Project pilot areas
Overview of the implemented activities
The institute of the Republic of Slovenia for nature conservation (leading partner) in collaboration with other project partners, local and national stakeholders and external contractors has successfully implemented all the forseen hydrological activities on Gornji kal pilot area (PA) in November 2013.
The main feature of the Gornji kal pilot area are three ponds which are surrounded with arable land, pastures and other areas. The main objective of the project on Gornji kal PA is to improve the state of the habitat of our only native turtle species, European pond terrapin (Emys orbicularis). We can divide project activities on Gornji kal PA into four groups:
HYDROLOGICAL ACTIVITIES
• Slovenia forest service, Adlešiči Regional unit, has professionaly marked the trees to be cut by the external contractor.
• After the removal of the vegetation, the Institute for water of the republic of Slovenia carried out the initial geodetic measurements of all three ponds with direct hinterland.
• At Kršeljivec pond we carried out ground probing which discovered the unknown structure of the layers underneath the surface.
• The Institute for water of the republic of Slovenia (also the project partner) produced the geodetic project for the renaturation of all three ponds.
• Based on the geodetic project we obtained Water permit, Nature conservation permit and consensus from the land owners for hydrological works and consensus from the Municipality of Črnomelj and Local community for depositing natural materials on the landfill near the Kršeljivec pond.
• At the end of 2012 we published a public tender for selection of the contractor for hydrological works on all three ponds. We signed a contract with selected contractor and its subcontractor.
• Based on the geodetic project we implemented following activities:
- At the Gornji kal pond we arranged the existing pond banks in a more suitable way for pond terrapin. Arrangements included creation of gentle banks, islands, shallow waters and diverse coasline. Tree logs which we put on all three ponds on the transition from banks into water are used by the pond terrapin for basking. We tried to design the visitors' infrastructure in a sustainable way. In communication with the fisheries sector we restricted fishing to the western part of the Gornji kal pond only.
- Hydrological activities at Krivače pond included enlargement of water surface, creation of gentle banks, island and sandy nesting area for pond terrapin. We are negotiating the possibilities of a long-term sustainable management of the pond hinterland with a local peasant in the form of sheep grazing.
- Kršeljivec pond was practically made from scratch – the area was completely overgrown and there was also some waste in the former basin of the pond. Today one can admire one of the biggest ponds in Bela krajina region, which, besides its size, is interesting also because of diverse habitat, an island, peninsula and nesting area.
In the middle of November 2013 we organized the event with all the participants in the procedure in order to perform a handover of implemented action on the field. We found that the activities were implemented with very good quality and with a fine sense of nature. With this event we completed an importand phase of the project on Gornji kal PA.
COMMUNICATION
The largest share of our effort was put in communication. It was comprised of internal (within the project team at IRSNC) and external communication (with project partners, the Municipality of Črnomelj, the local community, villagers, schools...).
• Involvement of local organizations and stakeholders is crucial to support the implementation of the project. With this goal we regularly organized meetings with representatives of the Municipality of Črnomelj where we regularly presented both, implemented and planned activities. We also resolved any dilemma.
• We also carried out intensive communication in the form of workshops with project partners, stakeholders, local community, villagers. We were constantly available to all the stakeholders for any clarifications regarding our activities.
• We have to mention the communication with Črnomelj fishing society. We communicated in terms of allowing the fishing only in the western part of the pond and we also noticed them about the beginning of hydrological activities. Our cooperation is marked by the organization of the annual removal of non-native species of fish from the Gornji kal pond (European pond terrapin is threatened in the early stages of life by certain species of fish that need to be removed from the pond). To this end, we have organized three events of removing non-native fish species from Gornji kal pond (2011, 2012 and 2013). The event is carried out at the end of summer in collaboration with Črnomelj fishing society and the Fisheries Research Institute of Slovenia. Campaign, which is very successful especially from the communication point of view, is organized with the aim of improving living conditions for the turtle pond terrapin, for which mainly catfish and pike present a significant threat in the early stages of life.
• We carried out intensive communication with elementary and secundary schools in Bela krajina region. We organized lectures and workshops on wetlands which were very well visited. Students also helped us carry the amphibians over the local road (annual nature conservation action IRSNC carries out).
• Throughout the project implementation we are monitoring similar projects in Slovenia and abroad and we also work intensively on experience exchange.
• Our communication activities also include the presentation of the project on the field, which we carried out in the context of Župančič trail walk. The path led past Kršeljivec pond, where we presented photographs of the former state of the pond area and offered hikers promotional material (leaflets, postcards, info sheet). One of the participants of the walk informed us of discovery of pond terrapin in the neighboring village, which has no surface water. More on that in the next paragraph.
RESEARCH
• Professionals of Centre for cartography of fauna and flora carried out the initial survey on the state of the pond terrapin population in all three ponds. After the implementation of hydrological activities the survey will be done once more and through the data we will be able to evaluate the effects of our actions on the field.
• IRSNC annually organizes the carrying of the amphibians across the local road near Gornji kal pond. WETMAN project is involved in the event with communication and lectures. Throughout the project we monitor abundance and subspecies proportions of the amphibians moving in and out of the pond.
• Initial monitoring survey of the pond terrapin population indicated that only two adult specimen of the species live at Krivače pond. To improve the chances of long-term survival of this isolated subpopulation we moved one female from the surrounding wetlands in the Krivače pond, with the permit from the Environmental agency of Slovenia.
• Only one month after the movement we were told about one more female in the nearby village. After consulting with the reptiles specialists we marked her and moved her in the Krivače pond the same day.
• Nobody really knew anything about how Gornji kal looks like under the water surface. In order to find that out and to get some idea of possible life underwater and bottom structure, two divers researched Gornji kal. Despite freezing water and ice on surface this was the ideal time for survey due to low intensity of natural processes. Thanks to the divers we got some useful information which could help us plan our activities in this area in the future.
• The Fisheries Research Institute of Slovenia (a project partner) carried out sampling of the fish species structure in Gornji kal using different techniques.
PRESENTATION OF THE AREA
Since the Gornji kal pilot area is relatively unknown on the regional and national scale we try to promote it as much as possible. To back us up we asked the locals to provide us with some useful and interesting information about the ponds.
• We participated in creating project promotion material (info-sheet, leaflets, brochure, posters) related to the pilot area(s).
• In order to educate and alert the general public we put up info-boards at each pond in 2013. European pond terrapin is in the center of attention and the visitors also get some interesting information about pond creation and their (former) use.
• IRSNC as a leading partner has the privilege to organize partnership event each year. In 2013 we organized it in Bela krajina region. The main goal was to present the Gornji kal pilot area to all project partners and stakeholders. In addition, such events contribute to better relationship and understanding of all the people involved in this project.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Despite having done a lot of things we still have some activities in plan:
• monitoring of the pond terrapin population state in Krivače pond;
• monitoring of the effect of implemented actions in terms of suitability for pond terrapin;
• official opening of the renovated ponds in spring/summer 2014;
• sustainable management of Krivače and Kršeljivec ponds hinterland;
• constant removal of the non-native species of fish from Gornji kal in collaboration with Črnomelj fishing society;
• monitoring of the water level at all three ponds with the aim of better understanding of the local hydrological conditions;
• mowing of the rushes in southeast part of the Gornji kal pond (when necessary).
