Our land is beginning to flourish – we are restoring meadows using regional seed mixtures
The long-standing efforts of the Czech Union for Nature Conservation (ČSOP) and other organizations to halt the decline of biodiversity in grasslands are beginning to bear fruit. We are gradually expanding the restoration of traditional, flower-rich meadows using nature-friendly methods throughout the Czech Republic. Well-preserved flower-rich meadows are being sought out in individual regions. Seeds from these meadows are used to establish new meadows in the surrounding area, either in the form of certified regional meadow seed mixtures or by direct sowing of the sites. Education is an integral part of the Flowering Meadow Restoration program.
The ČSOP has been addressing the issue of biodiversity loss in grasslands for many years and is working to combat this situation. The first pioneers in this field were members of the ZO ČSOP Bílé Karpaty, who created a regional seed mixture for the White Carpathians – i.e., seeds containing only native, locally collected plant seeds. With its help, they have sown hundreds of hectares of land over the years.
However, the White Carpathians are not the only area where ČSOP is working on meadow restoration. For example, the Hády Land Trust, a branch of the Czech Union for Nature Conservation, is currently part of the BESTbelt project funded by the European Union, in which it is working with the Podyjí National Park administration to restore vegetation on the site of felled acacia trees using seeds collected by brush collectors in the Havranice heath.
The Šumava branch of the ČSOP is also further developing its regional mixture. It obtains seeds both by collecting them using hand-operated machines and by growing target species in so-called mother stands or nurseries. It is trying to professionalize production and obtain official certification for the seeds.
In addition, smaller one-off sowings are also taking place. In protected areas, for example, under the auspices of the Hády Land Trust, an experimental collection of various species of sedges took place in the peat meadows of the protected area in Lisovy. The collected material will be used exclusively for the restoration of other areas within the same territory, and this is probably the first such attempt in our country in this type of vegetation. On the contrary, in the city, regional seeds can be suitably combined with areas of annuals, as was successfully done in Prague's Stodůlky in the Lidl company's premises.
ČSOP also organizes thematic events for the public. On Tuesday, August 26, 2025, starting at 9:30 a.m., a seminar will be held in Vimperk at the Zlatá Hvězda hotel, including a practical demonstration of the machines. This will be followed by a workshop in Prague at SOŠ Jarov on September 9, 2025, starting at 10:00 a.m. In addition to the machines, participants will also be able to see a mother bed at the workshop.
As part of the program to restore traditional meadows, ČSOP has created and continues to expand a database of meadow areas, which is available at louky.cz. Anyone interested in restoring meadows throughout the country can contact ČSOP to arrange for suitable seeds for their area. The website also provides additional information on how to care for our meadows.
Contact: Tereza Flečková, ČSOP, tereza.fleckova@csop.cz, 603 387 734
Photos free to use: https://eu.zonerama.com/CSOP/Album/13633495
Note: This press release reflects the views of the authors only and cannot be considered an official position of the European Union.