The concept of ecosystem service assessment

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What is my benefit from the meadow? This is the question we should ask if we look at the grassland from the anthropocentric or ecosystem services based perspective. Even thought, grassland ecosystem provides humans with public goods (or services) that serves people existence (e.g. water, food, CO2 absorption, pollination), it is  difficult to understand the […]

Stakeholder meetings in Estonian demo areas, January-February 2016

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January 29/ February 3, 2016 a second round of case study area meetings was held in Estonia. The meeting in Lääne county took place on January 29 and on February 3 similar meeting was held in Lääne-Saare municipality. Both meetings were targeted at local environmental, planning and development experts with the aim to introduce LIFE […]

BROCHURE about VIABLE GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT released

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The brochure “Viable grassland management – experience, challenges and opportunities” summarises the information on existing good practice and provides some recommendations for the Baltic States to overcome the challenges related to the maintenance of valuable semi-natural grasslands. The brochure has been compiled by the LIFE Viva Grass project team based on study visits to UK, Sweden, Germany, Austria, […]

Establishing an active stakeholders’ network for grassland maintenance in Lithuania, June-December 2015

Round table discussion in Pavilniai, Lithuania

Grassland maintenance in a territory requires different stakeholders to be involved in making a decision about the best possible solutions for grassland management in the concrete area. In order to make the maintenance of the grassland long lasting, all aspects (natural, socio-economic) should be taken into consideration. Trying to map the understanding of the state […]

Finding catalytic activity for nature tourism development in Nemunas delta

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Different stakeholders met in Šilutė to discuss grassland maintenance in Nemunas delta. This area is known to have a huge potential for nature tourism. Despite, something is missing to an area to become top quality nature tourism destination and to demonstrate the clear link between grassland protection and income from tourism. This something could be […]

Principles of how to improve the agri-environmental measures discussed in Lithuania, October 2015

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In October, specialists of State Service for Protected Areas, Ministry of Environment, Žuvintas Biosphere Reserve, Viešvilė State Nature Reserve and Baltic Environmental Forum Lithuania discussed the principles of how to improve one action specified in agri-environmental measure of Rural Development Programme (RDP) that deals with maintenance of specific meadows. It is planned to distinguish specific […]

Visitors are already enjoying renewed Ribiškių reserve

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September 27, 2015: Ribiškių hills were covered with people, as visitors from the capital were excited to try out the new 6km-long hiking trail. The trail was built across the territories landscaped as a part of “LIFE Viva Grass” project. The trail in Ribiškių erosive highlands area takes the visitors through exceptionally hilly, and therefore […]

Baltic study tour in Latvia-Estonia – visiting case study areas

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September 9-11, 2015: participants from the three Baltic States attended Baltic study tour in Latvia-Estonia. This study visit aimed to give a chance for partners to visit each other’s case study areas and gather experience on economically viable models for grassland management and the usage of grassland biomass. The following topics were included: meadow management […]

Socially responsible business and innovative farmers wanted for maintenance of meadows in Pavilniai regional park

Round table discussion in Pavilniai, Lithuania

By walking along new picturesque tourist route in Ribiškės reserve, intensive discussion about maintenance of grasslands took place among project team and different stakeholders in 2015 June. Participants enjoyed the results of the implemented restoration works and considered the best possible ways to keep up this beautiful landscape open. It was agreed that Regional Park […]

Attempt to inspire farmers In Dubysa regional park

Round table discussion in Dubysa, Lithuania

Farmers, authorities and nature conservationists met to discuss how to improve grassland maintenance in Dubysa regional park. Representative from the Regional Park identified the main problems of meadow abandonment. It is small land plots, miscommunication with the National Land Service and its misleading interpretation of legal acts and maintenance problems of meadows, which are located […]

Celebrating NATURA 2000 Day with an international seminar on green farming

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“Natura 2000 is one of the European Union’s outstanding achievements” – EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik On 21 May 1992, the Habitats Directive came into force. This measure, coupled with the 1979 Birds Directive, is a foundation stone of the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy and the Natura 2000 network. Biodiversity refers to the variety of life […]

Good practice of grassland management in Alpine valley

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May 4-8, 2015: project partners from three Baltic States: 6 local authority representitives from Silute district municipality (LT), Cesis municipality (LV), Lääne-Saare municipality (EE), 2 scientists from Estonian University of Life Science, 2 specialists from Dubysa Regional Park and Pavilniai and Verkiai Regional Park (LT), 4 project experts from Baltic Environmental Forum Lithuania, Baltic Environmental […]

About the project

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LIFE Viva Grass project aims to prevent loss of High Nature Value grasslands by providing the Integrating Planning Tool (Tool) and considering socio-economic factors impacting nature conservation policy. The Tool will provide models for economically viable management of grassland biodiversity that would be applicable all over the Europe and particularly in integration of marginal grasslands […]

Study visit to Unitied Kingdom – farming experience

Study visit to Unitied Kingdom - farming experience

September 29-October 3, 2014: the study visit to the Lancashire, Cumbria and Yorkshire in Northern England was organised. The main goal of the study visit was to see the grasslands ecosystem restoration and maintenance experience and various economically viable grasslands management solutions in UK. During the study visit 4 farms with several specialisations were visited. […]

The flying method for grassland monitoring

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It is an effective and yet modern grassland ecosystem assessment method. The professional aerofotogrametric system uses the color intensity spectra to assess the landscape quality and obtain high resolution airborne images, including LIDAR data and hyper-spectral images to get the actual information of vegetation character and various environmental conditions, e.g. humidity, topography, drainage systems etc. […]

Soil is speaking

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BEFORE you ever walked on earth, I stood here. After you are gone, will I remain? I have marked the years since before anyone can remember with the boom of bitterns in spring, the coming and going of cranes with the seasons. Summer after summer, the air above me has buzzed and flashed with moths […]

Study visit to Sweden

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September 22-26, 2014. Project partners went for a 4 days-long study visit to Sweden to learn how management of alvars, coastal meadows and wooded meadows is organized in Sweden; to visit well-managed grasslands in Öland and Småland and meet people managing these areas; to share experience with and introduce LIFE Viva Grass project to Kalmar […]