All excursions will take place on Wednesday 11 September 2024. When registering for the conference, please note that one person can only attend one excursion.


1. The Elbe Lowland

Basic Information

  • total distance: 300 km
  • time duration: 13 hours
  • physical demands: physically easy route, flat landscape, total distance by foot - 8 km (3 walks: 4 km, 2 km, 2 km)
  • food breaks: morning (stop at a rest stop), lunch (a food package will be provided), afternoon (small refreshment in the rescue station Huslík)
  • excursion map: see Map of the Elbe lowland excursion
  • costs: 40 EUR

Description

The excursion will be held in the plain of the Elbe river, which is crossed longitudinally by the D11 motorway. The section of the motorway, which is the backbone of the excursion, was put into operation in December 2006.
The Elbe River has the largest catchment area in the Czech Republic and rises in the highest mountain range of Czechia, in the Krkonoše Mountains. Fertile and warm Elbe region has been intensively farmed for centuries. Thus, the landscape is mainly arable and forests occur only locally. Their presence was essential for delineating migration corridors for large mammals in this area. Given the low density of migratory corridors in this agricultural area, maintaining their existence is necessary for ensuring migration permeability of the entire area of Elbe Lowland.

Fig: Nature reserve "Týnecké mokřiny" (locality No. 2 – below). The power lines present were equipped with a diverter to prevent birds collision with ground wires. The swan is a species that is very sensitive in terms of this type of risk. (© Naděžda Gutzerová)

Týnecké mokřiny

The Elbe Lowland – Excursion Highlights

  1. Ecoduct Voleč: The ecoduct has been providing a migratory connection in the Elbe lowland since 2006.  This fauna passage is an example of a well-designed ecoduct from a period when the issue of road ecology was just beginning to be conceptually tackled in the Czech Republic.
  2. Wetland nature reserve with bird diverters: The large wetland „Týnecké mokřiny“ was declared as a nature reserve in 2012. The very high voltage power lines 400 kV have been equipped with small spiral diverters to protect birds from collisions with ground wires. Small spiral installation, today questionable, reflects the level of knowledge and information at the time of realization (approximately 10 years ago).
  3. Underpass for large mammals: The underpass was – among others - designed for the possible migration of moose from Poland. The moose is an example of species for which the migratory permeability of the Czech Republic determines its existence or non-existence in the Czech nature.
  4. Animal rescue station Huslík: The Czech Republic has a network of rescue stations providing care especially for injured wildlife. At the same time, most of these rescue stations serve as education centres for the public. This rescue station has been in operation since 1984 and received 2 366 injured or otherwise affected animals in 2022.
  5. Former military area: This locality will be visited only if the time allows it. The military history of this area dates back to 1904. The military base was closed in 1995. In order to preserve the presence of a number of rare and endangered species of animals and plants, large grazing herbivores (the wild Exmoor ponies, the European bisons, the artificially bred aurochs) were introduced in 2015. This area is protected by the Czech law and is also part of the Natura 2000 network (site name: "Milovice–Mladá"). The objects of protections are threatened habitats and the crested newt (Triturus cristatus).

In the Czech Republic, the issue of bird safety on power lines is being dealt with for more than 20 years. During the excursion, different measures to avoid electrocution of birds on medium voltage lines will be demonstrated.


2. Roadless Area Brdy

Basic information

THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS IS LIMITED TO 45 PERSONS.

  • total distance: 200 km by bus, 35-40 km electric bike trip across the Brdy Mountains
  • time duration: 11 hours (including bus drive)
  • physical demands: higher physical demands, hilly terrain
  • food breaks: lunch (a food package will be provided), afternoon (small refreshment in the Brdy visitor centre (House of Nature in Brdy Protected Landscape Area)
  • excursion map: see Map of the Roadless Area Brdy excursion
  • costs: 60 EUR

Description

The excursion will be held in the Brdy Protected Landscape Area, a former military area, which was closed to the public from 1926 until 2016. A section of the northern part of the Protected Landscape area is still used for military purposes (including artillery impact area in active operation).

Brdy Mountains are an island of wilderness in the middle of Bohemia. This region has been used and changed, but not inhabited by humans for decades. Brdy are the largest continuous forest in the heart of the Central Bohemia, supporting Lynx, Wolf and forest owls such as the Eurasian pygmy owl and the boreal owl.

Military activity in the area has resulted in the establishment of open areas, which are known for their extensive heathlands. Other open areas are on the sites of vanished villages. You will also find cool valleys, dry rock outcrops and rocky seas or peat bogs and springs that feed the surrounding streams. Most of the area is closed for vehicles, therefore we will travel through the area by electric-bikes.

Fig: Heatland Jordán with lookout from the bunker (locality No. 2 – below). (©Bohumil Fišer)

Heatland Jordán

Roadless Area Brdy – Excursion Highlights

  1. Nature monument Jindřichova skála: View of the Valdek castle ruins
  2. Heatland Jordán with lookout
  3. Forest free area Padrť: Former military training area in the place of displaced and destroyed villages Padrť and Záběhlá. Here we will find the remains of several buildings, as well as fruit trees, several small ponds and two bigger ponds. A restricted meadow area is grazed by cattle, and new water pools/reservoirs were created in this area. Stream Klabava can be found here, which is a home for the Stone crayfish, the European bullhead and the Eurasian beaver.
  4. The visit of the House of Nature: Visitor centre for the Brdy area
  5. Underpass on the motorway D5 (Prague–Pilsen)


3. South Bohemia

Basic information

  • total distance: 380 km
  • time duration: 13 hours
  • physical demands: physically easy route, total distance by foot is 6 km (2 walks)
  • food breaks: morning (stop at the rest stop), lunch (a food package will be provided), afternoon (small refreshment in the animal rescue station Vlašim)
  • excursion map: see Map of the South Bohemian trip
  • costs: 40 EUR

Description

The excursion will be held in the South Bohemia. This region is well- known for its ponds especially in Třeboňsko Protected Landscape Area and Budweis pan. The Šumava National park, Blanský les Protected Landscape Area and Boletice military area are the core forest mountainous areas along the border with Bavaria and Upper Austria. Šumava, Blanský les and Boletice host the Bohemian-Bavarian-Autrian Lynx population (regular breeding). The Šumava National park and Boletice are also crucial for the reproduction of both the Moose (one of the last areas in the CZ) and the Wolf (recent establishment of 6 territories). Animals migrate from these core areas in the northern and eastern directions across the area where the motorway D3 is now being built (south of Budweis). That is why a biotope of specially protected species of large mammals (migration corridors) has been identified to allow proper location of mitigation measures (viaducts, ecoducts, underpassess).
Our main aim will be to show you mitigation measures on railroad and D3 motorway, which was already constructed in north-east direction from Budweis towards Prague in years 2013–2019.

Fig: Ecoduct over railway near Doubí (locality No. 1 – below). (©Martin Strnad)

Ecoduct over railway

South Bohemia – Excursion Highlights

  1. Bridge and ecoduct – measures on a railway: We will visit place where the first ecoduct was built over the railway in the Czech Republic. There is also large bridge on the railway. Both structures are widely used by local ungulates and other animals.
  2. Two viaducts near Sedlečko nearby Soběslav: The railroad and motorway run in parallel at this place. The terrain is flat there and viaducts run not only over the floodplain of the Černovický stream but also over fields.
    In the Czech Republic, the issue of bird safety on power lines is being dealt with for more than 20 years. A measure to avoid electrocution of birds on medium voltage line, will be demonstrated at this site.
  3. Ecoduct Vitín (D3): It was built during construction of the new motorway D3 in year 2019. The ecoduct is 20 m wide. It is widely used by animals that live in the area. It is located within the layer of biotope of selected specially protected species of large mammals (e.g. Lynx, Wolf, Bear and Moose). The layer is used for spatial planning purposes. We will also see two smaller culverts and measures for amphibians near the ecoduct.
  4. Animal rescue station Vlašim: The Czech Republic has a network of rescue stations providing care especially for injured wildlife. The Vlašim station was established by the Czech Union of Nature Conservationists in 1994. A new station was built near the village Pavlovice, which includes a veterinary office. The premises of the old station in the centre of Vlašim called Para Zoo serve as an exhibition part and for public education.

4. Czech-Moravian Highlands

Basic information

  • total distance: 280 km
  • time duration: 12 hours
  • physical demands: physically easy route, total distance by foot is 3 km
  • food breaks: morning (stop at a rest stop), lunch (a food package will be provided), afternoon (small refreshment in the rescue station Pavlov)
  • excursion map: see Map of the Czech-Moravian highlands trip
  • costs: 40 EUR

Description

We will pass through the picturesque landscape of the Czech -Moravian Highlands. This hilly scenery with an average altitude of 500 m a.s.l. is formed by mosaic of small villages, forests, meadows and fields. The varied landscape is crossed by D1 motorway – the oldest in the Czech Republic.
The Czech-Moravian Highlands is an important area from the perspective of moose migration from Poland to southern Bohemia. Similarly to the moose, this area is an important migration link for wolves and lynx between the mountain ranges along the northern and southern borders of the Czech Republic.
During the construction of the motorway in the 1970s and 1980s, requirements for permeability for animals were not taken into account - the 80-kilometer section of the motorway was completely impassable for wildlife. To restore the original connectivity, in 2021-2022 four new ecoducts were built in places where the original migration corridors crossed the D1 motorway.

Fig: Newly built ecoduct on the D1 motorway in the location where moose were crossing the motorway (locality No. 2 – below). (©Lubomír Dajč)

Ecoduct D1

Czech-Moravian Highlands – Excursion Highlights

  1. Motorway fencing: The fencing along the D1 motorway was restored during its modernization. The location of the fence affects its functionality. Different fencing locations will be shown during the field trip.
  2. Ecoduct Kamenice: This wildlife crossing was built over the existing D1 motorway in 2021. It is located where moose used to cross the motorway. The 40m wide ecoduct is extensively used by all kinds of animals that live in the area. The remaining three ecoducts on D1, which are 40m, 20m and 20m wide, allow comparison of the efficiency of wildlife crossings of different widths.
  3. Acousto-optic animal repellents: These combined deterrents are installed on the first-class road near the village of Štoky. The effectiveness of two types of repellents is currently being tested on roads of different classes in the region of the Highlands. This testing is a part of a 5-year project, the interim results of which will be presented during the field trip.
  4. Bird diverters: Near the town of Havlíčkův Brod, high voltage power lines cross the Sázava river valley. The lines are equipped with black and white bird diverters shaped like flags to reduce injuries to birds, especially swans.
  5. Animal rescue station Pavlov: The Czech Republic has a network of rescue stations providing care especially for injured wildlife. The Pavlov station was established as a breeding station for otters, later also peregrine falcon, European mink and other endangered species. The Pavlov station also serves as education centre for the public.
  6. Measures to avoid electrocution of birds: Different measures to protect birds on power lines are widely applied in the Czech Republic. Medium voltage lines 22 kV with selected types of bird protection will be demonstrated during the excursion.

5. Prague and its surroundings

Basic information

  • total distance: 300 km by bus
  • time duration: 6,5 hours (including bus drive)
  • physical demands: physically easy route, flat landscape, total distance by foot is 4 km
  • food breaks: lunch (a food package will be provided), afternoon (stop at the rest stop)
  • excursion map: see Map of the Prague excursion
  • costs: 25 EUR

Description

A half-day excursion around the city of Prague. The first stop will be Prague's outer city circuit, where we visit the ecoduct near Jesenice. We have been monitoring its use by local species, as part of a country-wide monitoring project.

The second stop will be at a small airfield, which is one of only 40 remaining localities for the critically endagered European ground squirrel in the Czech Republic. Natural habitat for the ground squirrel have drastically declined, and they are bounded to steppe-like environments such as mowed airfields, golf courses or vineyards. Therefore, an Action plan for this species is being implemented in the country.

Fig: Ecoduct on Prague city circuit (locality No. 1 – below)

Ecoduct Prague

Prague and its surroundings – Excursion Highlights

  1. Ecoduct on Prague outer city circuit: We will visit the ecoduct near village Jesenice. It is 32 m wide and it was built in 2010. Thanks to the camera trap monitoring, we have proved its use by local species such as: roe deer, wild boar, red fox, stone marten and the European badger.
  2. Local Airport – The European ground squirrel locality: The Kolín airport was declared as a Natural Monument (small-scale territorial protection) for the critically endangered European ground squirrel. In recent years the population has been gradually increasing. Population size was estimated at about 125 individuals in 2023. It was one of the few sites where the estimated number of individuals has increased compared to the previous year. In total, there are approximately 6000 individuals of ground squirrel in the Czech Republic.