Ambassador profile

Organisation profile

Dry to mesic meadows, other meadow types, herb rich forests, many decayed trees.

Rekijokilaakso river valley management plan

The management plan combined information gained from questionnaires and ecological and historical research. The plan was delivered freely for all the farmers in the area and increased the number and quality of Agri-Environmental Special Support Scheme agreements in this Natura 2000 site.

Voluntary camps

The association for traditional rural landscapes has arranged some voluntary actions on the Rekijokilaakso site during previous years. Our association will mow two areas in the Rekijokilaakso in 2007. The first managed area is in Rekijoki village (Koskela pasture) and second one is in Nikkalanoja -rivulet. The same areas were already managed in previous years and we are continuing the management by mowing in the long term in order to compare the differences between the effects of mowing and grazing to the vegetation layer (grazed areas are nearby).

Mowing competition

The association for tradtional rural landscapes initiated and organised the River Valley World Championship mowing contest in the Rekijokilaakso river valley in 2004. We observed and used the format of the mowing contest in Norway Hjartdalen. The contest was a joint effort between our association, Southeast Somero village association, "Landscape Train" -management project and Interreg IIIA -project "Traditional cultures meet". This resulted in a good mixture of hands-on work, ecology, practical management and traditional culture, competitions, pulling the rope, dancing etc. A strong group of Estonians participated in the mowing and cultural happenings.

Activities and products for the communication of Natura 2000

 

✓Workshops

✓Action plan meetings

✓Guided visits

 

✓A few times a year

 

✓Yes

 

Planning and management:

Volunteers can participate every year in voluntary camps where basic restoration and annual mowing of traditional rural biotopes are carried out.

 

✓No

 

✓No

Dry to mesic meadows and wooded pastures must be managed by rotational grazing in order to enhance the biodiversity of the site. One of the most northern populations of Clouded Apollo lives on the site. Some of the areas have old-growth forest and these can be left untouched.

Finnish Agri-Environmental programmes support and give priority to sites within Natura 2000. This helps to reduce the general negative attitude towards Natura 2000.

• To increase the number of well-managed areas
• To take into account some flagship species such as the flying squirrel and Clouded Apollo
• Increase the quality of the site management
• Communicate Natura 2000
• Increase tourism and products

• Local and regional authorities
• Farmers
• Associations such as local village associations in Somero municipalities, Finnish landscape associations, nature conservation associations, and associations interested in rare species such as for example butterflies, dragonflies etc.
• Entrepreneurs

• Planning (for more information, see the following publication: Ikonen, Iiro, "An assessment of the favourable conservation status of the Rekijoki river valley habitats. Southwest Finland regional environment centre 2002." (The Finnish Environment 594.) - 123 s.)
• Farm visits
• Questionnaires

• Increased management of the site
• Several basic restoration projects
• The situation is now getting better

Several financiers - Euro 30,000

50% of total budget

15% of total budget

EAFRD (advising) (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development)