Ambassador profile

Organisation profile

• 6,792 ha
• 2,902 ha
• 11,890 ha
• 3,772 ha
• 40 ha

• SI3000274
• SI3000268
• SI5000022
• SI3000273
• SI3000138

Domestic visitors:

Kozjanski Park is part of the National Science Days Programme, which aims to provide the opportunity of on-site education for pupils and students from local and regional etablishments.

Foreign visitors come from Austria, Croatia, Italy ...

• pSCI Bohor – mountains (900-1.000 m) with meadows and forests;
• pSCI Dobrava-Jovsi – lowland, moist forests and meadows;
• SPA Kzjansko-Jovsi – lowland/hills, mosaic cultural landscape, meadow orchards;
• pSCI Orlica – mountains (800 m), beach forest;
• pSCI Putisekova polsna – hills, cave in the forest.

Kozjanski Park Management Plan

Elaboration of the (general) Management Plan of Kozjanski Park that includes management on Natura 2000 sites. The Management Plan was presented to and evaluated together with many stakeholders.

Ongoing project of meadow orchards restoration

This habitat is a vital part of the Special Protected Areas (SPA) as a living place for many Natura 2000 birds. With many ongoing activities (part of them executed and financed within the Interreg IIIA Programme) the average awareness about the significance of this habitat increased.

Life project

Mountain dry meadows management and restoration is a good example of successful stakeholder (landowners/managers) involvement. For three years this communication was rather good, however it decreased after the project finished.

Activities and products for the communication of Natura 2000

 

✓Workshops

✓Guided visits

✓Other.: as part of some project activities, such as meadow orchards restoration, Apple Festival, Day of Parks etc.

 

✓A few times a year

 

✓No

 

✓Leaflets

✓Guides / maps

 

✓General public

✓Site visitors

 

✓Yes

 

The document is called: Action plan for Natura 2000 Communication. Largely it was implemented already within the Ministerial action of training - called 'Natura 2000 communicators' in each region. Local communities were acquainted with Natura 2000 already in the preparation phase by these communicators. This document is not available on the internet.

 

✓at the site itself and at a central office

 

✓No

• Preservation of existing biodiversity
• Sustainable development
• Prevention of habitat degradation
• Executing projects

Natura 2000 covers 67% of the total protected area; it is composed of 5 Natura 2000 sites: 4 pSCI and 1 SPA. Management with Natura 2000 forests is in the hands of the Public Institute of Forestry. The management with meadow orchards and meadows is also the responsibility of the Public Institute of Agriculture. The overall responsibility of Natura 2000 sites is also divided within the Public Institute of Nature Conservation, which supervises the overall compliance with Natura 2000 provisions of a particular Natura 2000 manager.

The Management Plan of Kozjanski Park (in particular where it defines the management of Natura 2000 sites) must be in accordance (synchronized) with all these authorities.

The main objective is to assure the long-term and regular maintenance of meadow orchards.

In the past these meadows were a common component of almost every farm. Beside nourishment they also provided a very important living place for many plant and animal species. At the same time they contributed to the typical regional rural landscape. Due to very convenient abiotic conditions (climate, relief …) these orchards were widely spread but later extensively demolished.

• Landowners
• Agriculture Advisory Service
• Local NGOs
• Local government

• Rejuvenational cutting (over 6,000 trees were cut by Park’s workers free of charge for the landowners)
• Brandy and juice production workshops
• Demonstration of rejuvenational cutting of trees
• Establishment of NGO(s)
• Organizing lectures
• Organizing and carrying out the regional Apple Fair
• Completing a database (digital data collection)
• Field inquiry
• Common project (Interreg IIIA) with Advisory Service, which aimed to establish a nursing orchard, parent orchard etc. Advisory Service was the lead-partner of the project "Meadow orchards as the element of preservation of biodiversity and esthetic value of the countryside", which had as one of its aims to strengthen sustainable and nature friendly agriculture as a vital component of Natura 2000 site management.
• A regional market label was designed and copyright protected. It's called "Sozitje" (Coexistence).

The methods carried out were:

• Manual labor
• Digital data collection
• Discussions
• Presentations
• Workshops
• Demonstrations

There are no formal agreements reached between the Park and the landowners – the landowners may sell their products freely at the annual Apple Fair. There is agreement between the Park and Advisory Service within the working frame of Interreg IIIA Meadow orchard restoration project: in this agreement each action and obligation is carefully defined (nursing and parent orchard, publications, presentation, promotion and public awareness campaign …).

• Rejuvenational cutting is still ongoing, though on a smaller scale;
• Apple Fair has a standard scheme and is a very successful event each year (depending on weather), there is still no entrepreneur who would organize landowners and start with the juice and/or dry fruit production, tree nursery is very successful – many young apple trees were sold;
• Some old orchards were demolished and some new were established;
• Overall there is a better image of the traditional fruit varieties.

Within Interreg IIIA project about € 150.000. The Park also makes an investment in this project (by working hours, assistance, consulting, Public Relations…) in the range of € 10.000 annually and about € 15.000 in the annual Apple Fair.