PROJEKT: Conservation of endemic species and dry grassland habitats in the contact zone of Pannonian and Alpine bioregions
Our project LIFE Endemic Panalp, aimed at the protection of several endemic species and habitats of dry grasslands, has recently moved into the second half. So, what did we achieve during the first one? First of all, in the Strážovské vrchy, Považské Inovec, Malé and Biely Karpaty, we restored a total of more than 80 hectares of flowering hillsides! They were overgrown with invasive trees or non-native pines and ash trees for decades. In cooperation with local farmers, we returned traditional grazing to 85 hectares of these rare habitats. In addition, other farmers were directly inspired by our work and, with our little help, expanded their pastures by dozens of hectares of neglected areas. Moreover, we organized a number of volunteer events, excursions for the professional and lay public, published dozens of media outputs, carried out natural science monitoring and many other activities. We were fully convinced that our work has benefits for nature in the past weeks, when the restored slopes bloomed with a huge number of herbs. At some locations, it was possible to record some of them for the first time! On a most recently cleared area near Závada, for example, a cooperating farmer, Mrs. Bajzíková, discovered a rare pyramidal orchid. It was not known from this area until now. The occurrence of orchids, which can be counted here in the hundreds, we have also adjusted the care here together. Goats and sheep grazed above Závada all winter, and together with a pair of donkeys, they returned here only a few days ago, when the last orchids began to bloom. In the past, when animals grazed on hundreds of hectares, there would be no need to deal with such “details”. Today, however, targeted care is very beneficial on the remaining diverse pastures. Similar to the pyramidal orchid near Závada, we were also positively surprised by the discovery of the Ophyrs holubyana near Dobrá Voda village in the Little Carpathians, which has not been documented here so far. It was also on a freshly cleared area where a herd of cattle and goats will graze in cooperation with local farmer. Just a few kilometers further, near Prašník village, we allowed more light to dozens of no less rare three-toothed orchid by removing non-native pine trees.

However, not only orchids benefit from our activity. In recent years, we have focused, among other things, on the restoration of the meadows behind the Vršatské bradlá. These are one of the few locations in the world where the endemic Tephroseris longifolia moravica is found. In recent years, the employees of the PLA Administration counted both flowering and sterile individuals in units of up to tens of pieces, but this year it was in the order of hundreds again! In addition to the suitable weather, this can also be attributed to the fencing of flowering individuals from animals, which is also part of our project. But we are even more pleased that endemic plants appear here even in places that we cleared from air raids only last year and the year before.

We thank all cooperating local farmers, field workers and land owners for all the support and help in the work on the LIFE Endemic PANALP project so far, without which the restoration of the flowering hillsides would not be possible!