Preservation through caretaking
We are about to lose valuable nature because of overgrowth, shutdowns of smallholdings, and the introduction of harmful invasive species. Through careful maintenance of landscapes and cleaning of invasive conifers, we can take back the open nature!
About Preservation through Caretaking
In this project we work to take care of healthy ecosystems and ensure biodiversity. Overgrowth due to invasive species, loss of habitat, and the great species loss of our generation: insects dying off, all leads to dire consequences for us all. We take measures locally in collaboration with public administrations, farmers, land owners, locals, and volunteers.
One of our most important measures is restoring an area of coastal heather at Rapeneset on Radøy. We also remove western hemlock in Langeskogen and at Fløyfjellet in Bergen.
In the summer of 2024 we are also organising a mowing course in Samnanger where participants learn about the scythe and about life in the hay meadows.
UN’s decade of ecosystem restoration
Preservation through caretaking is Naturvernforbundet Hordaland’s contribution to actively restore landscapes, in the UN’s decade of ecosystem restoration.
Restoration of nature
Restoration of nature has never been more important, because this is one of the ways we have to take care of different habitats on the brink of disappearing, and its associated species. We restore nature through removing sitka spruce that has spread through old coastal heather. The sitka spruce outcompetes other species and turns the open coastal landscape into a dark and impenetrable spruce forest.
To keep further spread at bay there are grazing animals in the area, and we organise heather burning courses to renew the heather. This provides food for outdoor sheep, and prevents uncontrolled wildfires.
Since 2020 we have organised volunteer events to clear out harmful, invasive conifers in coastal heather at Rapeneset. To date we have carried out twelve of these events and mobilised 170 volunteers, who have learned about coastal heather as a nature type and about the damage of invasive trees spreading freely.
The goal is to remove all invasive conifers in the area and expand the defined coastal heather area.
We are organising more work days and heather burnings at Rapeneset, mostly in the winter, in collaboration with our passionate volunteer leaders. Watch out calendar for information about new events, or sign up to our newsletter.
Mowing course at Høysæter in Samnanger
Hay meadows are threatened by reduced use. Such nature areas are important habitats for many wild pollinating insects. Hay meadows are categorised as endangered, as the agricultural methods used to create them are in a sharp decline. Hay meadows remain like small “stamps” in the landscape, with little or no connection to the next hay meadow.
Mowing techniques are dying out. We therefore organise mowing clourses this summer at a farm in Samnanger. More info to come.
Volunteer work to remove western hemlock
We regularly organise work days in Langeskogen with Johan Langes Etat at the forefront. In 2023 we started removing hemlock on Fløyen in collaboration with Bergenske skog- og treplantingsselskap.
The big spruce cleaning day
Do you want to organise a work day to remove invasive conifers? Get some advice on how to go about it in the links below (all in Norwegian).
See also safety rules in our HSE guide
Do you want to participate?
Are you interested in sustainable agriculture, invasive trees, coastal heather, and practical nature preservation? Then the activities in Preservation through Caretaking is the thing for you! Contact to get involved: jt@naturvernforbundet.no
Support our work by becoming a member. Send SMS with text NATUR to 2377 or sign up here.
Project manager
Jeanette Tennebekk
jt@naturvernforbundet.no
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News in English
Thanks to our volunteers, we have a number of articles in English.
