It was lovely to once again meet gardening enthusiasts at the Türi Flower Fair, and our topic – how to avoid introducing invasive species into your garden and, if they are already there, how to control them – proved very popular.

In mid-March, we joined a group of Kassari coastal meadow managers and other interested parties to assess how well nature has recovered following the restoration work on the coastal meadows and what impact the restoration has had on birds and coastal wildlife. The day began in the Aandi-Laheküla area with a guided walk through the recently restored meadow, led by site manager Tõnu Kaptein. The day continued with presentations and a discussion at the Kassari community centre.

Until recently, it was not possible to fit a GPS transmitter to a common starling due to its small size, but technology has now advanced to the point where the migration routes and habitat choices of common starlings can be studied using GPS, and this is precisely what BirdLife Estonia is doing as part of its ‘ForEst&FarmLand’ project.

The grey partridge is considered a resident bird, remaining on agricultural landscapes in Estonia throughout the year rather than migrating long distances. However, grey partridge habitat surveys conducted by BirdLife Estonia as part of the ‘Nature-rich Estonia’ project revealed that the actual movements of these birds are surprisingly active and more complex than previously thought.

In spring, our partners from the University of Tartu invited meadow caretakers and owners to participate in a survey, through which we collected input for shaping the agricultural policy of the next EU funding period, while also looking for feedback on the advisory service launched by the Environmental Board.

Ten more to go!

Amphibians need small, fishless ponds in which to spawn, but these are disappearing from our landscape. By restoring small water bodies, we are providing a home for amphibians and creating a habitat for many other species, including insects and bats.

This spring, Liis Kiviloo – the famous Estonian volleyball player and Lidl Estonia’s consultant for sustainable entrepreneurship – approached us to find out how Lidl could collaborate with our project to contribute to Estonia’s natural wealth with a larger group!

A research article based on a nationwide survey explored how managers of Estonian semi-natural grasslands assess current conditions and support schemes, and what could be improved in the future to ensure the continued provision of ecosystem services and the preservation of cultural heritage.

Last week, on a day that was simultaneously windy, rainy, and sunny, we brought in reinforcements to continue work on the hedge and tree-lined avenues that we started last year at Mäemõisa, at one of our cooperation partners in the enrichment of agricultural landscapes project. This time, we planted a two-row hedge consisting of hawthorns, currants, and Antonovka apple cultivars. A total of 465 plants were placed in the soil.

Krista Takkis and Katrin Tambet, who are members of our working group on the diversity of agricultural landscapes, visited all the grassland strips sown on the fields over a period of two years. They also compiled more than 200 plant lists and examined 150 plants in the sample square in greater detail. They did a very good. They often spent nine hours a day walking.