Ensuring appropriate use of Karst grasslands and rocky cliffs for the conservation of selected habitat types and species in Natura 2000 network – the Karst, also known as For Karst is a project aiming to improve the conservation status of habitat types and species of European importance in the Natura 2000 area of Karst. The project consists of a series of nature conservation measures aiming to improve the conservation status of three most endangered habitat types, which will help conserve 27 endangered animal and plant species in the Natura 2000 – Karst. The project area stretches across the Karst, from Hrastovlje on the southern edge of Karst all the way to Štanjel on the northern edge of Karst.
The main project activities include:
- Improve the conservation status of selected habitats and animal and plant species by setting up quiet zones and protection areas with a stricter protection regime in the rocky cliffs of Karst.
- Improve the conservation status of the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bobo bobo) by providing management practices such as guarding and protecting individual nest sites and providing insulation of power poles of medium-voltage power lines to reduce the number of aviary electrocution cases.
- Improve the conservation status of selected habitat types and plant and animal species by promoting appropriate land use practices in Karst grasslands.
- Improving the conservation status of the cave beetle leptodirus (Leptodirus hochenwartii) by putting in place cave protection measures – protection from wastewater leakage, removing of garbage from caves, cleaning up of caves, closing of caves.
- Improving the conservation status of the yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata) and of the Italian crested newt (Triturus carnifex) by setting up green corridors to facilitate the passage of amphibians and by restoring and maintaining karstic ponds.
- Information and communication campaign aiming to raise public awareness of the importance of Natura 2000 areas and of the need to protect nature.
Beneficiary: Škocjan Caves Park Public Service Agency and partners |
Programme: Operational Programme for the Implementation of the European Cohesion Policy in the Period 2014-2020 |
Fund: European Regional Development Fund |
Total project funding: EUR 3,189,527.95 |
EU contribution: EUR 2,551,622.36 |
PHOTO: projekt
More about the project (in Slovenian)