So that the municipality is not only for citizens

Improvements and maintenance of public green spaces for citizens and nature

What you will learn here

  • How to care for municipal areas so that they are not a green desert, but a home for bumblebees, pollinators, insects and other animals
  • We will guide you on the appropriate methodology for caring for grasslands and flowering meadows
  • We will show interesting examples as proof that it is not that difficult
  • We will show you how individual regions/districts/cities are
  • We will give you the opportunity to participate in the beautification of your cities and towns 

Last updated: 11/3/2021

flowery meadow from the edge of June

A flowery meadow in your own garden can be a good example for the community that it can be done and it's not that difficult
Photo by K. Kučera

Contents

Introduction

Most of you know how important food supply and nesting opportunities .

In municipalities, there are many public areas that are maintained to be “pretty” . In practice, this means a green area without flowers, represented by a “well-maintained” lawn. To make it not just green, the municipality provides flower beds/shrubs .
Everything is taken care of by people who force nature to approach the human ideal of beauty . In municipalities, this is done by technical services or hired companies that are mostly motivated by getting the job done. They often work according to a fixed schedule, budget and regardless of the weather. Such services/companies logically do not respect what nature needs/can tolerate at a given moment .
And so they sow, plant, sprinkle, mulch, fertilize, spray with chemicals and all this over and over again, repeatedly throughout the season. The results are often dismal .

The current "care" of green areas has a number of flaws . All this "fun" costs a lot of money, which the municipality spends on it. But it is mainly a Sisyphean task, because as we know, the grass grows, so it is constantly mowed to keep it "short". This often happens in places where people do not enter the grass and tall growth would not bother anyone.
As soon as the grass is cut short, it has to be watered, moisture is not retained in it and the sun and wind dry it out.
Then dandelions, daisies and other "weeds" get into the green area again, so it is time for chemicals. The areas treated with chemicals need to be raked, watered and then run over with a mower again, and it all starts over again.

This work never ends and the money keeps flowing in. Summer will decimate the grass cut to the point of a hedgehog and the councillors will have to throw more money into the budget for technical services to "make it look like something".

What is wrong?

  • That we won't encounter bumblebees, bees, butterflies and other animals a short-cut lawn .
  • That a lawn cut too short dries out easily and, if not watered, dries out and is subject to erosion - both water and wind.
  • So we are once again "commanding the wind to rain" and turning municipal areas into a lifeless green desert .
  • That we only think about doing everything "our way" and we are displacing nature from places where it can bring us joy and delight the eye and soul.
  • That such lawn care costs unnecessary money and does not help nature.

Is this what we want in our communities and what we want to see? Are we really only satisfied with what we have in our own garden and are we no longer interested in what is behind the fence?

What can be done to ensure that the municipality is not just for citizens, but also a piece of living nature?

Yes, it is possible and good examples abound. 

 

Bumblebees PLUS - Municipal Grassland Models

Municipal grassland models

Times are changing 

Times are changing and some cities and municipalities have realized that things can be done differently.

  • Municipalities have changed their approach to maintaining grasslands in public areas.
  • They let the grass grow, cut it in sections, allow the meadow flowers to return. The grassland becomes a flowering meadow .
  • They respect the vegetation cycles of plants and let them reproduce naturally.
  • They also respect pollinators , who feed and reproduce in flowering public areas.
  • They create green areas full of meadow flowers, creating flowery belts through which  insects migrate and plants native to the area spread.
  • They will explain to citizens how and in what way the care of grasslands has changed , and how this is beneficial for the municipality, citizens and nature.

There are risks associated with changing the approach to lawn care

  • Surprisingly, the change does not require large costs. You can have a blooming meadow of sown annuals in your square within a year. Preparing a permanently blooming flower meadow, without the need for constant reseeding and renewal, takes time and patience a change in mowing (we should rather talk about grassland management is enough and the herbs present will bloom as soon as they get the chance.
  • Successfully changing the grass cover in a village to a flowering meadow will bring new life to the place. However, the change should be permanent/long-term. you change your mind too soon , you will endanger the animals and plants that have already settled there.
  • If you use "exotic" mixtures of wildflowers, it may not work and there is a risk of introducing non-native or even invasive plant species. Choose proven regional seed mixtures or create your own from plants that are commonly found in your area.
  • If you buy cheap seed mixtures for a "guaranteed genuine flowering meadow" in a hypermarket , you are wasting your money. A flowering meadow needs proven quality mixtures. Stick to the motto "I am not rich enough to buy cheap things" and you will save yourself - money and disappointment.
  • Mixtures prepared for other landscapes and soils may not work as well as you would like. Choose according to the location and type of soil where you want to use it.
  • If you don't know how to choose, don't experiment. Plan and consult with experts, naturalists or producers who prepare the mixtures themselves. You can get an idea of ​​how far they have gone in the matter from their websites. Want to see references with your own eyes in advance or ask where they have already succeeded.
  • Unclear ideas and expectations are also a risk . If you actively care for and renew your meadow every year, it can be very rich (annuals). If you just help nature and let the herbs growing in your area bloom, the blooming meadow may initially be less rich in flowers, and some wildflowers such as cornflowers, poppies and daisies will probably be missing. But your meadow will eventually require less care and will be a real nature. Seed producers also think about this and therefore often combine their mixtures to contain seeds of both annuals and perennial herbs. The meadow changes before your eyes year after year as it returns to its natural form.
  • a blooming meadow by buying a bag of seeds and just sprinkling them on the grass. There is always some work involved in preparation and maintenance, depending on the type of meadow you have chosen.
  • It is necessary to deal with the concerns of those who are afraid of ticks and plant seed raids . It is necessary to explain to them that the municipal area is not primarily prepared for their sunbathing blanket. The grass area must be adjusted according to the role it will fulfill. Consider whether your meadow will serve pollinators, citizens for relaxation and sunbathing, for sports purposes. This can be solved by compromising and combining grass cover. It is also possible to create islands with taller vegetation or, conversely, cut a strip around the benches.
  • Other concerns arise on the part of allergy sufferers . Pollen is carried by the wind over long distances. But mowing the grass in the square will not actually help allergy sufferers. In the wind, they will be exposed to pollen from the surrounding area for kilometers, as is the case today.
    Note: The author of the text is himself allergic to grasses and pollen
  • If you don't the change in grassland cover and grassland management well, you will encounter misunderstanding. Be sure to explain to those who are afraid of change that there is room for everyone in your municipality.

Note: Changes to grassland management in
protected areas may conflict with regulations and laws. In such places, your plans should be discussed with the relevant nature protection institutions. We do not discuss this topic on our website, but we would like to draw your attention to this issue.

 

The bottom line is – change is possible, it is not complicated, it will save municipalities money and bring joy to everyone .

 

You will read an interesting article from the staff of the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. (Kateřina Štajerová, Zdeněk Kaplan and František Krahulec). The article " Sowing flower meadows and McDonaldization of the Czech landscape " was published in Ekoslist.cz 12/3/2021

The article discusses the risks of "exotic" mixtures , which may contain seeds of non-native plants to enhance the effect of a flowering meadow. These plants can become invasive in non-native environments and damage the landscape .

Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the selection of mixtures and choose real regional mixtures according to their content and not by name .

 

 

Change of approach and finance

One could certainly find a number of studies that express the change in terms of money. But can we convert living nature, joy, and health into money?

Let's at least look at the costs of maintaining grassland , they can be calculated.

We used the material Flowering Meadows from Prirodnizahrada.eu as an example of how frequent mowing of grassland is costly.

The material shows that if we let nature work for us, we will achieve greater effects and save costs .

Bumblebees PLUS - Natural Gardens - Flowering Meadows

Flowery meadows
Source Natural gardens

It's time for a change or how to make magic happen

Let's make a little magic together so that the municipality is not only for citizens but also for nature, it is a truly great benefit for everyone.

In many cities and municipalities, they have already changed the approach to public spaces and lawns and transformed them into flowering meadows . They have understood that the change brings many positive effects and financial savings .

Try it too, it's not difficult:

  • Contact your local councillors and ask them for change = write to them or visit them in person.
  • Provide them with the general methodology of the Ministry of the Environment as well as the methodology that you will find in the following text.
  • Give them examples from the surrounding area and a suggestion of a specific place in the village where it is possible to create a flower meadow. As a first step , it may be a place that the village does not show interest in, this is where you can start .
  • Don't wait for anything and show the community that it's possible - lead by example, and calmly interact with your neighbors in a small area between houses .
  • Take your time to prepare , mistakes and inconsistency don't pay off.
  • Don't be afraid to communicate with experts and producers of grass mixtures and seek advice from those who have demonstrable experience and demonstrable references in this area.
  • Be patient and give nature time to return to the places it belonged.
  • If you dare to do more, ask the municipality for a larger area and take it into your care for a few years.
  • Don't forget to explain to your fellow citizens why the care of lawns is changing and what it will bring. A simple information sign is very suitable.
  • and advise municipal representatives
  • Talk about the change in the village , promote it in the local press, on websites, etc.
  • Show off your small example, for example on our website www.cmelaciplus.cz
Bumblebees PLUS - Flowering Meadow information sign - Český Krumlov - Martin Střelec

Flowering meadow Information sign – Český Krumlov
Photo: Martin Střelec

Communication example – draft letter to the municipal council

Note: Please provide specific information

<Obecní/Městský>office 

Good morning,

I am contacting you regarding lawn mowing.

Recently, many municipalities and cities have abandoned the classic method of caring for public grass areas. Although there has long been talk that it is not a good idea to mow grass areas to a low height, it still happens in our country. 

The result of such care is a grassy area in which insects find no flowers to feed on and cannot reproduce. In the morning, dew does not fall on the grass stalks to moisten the ground, and the sun soon burns the grass down to the clay. It then just dries out and cracks. When it finally rains, the water runs off the dry slope without any benefit, taking with it some of the clay that the grass would otherwise have retained.

Instead of vibrant grassland and flowering meadows in our village, we have a sterile, at best, lifeless green area.

As an example, I can give<KONKRÉTNÍ MÍSTO> :

I am therefore turning to you with a request:

  • please change the way we care for municipal public areas
  • turn the sterile green lawns of our public spaces into blooming meadows and flowerbeds
  • advocate for a change that will help the environment and at the same time save money in the municipal treasury 
  • move with the times

The methodology is available on the website of the Ministry of the Environment "How to care for lawns on municipal lands with regard to dry periods and biodiversity!" (https://www.mzp.cz/cz/pece_travniky_obecni_pozemek) including
the basic standard for nature and landscape care "Landscape lawns" (https://standardy.nature.cz/res/archive/414/068350.pdf?seek=1552472958)

It really works. This is already happening in many cities and thanks to it, life is returning to them. Natural vegetation and growth are returning to the grass areas, which are durable and do not require constant maintenance, they maintain natural moisture from precipitation and air humidity.
This area also needs to be taken care of, but the maintenance costs are lower and the positive effect is significant.

Examples of large cities that have changed their approach to mowing have been published in the press in recent years. Examples from our local area can be found here, for example.<UVEĎTE PŘÍKLAD, TŘEBA ZE STRÁNEK WWW.CMELACIPLUS.CZ> . 

Please try it here too – it will help us all!.

Thank you for your response to my request and for pushing for such an important change.

<JMÉNO>

<MÍSTO>and<DATUM>

Information for fellow citizens

It is not possible without the involvement of fellow citizens and communication with them

If you explain to them why the land is suddenly being maintained differently than before, you will get them on your side. 

If you don't explain to them why the previously mowed lawn is "overgrown", they will turn against you. For them, nature may be a green lawn and they will be living along the fence. They will be afraid of ticks, pollen, seeds flying into their sterile gardens.
Convincing them may be more difficult than establishing a flowering meadow.

Therefore, communicate the whole thing well and lead by example in a small area.

Information in the local press / on the notice board / portal

If you want to inform citizens, post the change/project report where they won't miss it.

Take advantage of the options and tools available to you. Your local press will certainly be happy to feature your work on the website or in print as proof that your municipality supports nature and ecology .

Example of project communication in a local newspaper

SOKOLNÍK – Quarterly of the municipality of Sokoleč – No. 50, October 2020 – “Flowery meadows” – Jana Ečerová

The village of Sokoleč decided to establish flower meadows as part of improving the environment and for greater diversity of grassy areas.

Meadows have many advantages. In addition to being beautiful for humans, they are also a very important support for pollinators. I recently learned for myself why we should help them. I grew beans on my balcony, whose flowers were a harbinger of a rich harvest. But there was none. In the surrounding environment, which was poor in flowers, there were no pollinators, so no one flew to pollinate the flowers. What if this were the case all around us? How would we achieve rich harvests? Pollinators, bumblebees, bees and butterflies, need flowers rich in pollen and nectar from spring to autumn.

That is why the municipality decided to try meadows and will continue doing so next year. I say: bravo! With a small but extremely significant change, a change in the approach to the space around us, we will help bees, bumblebees, butterflies and especially ourselves.
Areas in the municipality can easily be divided and their care adjusted according to use. There are places that are widely used, with frequent movement of us citizens, places where children play, football is played, and we need to keep them mowed. Then there are places that we enter at least during the year and these are potential meadows. The municipality decided to find these places and try to take care of them next year so that something will still bloom here.

It is an area near Myslivna, on Severní Street, where trees were planted and other places in the village that are or will be marked with a sign.

 

Information leaflet

A simple information sign/leaflet on the edge of a flowering meadow in the village has proven very effective.
There you can explain on the spot why the change has taken place , what the motivation is for it and what the change will bring .

As inspiration, we offer a simple flyer prepared by the Čmeláci PLUS group, which can be downloaded HERE.
Use this flyer, or prepare your own according to your taste and needs.

Note: Don't be confused, the flyer can be downloaded slowly and without registration - just click on "File details"

Bumblebees PLUS - Flowering Meadow - Information Leaflet

Flowering Meadow – Information leaflet
Source Bumblebees PLUS

Photography: Jana Ečerová

  • A methodology without which change is impossible

There is no point in reinventing the wheel, it is better to follow a proven methodology . This avoid disappointment and, if it is a proven methodology, it will also help in enforcing the change.

We will continue to add to this , because the methodology may change over time. However, its foundations are laid by the methodological instructions of the Ministry of the Environment . Therefore, municipal representatives have no reason to resist or reject the change.

For easier orientation, we have highlighted the recommended basic methodology.

We will avoid the agricultural methodology of flowering belts here. This is intended for areas outside municipalities and has its own problems.

Ministry of the Environment


Basic standard and methodology

These documents are the basis that it would be good to know before you decide to purchase a commonly available commercial mixture .
 
 
 
 
Czech Union of Nature Conservationists

  • The Czech Union of Nature Conservationists (ČSOP) is a registered association whose members are united by an active interest in nature and landscape conservation. Its mission is to protect and restore natural heritage, ecological education and support sustainable living. Among them you will find professional experts, experienced volunteers and those who simply “just” love nature. ČSOP was founded in the autumn of 1979.
  • Basic issues of the Living Garden
Calla – Association for Environmental Protection, zs.

  • Calla is a South Bohemian association that deals primarily with nature conservation and energy. Among other things, it has long been dedicated to nature conservation in cities and nature-friendly care for urban greenery. It promotes and popularizes, for example, extensive mowing of urban lawns, the creation of flower belts and water features in cities, butterfly gardening, thoughtful care of old trees, etc. It publishes the newsletter Ďáblík for members, friends and the public.
  • Although the methodology is written with butterflies in mind, its principles also work for other pollinators.
  • We have established cooperation with Calla in the field of flowering meadows.

Basic methodology:

Is it possible to protect the hive in other ways?

On the Internet you can find a number of "guaranteed instructions" on how to mask the fear and cover up its smell with the smell of aromatic plants or repellents . The fact is that none of these methods have worked , or the results are not conclusive.

Therefore, we have proposed a solution, which we describe and develop further – viy further text

 

Flowery passports in cities - CALLA

Flowery passports in cities
Source: Calla.cz

Bumblebees PLUS - Butterfly protection in the garden, in the city, in the countryside - CALLA

Protecting butterflies in the garden, in the city, in the countryside
Source CALLA

Natural garden

  • The association supports individuals and groups in establishing and maintaining nature-friendly gardens. It fulfills this mission by educating and educating the public, institutions and authorities. It cooperates in planning public green spaces in municipalities and cities. It creates a network of nature gardens and promotes garden tourism.
  • Website www.prirodnizahrada.eu and Facebook Nature Garden
  • Basic methodology Flowery Meadows

From the Czech Social Studies Program (CSOP) in Jaroměř

 

  • The JARO conservation action group (the original historical name was JAroměřští ROpáci), which today consists of several basic organizations of the Czech Union of Nature Conservationists, is involved in nature conservation through a wide range of different activities. They started by caring for areas of natural value, and they have been caring for some localities continuously for over 30 years. They gradually expanded their radius of action from the Jaroměř and Náchod regions to the entire territory of the Czech Republic, part of western Slovakia, southern Poland and northern Austria. Most of the localities in their care fall under the Velkojaroměř Land Association, which is the largest land association in the Czech Republic.
    In close cooperation with the owners of areas of natural value, they now care for more than 200 localities, which together form an area of ​​over 1,100 ha.
  • Website https://www.jarojaromer.cz/ and Facebook JARO – conservation group
  • Basic methodology for caring for flower meadows

Prague is blooming

 

  • The Prague Blooms project, which aims to help Prague's pollinators, has established flower meadows in twenty locations throughout Prague that attract pollinators and provide them with the nectar they need to survive. They plan to continue establishing new flower patches.
  • Websites www.prahakvete.com and Facebook Prague Blooms
  • We are happy to support the project of small community meadows in the Prague Blooms project and share their experiences here.

Good examples from our country

Good examples always work best, so let's take a look at some more

examples from your towns and cities on this page . Yours may be there too!

You, your municipality, your city, your district, your region

As we wrote and as you have probably observed yourself, changes are already underway . Many municipalities have already realized, thanks to active citizens, that they can do something for their residents and for nature .

But at the beginning of every change, there must be someone who comes with a request , a suggestion, or is just curious and asks why. That's why we've provided you with instructions, examples, and perhaps even motivation.

If you have already succeeded in your municipality and can boast of a blooming meadow or a flowery strip, brag about it . Your municipality, or your common areas, can also be listed on the Bumblebee Board of Honor along with other examples of positive change in the care of municipal grass areas.

If you help to push for change, or if this has already happened, we can add the name of your municipality/city to the Board of Honour . So see if your municipality is not there by chance. The Bumblebee Board of Honour is HERE 

Flowery meadow of mallow and yarrow

Mallow and yarrow flowers transform the meadow into pastel colors
Photo K Kučera

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