Ambassador profile

Organisation profile

www.zrsvn.si/life

Dobrava - more than 70% is covered with extensive diluvial lowland oak-hornbeam forest, intersected by many streams with natural courses and banks.
Jovsi - an extensive flood plain - marshy and waterlogged meadows, intersected by banks of vegetation and thickets, and by solitary willows, oaks and alders.

Maintaining the wet meadow in the Jovsi

Because approximately 30% of around 500 ha wet meadow in the central part of Jovsi has already changed into young forest or is overgrown with scrubs, we sign contracts with owner (or subcontractor) of 100 ha for late mowing (after 15th July). This is important for meadow nesting bird species (Crex crex, Locustella naevia, Coturnix coturnix, Galinago galinago) and other animal species (Lycaena dispar, Bombina bombina). For two years of the project (2006, 2007) we signed contracts with 72 landowners or subcontractors after several meetings with them. We paid Euros 190.1 /ha from project money. After LIFE project similar funds for compensation will come from Slovenian Agro-Environmental Program (KOP).
In the year 2006, 98.1% of meadows were mowed (for 2007 we still do not have final results). We checked the meadows twice each year on 15th July and after 30th September. If the contactor didn't mow the meadow we hired a subcontractor.
Between August and December 2006 we visited 250 landowners to get their agreements for cleaning many years of unmowed, wet meadows. 23% of landowners area are under signed contracts and other meadow owners (50.77 ha) areas work under signed permissions to allow our subcontractor to realize cleaning. After we finalised the official public invitation for tenders and signed the contract in January, the mowing was carried out until February 2007.
Willows in Jovsi are planted to mark borders between meadows of different owners. In the past all of the willows were regularly pruned (tiny branches for vineyards, baskets, fences, longer life for willows). To conserve willows, 194 willows were pruned in Jovsi between the 3rd November 2006 and the 17th April 2007. They were pruned by three external contractors and by 34 individual landowners (Euros 85 /willow).

Purchase of old trees and trees with hollows in the Dobrava forest

Dobrava forest, one of only two large areas of lowland flood forests in south-eastern Slovenia is important because of the large population of Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopus medius (also Ciconia nigra, Strix uralensis, tree beetles, amphibians). Old trees (with nesting hollows) are scarce - mostly because they are cut down for market. With Regional Forest Service (RFS, our partner) we find suitable oak trees with hollows or those old enough to support black stork's nest. Then we find owners and try to sign contracts with them. For Euros 170 /tree, owners do not cut down certain trees during the next 10 years and RFS includes those trees in the next changes and supplements of the forestry plan.

Improvement of hydrological conditions in the Jovsi

Jovsi is part of the Sotla river basin. Through management of the water level, the wet meadows (Molinia and lowland hay meadows, humid tall herbs fringed of watercourses, moist or wet eutrophic grasslands and oligotrophic humid grasslands) will be preserved, cut regularly and will be able to spread to its original size (size before hydro-ameliorations on Sotla river). The breeding habitats of grassland birds will be ensured. Partner - Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia make a detailed study of the hydro-geographic conditions and technical documentation. All work was done in winter time (birds are on migration, amphibians and reptilians are hibernating). Riverbed of Šica brook was cleaned and two wooden dams were built. Dams provide high level of water through spring and early summer and a lower level in late summer to provide mowing.
Before action could begin we acquired agreements from more than 350 landowners, most of them through personal visits to their homes.
The Local Community of Kapele has committed itself to taking care of the dams and their management after LIFE project.

Activities and products for the communication of Natura 2000

 

✓Workshops

✓Exhibition

✓Guided visits

✓Other: Information centre

 

✓A few times per year

 

✓No

 

✓Leaflets

✓Other: Movie

 

✓General public

✓Other site managers

✓Local community

✓Site visitors

✓Other: School pupils

 

✓Yes

• Project for education of communicators: Communication support for Natura 2000 (Komunikacijska podpora Naturi 2000), not available on website;
• Many appointments with land-owners, contactors in actions, project partners, local authorities, schools, tourist workers;
• Meetings with stakeholders when little problems or ideas appears;
• Organization of events in information centre (presentation of centre, results of activities,…);
• Press conferences at the end of some activities;
• Events for local in project involved (and other) people.
  

 

✓At the central office and at the site itself

 

✓Yes

• The Local community of Kapele - Preliminary analysis of land ownership, and investigation of their willingness to participate in active management; preparing management agreements with landowners. Most of the communication with local people was carried out through them.
• Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia - Make a detailed study of the hydro-geographic conditions and technical documentation. Support given for the expert knowledge needed about hydrological conditions in area. Also give us expert overview about quality of work carried out.
• Slovenia Forest Service, Regional Forest Service - Active participation in a working group for the preparation of "Guidelines for the preparation of management plans for Natura 2000 sites in Slovenia", identifying possible ways to incorporate the management for Natura 2000 sites into existing statutory branch administrative and management plans; district foresters from regional FS search for suitable trees and communicate with owners; active participation in lectures and workshops.
• Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia - Active participation in a working group which identify all possible ways to incorporate management for Natura 2000 sites into existing statutory branch administrative and management plans. Also active participation in lectures and workshops.

Long-term maintenance of habitat for Corncrake and Middle Spotted Woodpecker.

Natura 2000 is integrated through Forest Management Plans (each for 10 years) and Slovenian Agro-Environmental Program (SKOP).

Suitable habitats for grass nesting and tree-hole nesting birds decreased due to the abandonment of the traditional way of farming in the countryside.

• Landowners of meadows and forest,
• Local community of Kapele and Dobova,
• Slovenia Forest Service,
• Regional Forest Service,
• Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia,
• Local Primary schools.

• Information centre was built,
• 100 old oaks with holes will not be cut down in next 10 years,
• Mowing and cleaning of wet meadows (165ha), which were not mowed for many years, was financed.

We also financially support the following:

• Pruning of border willows,
• New bird watching tower,
• 20 minutes long movie about life in site,
• Several boards, brochures and pamphlets,
• Monitoring of two main bird species were done,
• Several workshops & presentations were made,
• Press conferences,
• Articles in local and other newspapers,
• Presentations in international meetings…

• Local population know much more why the area is Natura 2000 site, they are more proud because some rare and endangered species live in their neighbourhood.
• Natura 2000 is integrated through Forest Management Plans and Slovenian Agro-Environmental Program (SKOP).
• Water conditions in Jovsi could be managed in the way that endangered species and farmers could live in symbiosis.

Most of activities are already finished. Our main attention is to provide "life after LIFE".

The whole LIFE project in Jovsi area cost Euros 420,000.

Most of our work is determinated by law, but we are also actively cooperating in numerous nature-conservancy activities as well as in a most diverse project associated with nature conservation. So whole budget goes to that purpose.

No numbers available

LIFE funds (Life)