We invite all interested volunteers from the area surrounding Lake Vrana Nature Park to join us for a tree-planting action in the Ornithological Reserve on Friday, 21 November 2025, starting at 9:00 AM at the Crkvine Info Centre.
The planting activity is part of our new three-year project “Restoring Wetlands: A Pathway to Biodiversity and Ecosystem Resilience.”
The aim of the project is to help address challenges related to the conservation of wetlands—known as hotspots of biodiversity—by bringing together all relevant stakeholders, taking a strategic approach to developing solutions, assessing the current state, and restoring priority wetland habitats.
One of the first project activities is to establish a green barrier along the roads, with the involvement of volunteers from the local community, in order to ensure long-term sustainability and increase awareness of the importance of wetland conservation.
The goal of the planting is to establish a green barrier between the road and the flood meadow used by birds during migration and wintering periods. Heavy traffic on the nearby road disturbs birds while feeding and resting, and the planting of a green barrier is a mitigation measure aimed at reducing this type of disturbance. A green barrier is a dense line of vegetation that visually shields the area, giving birds a greater sense of security and increasing the likelihood that they will use the habitat. The plan is to plant 100 saplings of chaste tree, poplar, elm, and mastic tree—species capable of surviving conditions in which the meadow is flooded for half of the year.
The planting action will also include a volunteer team of six participants from the European Solidarity Corps, students and teachers from secondary schools in Biograd and Gračac, as well as the Biom Association.
All those interested in taking part are welcome to join the activity and should get in touch via email: strucna.sluzba@pp-vransko-jezero.hr.
Participants are advised to bring suitable clothing for wind and possible rain, as well as rubber boots or field shoes. Tools and a shared lunch will be provided by the Public Institution.
The project “Restoring Wetlands: A Pathway to Biodiversity and Ecosystem Resilience” is valued at EUR 657,248 and is supported by the Donor’s Initiative for Mediterranean Freshwater Ecosystems (DIMFE) with a contribution of EUR 348,608. It is implemented by the Biom Association in partnership with the Public Institution Lake Vrana Nature Park from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2028, with the aim of restoring and conserving valuable wetland habitats.
