‘Managers of seminatural grasslands do not need to change their maintenance practices, rather, the assessment form teaches them to see the different natural values in the area they are managing. It is recommended to fill in the form from spring to early fall, as this will give the best overview of the area – different plants bloom at different times and are easy to identify by their flowers,’ says Annaliisa Kaaremaa, project coordinator at the Environmental Board. Both the guide material and the Flora Incognita plant app will help to identify plants.

Annaliisa adds that the objective of the additional activity is to make land managers more aware of the values and importance of the area they are managing. ‘We hope that this will increase the manager's ability to independently support the biodiversity of the area, which in turn will allow for a more flexible support system and more trust in the manager, benefiting both the manager and nature.’

Completed forms must be sent to the Environmental Board at the end of the maintenance period, and they will be analysed to provide a more general assessment of the quality and condition of our seminatural grasslands. The more biodiverse the meadow environment, the more valuable the area.

This additional activity is voluntary and can be selected by the land manager for up to three years of the commitment period and for up to three managed areas.
The forms and guidance materials were developed by the landscape biodiversity workgroup of Tartu University, which, together with the Environmental Board, is also piloting a result-based support scheme on 500 ha as part of the LIFE IP ForEst&FarmLand project. Last year we tested the assessment sheets for natural values with landowners, and this summer we will continue to carry out joint trainings.