Cofreen project visited lake Pape in Latvia

Interreg IVA Coffreen -project (1,1 milj. €, led by Turku University of Applied Sciences) concentrating on the sustainable management of coastline and utilisation of reed beds (especially focused in novel construction and bioenergy solutions) held first steering group meeting in Riga 12.8.2010. Project pilot area in Latvia is lake Pape, Natura 2000 -lagoon near Liepaja town. The Latvian project member of Cofreen"Vides projekti Ltd" arranged seminar field trip 13th of August in warm circumstances.

The Natura 2000 site of lake Pape include European Union (EU) protected habitats such as 1150* coastal lagoon, 3140 hard oligo-mesotrophic waters with benthic vegetation of Chara spp., 3150 natural eutrophic lakes with Magnopotamiom or Hydrocharition – type vegetation, 2130* fixed coastal dunes with herbaceous vegetation (grey dunes) and 7110* active raised bogs. The Lake Pape Area is considered an internationally significant breeding, migrating and wintering site for birds.

The area management plan stresses balanced actions in order to restore hydrology of the lake and reach better favourable conservation status of habitats and species of the site. Optimised ecosystem services provided with help of careful planning and management should also enhance entrepreneurship and tourism of the area. Reed winter cutting and conservation grazing are examples of sustainable actions that take place in and around this beautiful nature area. Cofreen tries to find use of the leftover material of cut construction winter reed.

The possible solutions include construction bricks and/or local bioenergy use.

Latvian WWF told about management plan, reed cutting and future plans.

Canoe trip took place.

We got a ride with 2-bcs-blade Hungarian style reed cutting Seiga modified by Latvian experts.

Sailing with the Seiga.

Reed entrepreneur with summer reed bunch, information about firm can be found in www.reed.lv.

Explaining treatment of winter reed bunches. The average price / one square meter roof is 50 euros including material and work (+accommodation of workers).

Wild horses (Konik Polski) together with the cattle are managing coastal areas of Lake Pape near reed cutting areas..."Feeding on grass, bushes, reed and bark, the animals ensure the preservation of meadow and coastal habitats, and agricultural lands for the enlargement of the biodiversity on the territory, as well as the preservation of the landscape of the park. Natural grazing is one of the most environment-friendly methods of meadow management and has to be continued long-term by creating new pastures on the east and north territories of the lake, as well as between Pape Village and Nida Village in the direction of the sea from Nida Bog."

...Pape cattle is a mixture of Scottish Highlander, Hungarian Steppe cattle, Heck cattle (result of an attempt to breed back the aurochs from modern aurochs-derived cattle) and some Spanish small original breed...