Habitat restoration kopacki rit
Since 2007 ARK Nature is active in the Kopacki Rit Nature Park with the project “Habitat restoration and tourism development”. Kopacki Rit is situated in the northeastern part of Croatia where the Danube and Drava rivers are flowing together and forming one of the biggest inner-deltas in Europe: consisting out of app. 23,000 hectares of which 17,000 is under influence of regular flooding. The area with its large alluvial forests, reed beds and grassy areas is unique. Especially since the flooding area of the Danube River has been decreased with 80% through river regulations and embankments.
However, there are huge numbers of Red deer and Wild boar in the Kopacki Rit area, large grazers like bovines and horses – which used to be herded for centuries – has been removed decades ago. With a big impact on the formerly pastoral habitats: grasslands became overgrown and are losing plant and animal species and trees (e.g. Pedunculate oak) who are rejuvenating on open places are missing the situation to rejuvenate on a natural way. Like elsewhere in Europe the reintroduction of bovines and horses by natural grazing is giving a solution for this.
Together with the Kopacki Rit Nature Park, ARK has started a pilot project (financed by BBI/MATRA) to restore pastoral habitats and to work on a decrease of exotic plant species like Amorpha fruticosa. A tourist trail will be developed to make it possible for you as visitor to enjoy the nature area, the reintroduced grazers and a lot more. The Kopacki Rit area has a lot to offer: the White-tailed eagle population is one of the biggest in Europe and Black stork, Night heron and Egrets are abundant, as well as a rich butterfly population with rare species like Large copper, Large chequered skipper and the Fryer’s purple emperor. In spring the alluvial forests are colored by flowers like Snowflakes. By searching in ponds and reed beds the European tree frog, Red-bellied toad and European grass snake could be seen as well.
