The GRACE-projects LIFE 20th Anniversary events
LIFE walks on GRACE land – guided tours in the archipelago
The GRACE Project celebrated the 20th anniversary of Life+ and Natura 2000 during 2012 with excursions
on the islands Härmanö, Härön, Rörö and Utlängan. A total of 130 persons attended to the GRACE-projects
celebration-excursions.
Härmanö 12 May 2012 Härön 13 May 2012
Rörö 19 May 2012 Utlängan 6 June 2012
LIFE walks on Härmanö 12th of May 2012
On May 12th 11 people were guided by Gunilla Olander and Berth Kullholm on the island Härmanö. During the walk on GRACE-land the group studied spring flowers and areas which had been burned in April this year. Now the island can regain the former biodiversity with a rich flora and endangered insects as the lovely butterflies.
At the end of our guided tour the GRACE project offered barbecued sausages to celebrate the anniversary of Life+-fond and Natura 2000.
The guides Berth Kullholm and Gunilla Olander Newly burned heatlands
Life walks on Herrön 13 th of May 2012
A sunny day in the middle of May, 19 persons gathered by the ferry in Kyrkesund. Natureguide Anita Allendes, active in Tjörns NGO, led the group around Härön, a Nature reserve and Natura 200-site which will be restored in the GRACE-project. It is situated in the Municipality of Tjörn in Västra Götalands län. Lisa Karnfält from the GRACE-project described how to restore the overgrown heathlands and showed the areas that had been burnt this year. Cowslips bloomed lavishly in the newly restored areas. At the farm Ängen (meadow in English) the grouped enjoyed a birthday cake for the Life+ fund and Natura 2000. During the walk back to the ferry the group stopped and looked at many plants including milkwort and Mountain everlasting. They also viewed the threatening overgrowth with Rosa rugosa along the beaches and the problems of garbage that float ashore.
Life walks on Rörö 19 th of May 2012
Rörö is one of the Nature Reserves in the Natura 2000-site Sälöfjorden.
During Whitsun weekend 75 persons, young and old, inhabitants and visitors came to the guided tour on the island Rörö at the Swedish westcoast to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Life+-fond and Natura 2000. Roy Andersson, Överön, who had carried out the burning of vegetation in former heathlands at this site gave a historical review of life and former management of the landscape on the island and compared it to situation and the overgrown status of today. The group was guided in the burned areas by Roy and Lisa Karnfält and informed of the need of using traditional burning methods and grazing animals to preserve the rich biodiversity of Rörö.
The guide Roy Andersson, overonwest People start to gather at the meeting site
Rörö has a popular guest harbor Introduction to the celebration tour
Walk on burned GRACE-land Roy describes the restoration actions and the results
We celebrate with barbecued sausage Spring Flowers, one target image
LIFE walks on Utlängan 10th of June 2012
We gathered on a sunny day in Stenshamn in the outermost part of the archipelago of Karlskrona to celibrate the Life+-fund 20th anniversary and to present the GRACE project for the residents, local people and other interested. With the help of Professor Urban Emanuelsson and his colleagues we also informed about the Graal-project which is a project that is trying to find a method to determine the age of old treestumps. On the island there are remains of old coppiced oaks that the research-group hopefully will be able to put a dating on. We were met by a lot of interest and the expectations are high in terms GRACE project goals with a more open and accessible island.
