We had heard that the Czechs had done a great job of communicating with landowners, creating an engagement guide, and systematically collecting data from the communication process, which is reflected on the ever-changing map. In the interaction between officials and land managers, a holistic perspective and a shared information field emerge: all parties know the problem areas where more focus is needed, and where and what agreements have been reached.

While in Estonia, several different officials (project team, land management specialist, financing inspector) may interact with one landowner or land manager, the Czechs pointed out that the best practice is for each landowner to have one point of contact who is also familiar with the local life and circumstances.

The Czech Republic has also invested heavily in the training of advisers, providing them with large-scale training programmes covering both communication and crisis management skills.  
The hospitable Czechs introduced us to the species-rich mountain hay meadows and steppe communities managed in the White Carpathians on the Slovakian border, and to the oak forests grazed in Bohemia on the German border. We met local nature conservation officials as well as landowners and land managers.

Unlike in Estonia, restoration work in the Czech Republic is predominantly carried out on small areas due to fragmented land ownership. In Estonia, we can certainly be proud that agreements on restoration are often reached on a regional basis, and that grasslands are restored as a complex.

We were delighted to be joined by representatives from other nature conservation organisations and our outstanding managers of semi-natural grasslands.

The gallery can be found here.