Seminar at the “Bekas” nature farm on the management of grassland habitats of EU importance

On 19 June, the first in-person seminar of the year was held at the “Bekas” nature farm, whereThe farm owner, Viesturs Lārmanis, shared his experience of managing and restoring grassland habitats of EU importance.

Seminar participants had the opportunity to join Viesturs Lārmanis and Zane Līko, a grassland expert from the Latvian Nature Fund, on a practical tour of various grassland habitats of EU importance to identify typical plant species, as well as to learn more about beef production at the “Bekas” farm, which utilises grassland habitats of EU importance, and to sample the delicious products.

“The majority of the land managed by ”Bekas” is situated within the Ziemeļgauja protected landscape area, which comprises nature reserves and nature parks, which is also included in the Natura 2000 network of sites of EU importance and the network of internationally important bird areas. The farm’s pastures are home to 13 different types of meadow, forest and aquatic habitats (biotopes), which are subject to special protection under the EU Habitats Directive or Latvian legislation. This is perhaps the greatest diversity of specially protected habitats in Latvia – and possibly in the European Union – within such a small (around 80 ha) contiguous area. This same landscape is also home to more than 30 specially protected species of animals, lichens, plants and fungi, as well as six giant trees of national importance. Hailandes cattle help to preserve and restore the valuable grasslands on the farm.

Seminar was organised the EU LIFE-IP LatViaNature and the GrassLIFE2 project, with the aim of supporting the conservation status of five EU priority grassland types in Latvia and promoting entrepreneurship for the sustainable management of natural grasslands.