoForMura

The project addressed two forest habitat types in an unsuitable situation. Due to the building measures alongside Mura river and on nearby agricultural land in the 1960s and 1970s, flood oak-ash-elm forests are threatened by the reduction in the level of groundwater and shortened duration of floods. The unfavorable status of the riparian willow, alder and ash forests is also the result of inadequate forest management. The disappearance of aquatic and wetland habitats thus endangering amphibians (fire-bellied toad and great crested newt). The disappearance of oak (Quercus robur) and variable amount of dead wood also threatens the existence of some species of beetles (Lucanus cervus, Cerambyx cerdo …). In the area of Gornja Bistrica and Murska Šuma in Prekmurje region recently also otter and beaver emerged, which have not yet been sufficiently studied. Similarly unknown is the status of some species of birds (black stork, honey buzzard, black woodpecker …).

The purpose of GoForMura project was to examine the factors that affect habitat types and obtain more information on the status of populations of selected species of amphibians, bugs, beaver and otter at several locations along the Mura river. The project also set up the monitoring measures of birds in an unfamiliar situation. In the same sites some protective measures were made (planting of oak, poplar…, renaturation of potential beaver sites, cutting and removing invasive tree species…) Based on the findings pioneer management plans for chosen Murska šuma and Gornja Bistrica Natura 2000 sites will be made.

 

Naslov: Governance of forest habitat types and species in the selected Natura 2000 sitesalongside Mura

Acronym: GoForMura

Applicant: Slovenian Forestry Institute

Partners:

  • Slovenia Forest Service
  • Lutra, Institute for Conservation of Natural Heritage
  • NINA, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research

Co-financiers:

  • Iceland, Principality of Liechtenstein and Kingdom of Norway
  • Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy

Fundation program: EEA Financial Mechanisms 2009-2014

Duration: from Februar 2015 to January 2017

LIFE AQUAVIVA

In the period 2011/2014, the Lutra Institute prepared a new LIFE project, this time a communication and informative nature. Its main objective was to promote the biodiversity of inland water ecosystems and to preserve it. In this, an otter, a charismatic representative of water life, helped us to inform the public that water is the most valuable natural resource on the planet; it is important not only for humans, but also for all other living organisms, especially those with a living environment.

The project was based on numerous research in Europe, which proves that, despite the declared year of biodiversity (2010) and now a decade of biodiversity (2010-2020), we are quite unsuccessful in its conservation. Will it take a century of biodiversity to reduce the decline due to many human influences? Perhaps even more, because the dangers that cause the loss of biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems are still increasing: people contribute more nitrogen to ecosystems than all other natural processes together, natural resources are increasingly and still exploited in a non-sustainable way, invasive alien species threaten autochthonous, etc. Only 18% of the watercourses in Slovenia are in good eco-morphological state, all others are more or less changed, which strongly affects biodiversity, which is even more vulnerable in the aquatic environment.

The Eurobarometer has shown that Europeans still do not understand the threats to aquatic ecosystems and the loss of biodiversity. Although Slovenia did not cut off much worse than the European average, in 2007 Slovenians were 6% better informed about the decline in biodiversity than in 2010, which is still worrying; in 2007, the loss of biodiversity in Europe was 9% more severe than in Europe three years later. The awareness of Natura 2000 and its importance is rising, but still only 26% of the population knows what it is.

LIFE AQUAVIVA project has set an ambitious goal to turn the trend of awareness of the importance of biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems to life on the planet in Slovenia in a positive direction. Achieving this goal requires extensive, well-targeted public campaigns and innovative approaches; the project partner, the advertising company HOPA from Maribor, helped us. However, since the conservation of aquatic ecosystems and the rational exploitation of ecosystem services of the insect with the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive and integrated river basin management, which is foreseen by the project, the activities of the project have been supported by the partner Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia, which has the task of integrated management it leads to practice in river basins. Biodiversity, diversity of aquatic life, is the element that is most often ignored in water management. This attempt was made to correct the project, since it is precisely in cases of animals such as some fish species or otter that it is possible to illustrate the essence of managing the whole river basin.

An important issue that has been addressed by the LIFE AQUAVIVA project is the daily use and consumption of water. Is it more recommended and less burdensome for the environment of drinking bottled water or tap water? In what way is drinking water with preserved aquatic ecosystems? The quantity of wastewater is still increasing and the defective or even unclean stack into streams and rivers. In 2007, we were among 14 European countries in the fourth place after the consumption of water per capita. We still drink most of the toilets with drinking water …

 

Title:  LIVE WATER – FROM BIODIVERSITY TO THE TAP

Acronym: AQUAVIVA

Applicant: Lutra, Institute for Conservation of Natural Heritage

Partners:

  • HOPA, House of Printing & Advertising
  • Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia

Co-financiers:

  • European Commission
  • Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment
  • HSE Holding Slovenske elektrarne

Funding program: LIFE+

Duration: from September 2011 to August 2014

Webpage: http://aquaviva.si/

Let’s conserve the Biodiversity of Ljubljana Moors II

The Project Let’s Conserve the Biodiversity of Ljubljana Moors II is a continuation and upgrading of the project Let’s Conserve the Biodiversity of Ljubljana Moors, which was carried out in 2013. In 2014, we continued to raise public awareness of the threats posed by the invasive alien species at Ljubljana Moors. The emphasis was on the invasion of the Canada and giant Goldenrod. To raise awareness we organized lectures for primary school pupils and students and / or landowners in Moors.

We upgraded the project by establishing an advisory phone and web address through which it was possible to obtain advice and information on the identification of invasive plant species and their suppression. If there are unusual plants you do not know in your yard or garden, but you think they are non-native and invasive, send us their photo to info@lutra.si. An expert botanist will determine the plant and advise you how to remove it if it is invasive. Within the project we prepared leaflet about Goldenrod. In addition, we checked the success of removing the Goldenrod plants on the plots from project in 2013 and continued with removing on newly selected surfaces. With the help of high school students, we also carried out awareness campaigns to remove Goldenrod.

Title: Let’s Conserve the Biodiversity of the Ljubljana Moors II

Applicant: Lutra, Institute for Conservation of Natural Heritage

Co-financier: The City of Ljubljana

Duration: 2014

Let’s conserve the Biodiversity of Ljubljana Moors

During the implementation of project Let’s conserve the Biodiversity of Ljubljana Moors in year 2013 we were investigating a method for removal of two alien invasive species of goldenrod genus, Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) and giant goldenrod (S. gigantea). Both species have important impact on biodiversity, landscape, chemistry of soil etc. We were removing (digging and pulling) goldenrods with different frequency (between 3- and 6- times in vegetation period) on seven experimental plots of 10 m2 size each within the City of Ljubljana (MOL) and Ljubljana Moors Landscape Park. Density and height of goldenrod sprouts were measured on these plots along with spreading of other plant species. Results show that for total removal of goldenrods we have to implement the multiple removals. According to results the goldenrods were completely removed only on one surface. The success of removal of goldenrods will be revealed in the following growing season. The influence of removal on spreading of other species was the most obvious on plots with lower number and insignificant cover of other plants than goldenrod present already.
In the framework of the project we carried out several actions of removing goldenrod with volunteers and secondary school students of Biotechnical Educational Centre Ljubljana. Thus in September we removed goldenrod and other invasive alien species on two areas within the Ljubljansko barje Nature Park with joint area size of more than 600 m2. Furthermore numerous lectures were carried out in primary and secondary schools within MOL. With lectures we were educating and raising awareness on the problem of invasive alien species, their impacts on biodiversity and of other threats. By publishing articles in several publications and websites, the problem of alien goldenrods was presented in media. Project description and course were published on Lutra Institute’s website.

Title: Let’s conserve the Biodiversity of Ljubljana Moors

Applicant: Lutra, Institute for Conservation of Natural Heritage

Co-financer: The City of Ljubljana

Duration: 2013

Sava connects

In the year 2014, the Parliament of Youth – the meeting of secondary schoolboys and schoolgirls from the countries in the area of Sava River Basin took place in Ljubljana. For the third time, the meeting was organized by the International Sava River Basin Commission, first time in Slovenia. LUTRA, Institute for Conservation of Natural Heritage with its project Sava povezuje – Sava Connects has complemented the programme of Parliament of Youth with several activities: with the orientation walk “Get to know Ljubljana and the River Ljubljanica”, with the debate “Power in the word – for the River Sava”, with the guided visit of the exhibition “Live treasures of our waters” placed in the Jakopič’ Promenade in Ljubljana and with an information stand “Biodiversity of the River Sava”. Some of the activities took place on the Day of Sava (1st of June 2014), the rest on 19th and 20th of September 2014.

In 4 days, the stand “Biodiversity of the River Sava” was visited by more than 600 visitors, including the secondary schoolchildren from Slovenia taking part in the Parliament of Youth. 39 secondary schoolchildren from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, with their attendants, participated in the orientation walk and in the debate. Because of the international event, the communication language of the activities was English.

 

Title: Sava connects

Applicant: Lutra, Institute for Conservation of Natural Heritage

Co-financier: The City of Ljubljana

Duration: 30.-31.  May 2014, 19.-20. September 2014

 

Merman in School (1, 2, 3)

MERMAN IN SCHOOL (2011)

Children in urban areas are with the growth of information technology even more disaffected from nature. In the educational process in schools, we miss genuine contact with nature, experiential learning, which contributes to the unforgettable experience and testing of theoretical knowledge about natural processes. This is the only way we will educate responsible individuals with a high ecological awareness that will strive for sustainable development at all levels of life.

Conservation of inland water is crucial not only for the preservation of biodiversity but also for the protection of drinking water (quality and quantity), without which our life is difficult to imagine. The responsibility of each individual for the aquatic environment is an important factor in achieving the objectives of water protection. Through this project we wanted children to learn about the aquatic environment in their city and to learn about dangers and threats that man is causing to environment. Year 2011 was also the year of forests. We informed children about the biodiversity of forests and their protective function at all levels, especially water protection.We used innovative approaches for experiential learning in nature by presenting differences between inadequate and appropriate environment (forest, cultural landscape) and water management.

 

MERMAN IN SCHOOL 2 (2012)

In 2012 we decided to continue with successful implementation of the project Merman in School. Workshops were organized in various elementary schools in Ljubljana, where we learned about the biodiversity of inland waters. Special attention was paid to: more careful handling of water resources from sources to entire river basin; water conservation – for sources of drinking water and water ecosystems with typical flora and fauna (otter as a charismatic animal species, a predator at the top of the food chain); sustainabl regulation of surface waters as a preferred way of water management.
Our aim was to achieve a better understanding of the processes in the natural aquatic environment and knowledge about biotic diversity of the domestic aquatic environment and constant care for it.

 

MERMAN IN SCHOOL 3 (2013)

We continued with the activities that we successfully implemented with the help of the City of Ljubljana in elementary schools already in 2011 and 2012. In two years, we established cooperation with some elementary schools and improved workshops, with which we wanted to enrich day care and after-school supervision of pre-school and elementary children and to upgrade the knowledge they acquire in the classroom.

We wanted children and adolescents to present the diversity of life that surrounds us and plays an important role in our lives. We went to the nearby stream or to Ljubljana Moors, where children could test themselves in biological sampling methods, chemical analysis of water, look for animal traces etc. We set different challenges for students, thus encouraging independent work, research, creativity and teamwork. We conducted simple water experiments in the classrooms and checked our water footprint. We talked about how we can reduce our own consumption and pollution of water by simple everyday actions. Water and biodiversity accompanied all our activities, as  General Assembly of the United Nations declared 2005-2015 for International Decade  for Action Water for Life, year 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation and decade 2011-2020 for Decade on Biodiversity.

 

Title: Merman in School 1; Merman in School 2; Merman in School 3

Applicant: Lutra, Institute for Conservation of Natural Heritage

Co-financier: The City of Ljubljana

Duration: 2011, 2012 and 2013