AquaConSoil 2023 - Travel Carbon Footprint offset

The problems of our countryside are probably well known to most of us and can be observed at almost every turn. Insufficient water retention in the landscape, large, monotonous and lifeless fields, sprawling development, ever more traffic... places for healthy nature are becoming fewer and fewer.

Even more threats are being added that unfortunately directly affect CSO bird parks. The growing of fast-growing poplars and Christmas trees, the construction of solar power plants, the building of high-production ponds, or land speculation. There is increasing pressure for more land to expand the bird parks and we are in a race against time.

LET'S BUILD TOGETHER AN AREA WHERE NATURE AND BIRD CONSERVATION IS AT THE FIRST PLACE!
In bird parks, we not only buy up land, but also manage it in a sustainable way so that birds and other animals and plants can live there. So we mow and graze wet meadows, cut back woody debris and invasive plants, build pools and islands, and prepare and protect suitable nesting sites. But we are also building bird observatories and hides  so that the birds can be observed safely and easily.


The entire network of bird parks is presented to you in this beautiful video (recommended to watch with sound):

WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON EXPANDING THE FOLLOWING BIRD SANCTUARIES - WILL YOU JOIN US?

BRAND NEW BIRD PARK STŘIMICKÁ VÝSYPKA NEAR MOST

The largest bird park of 251 hectares was created near the town of Most. It is a place that was mercilessly destroyed by lignite mining in the 1950s. The site has been gradually reclaimed, but without regard for the original habitats and without regard for nature. The Střimice tip will be the largest bird park in the Czech Republic, with predominantly forested areas, where landscape restoration will take place. It will create a species-rich area with light oak-hickory forests, meadows, wetlands, reedbeds and a restored orchard.

On the Střimická výsypka:

BIRD PARK RZY NEAR PARDUBICE

In this ornithologically unique locality we have established the sixth CSO bird park. However, we are playing for time. Our rivals are mainly natural succession, when the site is overgrown with trees, the wetland is drying up and gradually becoming grounded. Water quality and food quantity are also declining and reeds are spreading. This reduces the habitat suitable for many wetland and grassland bird species. The former large colonies of gulls and black-backed gulls have disappeared from the site.

During the winter and spring we bought up approximately 5 ha of land here, some directly within the wetland.

Because only on land owned by us can we together create another bird paradise. Moreover, it will is the first bird park with a larger, permanent water area.


THE BIRD PARK ZBUDOVSKÁ BLATA NEAR ČESKÉ BUDĚJOVICE

We have bought 11 ha of land for the fifth CSO bird park in South Bohemia. This is the legendary ornithological site Zbudovská blata. These 11 hectares of land  will be the building block for a new bird paradise. Part of it is beautiful wet meadows, part of it is wetland suitable for creating pools and part of it is arable land, which we exchanged for land in the bird park's area of interest.
Here we plan to return water to the landscape by removing land reclamation and creating pools, and in time to introduce grazing and thus create conditions for the rarest species of waders - especially the Black-tailed Godwit and the Eurasian Curlew.

Thanks to the Christmas appeal and the generosity of donors, we were able to expand the bird park by another 1.7 hectares of land. Part of it is located near the nature reserve Mokřiny u Vomáčků and is connected to the land we own. The other plots we have bought are towards Dívčice and are also connected to the land we own. With this purchase we have increased the area we will be able to manage for the benefit of the birds.

BIRD PARK OF KOSTELISKA NEAR DUBŇANY

The extensive wetland locality of Kosteliska is situated in the Hodonín region in the floodplain of the Kyjovka River in the immediate vicinity of the ornithologically attractive Mutěnice Ponds. The lands here are owned by the CSO together with its South Moravian branch and we have other lands in the management of the town of Dubňany and the Biological Centre of the CAS. We are negotiating about other land.

The meadows are maintained by mowing, sheep and goats graze here. In March 2022, thanks to amazing donor support, we acquired four Hungarian steppe cattle cows to help with invasive plant removal. That same year, our herd grew by 2 young additions. Kosteliska are already home to Common Redshank, the Little Bittern, the Eurasien Bittern, the Black-winged Stilt, the Pied Avoced, the Spoted Crake and the Northern Shoveler. In addition, the grazing of Hungarian cattle has also attracted Eurasian Hoopoes. In 2022, the Short-toed Snake-Eagle became the park's sensation.
Many other species can be observed during the migration in Kosteliska, such as Ospray, White-fronted Goose, Northern Pintail or Eurasian Wigeon. 202 species of birds, 563 species of beetles (10 protected and 99 on the Red List) have been observed here.
In 2021, we partially saved a beautiful field spillway full of life with our buyouts. A pasture called Galilouka has been created, as well as new pools to serve both birds and amphibians.
We are also thinking of visitors - we have already built 2 observation posts, we have built trails, we are planning educational signs and resting places, we are organizing excursions not only for schools.

Thanks to the generosity of donors, we have already managed to acquire full ownership of the land we co-own. These are sandhills, which is a very unique biotope with specific plants and animals. We have also bought one smaller key piece of land, which is located by the Šardický Brook.

The site is under the care of the South Moravian branch of the CSO in cooperation with the CSO office.

BIRD PARK JOSEFOVSKÉ MEADOWS NEAR JAROMĚŘ

The bird park, already well known to most bird lovers, is situated in the floodplain of the Metuje River. So far we have acquired 60 ha of meadows into private ownership, repaired the old irrigation system and flood the meadows twice a year. We have built many smaller pools and also two large pools - the Slavíkovský ptačník and the Centrální ptačník, which occupies an area of 4 ha. Wild horses and, since autumn 2020, prairie Aurochs have been helping us with management.
So far, we have recorded 195 bird species in the bird park, with 4 species of Crakes, Garganey Ducks, Common Cranes, Northern Lapwings, Common Snipes or Common Redshank attempting to nest. Every year we organise several public events and a number of school excursions.
In 2019, the bird park won the Sympathy Award in the nationally voted Adapterra Awards for the best climate change adaptation project.
Following the completion of the Centrální ptačník (pond), we are looking to expand the Slavíkovský ptačník (pond), we are also expanding the pastures especially in the eastern part of the park where we will be adding more horses. We want to create a habitat for the Common Redshank in particular.
We have built trails around the whole park and are negotiating permission for the construction of observation posts and the purchase of additional land.

After a long time, thanks to the generosity of donors, we managed to expand our oldest bird park by 1.1 hectares. Part of the land is the only place where you can get a "dry foot" to the land we own, where the horses graze. Another portion of the land includes part of the historic irrigation system.

MNIŠSKÉ MEADOWS BIRD PARK NEAR ČESKÁ LÍPA

In the floodplain of the Ploučnice River we found a magical place for the creation of another CSO reserve. Waterlogged meadows dotted with remnants of the old riverbed. Already now the Garganey Duck, the Gadwall and Common Cranes nest here. Also Common Kingfisher, the Green Sandpiper, the Red Kite, the European Honey Buzzard and the Bluetroath bird can be spotted here. Altogether, 141 bird species have been recorded here. At theland owned by CSO, we created the first large 3000 m2 pool with gently sloping banks on the site of the original dead-end of the Ploučnice River in late 2021, which welcomed the Northern Lapwings and Common Snipes in the spring, which have not been here for years. Every year we organize volunteer work and several events for the public.
Thanks to massive donor support, we have already bought 25 hectares of land and are negotiating for more. On Friday 8 December 2023 we brought new helpers to Monks Meadows in the form of 5 Exmoor pony mares. They will help us to graze expansive plant species and woody weeds. They are semi-wild horses whose hooves create ideal conditions for waders and as they receive no medication, their droppings are a rich source of food for birds.
We ask all visitors not to feed the horses and to keep their dogs on a lead. THANK YOU!

There was a major flood in the park in late 2023 when almost all the horse grazing was flooded, so it will be crucial to buy up additional land this year to provide replacement place for the Exmoor horses during the flood. We are also preparing to replace nearly 5 hectares of largely unused areas of tailings and land with dead-ends of the River Ploučnice.

As of March 2024, we have a newborn foal that is the first foal born in the park.

MALÁ LIPOVÁ NEAR PŘEROV

A small sandpit near Přerov is home to a colony of the European Bee-eater that need to renew their nesting wall from time to time. In the summer of 2021, approximately 600 pairs of Sand Martins joined the site as well. Last year, more than 20 pairs of nesting European Bee-eaters occupied the sandbar. Although it is a relatively small area surrounded by intensively farmed land, more than 60 species of birds have been observed here. Rare orchids such as the Military Orchid, the Yellow Bluestem grass, and the very rare sand spider were also found here.

The original owner, the town of Přerov, signed a purchase agreement for 1.68 ha of key land in early April 2021 for a total amount of CZK 130,000 and on 28 May 2021 the sandpit was attributed to the CSO! We are still negotiating the purchase of the remaining land from the private owners.
The CSO reservation here is very much aimed at the public. We want to build a bird observation area, photo shelter, rest area and educational signs. Eventually, there will be guided tours, but in a way that disturbs the Bee - eaters as little as possible.
The reserve is managed by the Moravian Ornithological Society - the Central Moravian branch of the CSO, in cooperation with the CSO office.

Also in this bird reservation, we are in the process of buying a small piece of land of 0.15 hectares, which is already among the land we own.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US CREATE NEW HOMES FOR BIRDS!