Closer to Nature: In the frogs' paradise in the Raduň Wetlands
The Raduň Wetlands, with their system of pools, are found on the northern edge of Raduň, a municipality a few kilometres south of Opava. As little as 15 years ago, it was non-existent – today, it is a vital sanctuary for numerous amphibians and other protected wildlife. How and why the Raduň Wetlands came into existence, and what hidden wildlife treasures can be discovered here, can be gleaned from newly installed info panels and other educational elements, courtesy of the NET4GAS Closer to Nature programme.
For centuries, the northern edge of Raduň has been bordered by fish ponds, but today's intensive fish farming leaves little room for amphibians to propagate. Because of this, the local chapter of the Czech Union for Nature Conservation, working in tandem with the environmentally conscious company Semix, bought up 1.3 hectares of farmland next to the fish ponds, and in 2004 used this land to build a network of ponds and pools of various depths and acreage. This was done with great circumspection: soil that had been affected by industrial farming was removed, and the bottom of each body of water was created strictly from loamy subsoil. Thanks to this, today's visitors encounter a healthy population of fire-bellied toads and great crested newts, three types of true frog, as well as tree frogs and toads galore. "We are delighted to see the fruits of our labour, having created clean living conditions for hundreds, if not thousands of amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates," says Marie Slabejová, a member of the ČSOP chapter Ochránce.
Elements had once been installed on-site in the past to help visitors make sense of what they were seeing and experiencing, but these have long since succumbed to wear and tear. As a result, new ones were made this year with funds disbursed within the NET4GAS Closer to Nature programme. Two info panels are devoted to the endemic species. Signs with QR codes were also added, which take the visitor to a website with information about, e.g. snake nesting (or breeding places for reptiles), deadwood, and the restored beetle loggery.
Visitors reach the Raduň Wetlands coming from the market square in Raduň by following the yellow hiking-trail markers (Road 464 to Opava) for one kilometre, before turning right at the fork to go directly to the pools. This is the 94th site unlocked by the Czech Union for Nature Conservation (ČSOP) within the NET4GAS Closer to Nature programme. By way of this programme, the company NET4GAS has been supporting nature conservation projects all across the country for the past thirteen years. In the Moravian-Silesian region, the programme has allowed the ČSOP to familiarize the general public with fifteen interesting sites of nature.
To find out more about the NET4GAS Closer to Nature program and on the sites opened to public, please, visit www.closertonature.cz.