Region: Baltics, Central and Eastern Europe, Lithuania
Author: Gintaras Matiukas - Lithuanian Society for Biodiversity Conservation
Consortium Member: Baltic Ecological Programs Office (ECOLOGIA)
Status: Completed - Final Report
Budget: $3517
Collected: $3517
Needs: $0
Result: To allow two specialists from Lithuania to travel to the US to gain valuable knowledge about wetland restoration.
Donors: Lithuanian wetland experts, with matching funds from the Trust for Mutual Understanding [May 1999]
Comment: Currently there are few resources available in Lithuania to aid groups restoring wetlands. Training in the US will enable two specialists to return to Lithuania with needed information and strategies.
Approximately 5% of Lithuania is covered by wetlands. The largest wetlands are protected, but smaller areas with great natural values still lack protection. Many wetlands in Lithuania are exploited for the peat they contain. Huge areas are abandoned without any sort of restoration after their peat supply is exhausted. There are no experts in Lithuania qualified to carry out restoration projects, and no training on restoration available.
The goal of this project is to begin restoration of the Tytuvenai Tyrelis peat bog. The bog covers almost 4000 hectares in the central part of Lithuania. Peat extraction was conducted here 20-40 years ago, and 450 hectares of the bog is still under exploitation. The Tytuvenai Tyrelis bog is a natural haven for birds (several threatened species nest within the bog's territory). The bog is also very suitable for environmental education, wetland tourism, birdwatching, and establishing nature paths.
In order to achieve this goal, two specialists of the Biodiversity Conservation Society would like to visit the US and learn from the experience of their American colleagues. Dr. Gintaras Matiukas is the director of the Tytuvenai Regional Park and president of the NGO "Society for Biodiversity Conservation." Mrs. Roma Matiukiene is the senior manager of the Tytuvenai Regional Park, responsible for recreation and education. She is on the education and promotion team of the Lithuanian Association of Regional Parks.
For two weeks in August Dr. and Mrs. Matiukas will visit ECOSCIENCE - a company experienced in peat bog restoration from the beginning to the final stage. The visitors will learn about the prepration of restoration projects, including relevant laws governing restoration, coordination with EPA and land owners, pre-work research
and monitoring of implementation. During the second week of their stay, they will visit the Environmental Protection Agency, Nature Conservancy and Audubon Society in order to better understand environmental protection and conservation, environmental education and public awareness issues.
There are many regional parks in Lithuania, and their administration is interested in restoring and utilizing wetlands. One of the goals of Society for Biodiversity Conservation is to promote wetlands as valuable sites for biodiversity. Upon returning to Lithuania, Gintaras and Roma will share their experience in the US with regional park administrators. Dr. and Mrs. Matiukas will use this knowledge to promote public awareness through meetings, discussions and mass media, as well as to start implementation of the technical side of the project in small scale, involving young naturalists-volunteers.
Budget | |
| Travel expenses (2 persons) | $1800 |
| Visas | $45 |
| Medical insurance | $173 |
| Accommodation (14 days) | $600 |
| Local travel | $580 |
| VF Administrative Cost (10%) | $319 |
| Total | $3517 |