Protect species

"Flowers in the city' is a small project in the northern district of Szczecin to plant multi-species flowers in the green belt between two big city roads. The preparation of the meadow consists of removing the layer of turf and planting the corresponding species of flowers in different colours in different periods of the year so that the flower carpet flourishes for most of the vegetation season. The justification for the project highlights its esthetical effects, its role in serving as a food area for pollinators as well as a cost reduction for the lawn care units due to less annual mowing [1].

The Green and Blue Network in France is a national policy which "aims to restore ecological continuity in order to promote the migration of species and the resilience of ecosystems to face habitat threats and climate change. It also aims to strengthen the place of nature in the city and public awareness." In Montpellier, implementation of "this project has improved knowledge of the city's natural heritage and enhanced ecological continuity, as well as protecting, and sustainably managing high-potential sites and integrating the social dimension, raising public awareness, the observation of nature"(Ref. 2).

El Paseo de Canalejas is "an alley of trees inside the city tracing a central green corridor which exhibits its old ficus whose shades provide a pleasant refuge to the visitors during the hottest days of the year. Those ficus trees are considered as natural heritage." (Ref. 1). "In order to protect the Monumental Arboreal Heritage, Alicante City Council has worked on the elaboration of a Catalog of Unique and Monumental Trees of Local Interest that reflects the inventory of this heritage and provides these specimens with protective measures" (Ref. 3).

The Botanical Park is originally a garden which went through a modernization and rearrangement process in 2008. The park covers an area of 8.41 hectares and has a varied flora which is of Romania and also of various areas of the world which have a similar climate to the country. The purpose of the rearrangement was to maintain the area for scientific endeavours and to educate the public with respect to the importance of the environment. The municipality added this area to the 13th existing parks of Timisoara, which are part of the green belt of the city. (1)

Ekostaden Augustenborg is the collective name for a program to aims to transform Augustenborg into a more socially, economically and environmentally sustainable neighborhood. Ekostaden Augustenborg is one of Sweden´s largest urban sustainability projects. Aims and implemented measures were based on the wishes of local stakeholders and residents: No more flooding, green roofs, a musical theme playground, an open stormwater system (ref. 1).

BTC, a private company that has three shopping centres in Slovenia - one in Ljubljana - has engaged in supporting Carnolian Honey bees in Ljubljana through the "Let's help the bee in the city" project. As part of this, the company has placed beehives at the BTC shopping mall, primary school and distributed plants for people around Ljubljana to put on their balconies to support urban bees. In 2014, an urban apiary with four bee families was set up on the meadow behind the Atlantis waterfront, drawing attention to the importance of preserving Carniolan lavender and bees for the environment. They also take care of young people who are enthusiastic about urban beekeeping with the project. With the competition "Bee-friendly school", a nice teaching apiary was set up for primary school children in the area of ​​the Medvode primary school. One of the urban beehives can also be visited by prior arrangement for organized groups. The project is still ongoing encouraging citizens to plant their balconies and window boxes with honey plants and by doing so provide the city bees with sufficient forage. (1, 2 and 6)

Opened in 1987, Lo Morant Park is located in the northern part of the city of Alicante. Its flat surface of 12 hectares is ideal for walking among its vegetated spaces and for the development of multiple activities focused on the neighborhood (Ref. 1). An educational environmental tour of the park is in place for learning and discovering the fauna and flora. The park offers different social activities and facilities (sports facilities, leisure). (Ref. 1). It is the largest park in Alicante with a dimension of twelve hectares, and has a great diversity of plant species and sports and cultural spaces. (Ref. 3)

The River Alt Restoration Project at Stonebridge started in 2013 with an initial goal to remove culverts in order to create re-naturalised watercourses and maintain watercourses easier. It also involved the removal of rubbish and other obstructions to reduce the risk of flooding in the wider catchment (Reference 2). The project then evolved with a bigger goal to divert River Alt into a new 900-meter long linear park named Alt Meadows. Relevant engineering works were employed in the area. In addition, accessible paths and meadow, wetland and woodland habitats were created. The park was also linked into surrounding areas (like housing, shops, schools, etc.). The project benefits include the expected increase in wildlife biodiversity and improved water quality and flood protection (Reference 1, 3).
The project was led The Cass Foundation, in partnership with the Community Forest Trust, with funding from DEFRA’s Catchment Restoration Fund (via Environmental Agency) and Liverpool City Council. The Foundation remains responsible for maintaining Alt Meadows on behalf of the city council (Reference 3).

The city's nature conservation project in Göteborg includes ongoing work on making Lärjeån's valley (Lärjeåns dalgång) a natural reserve. The purpose of forming a nature reserve for Lärjeån valley (Lärjeåns dalgång) is to ensure the area's great natural and cultural landscape and outdoor life values. Parts of the area are of national interest for nature conservation and are also part of the EU's protected nature conservation network, Natura 2000. The ravine landscape of Lärjeån is home to some very interesting flora and fauna like salmon, trout and pearl mussel. The consultation for the project has ended. Comments received during the consultation period are currently being processed. Preliminary new information is yet to come on how the case will be pursued. The nature reserve will be formed with the support of the Environmental Code. (Ref. 1, 7 , 8)

As part of the title Green Capital of Europe, Ljubljana planted the first public orchard. The public orchard is open to citizens and visitors of the city, where fruits are available from mid-summer to late autumn. One part of the orchard includes a plantation of old varieties of apple, plum and pear, while the other includes trees species little known. The public orchard and nectar garden are intended for residents, passersby, volunteers, groups of pre-schoolers, families and educational organisations. The nectar garden is enriched by an innovative didactic adventure trail that winds around the nectar garden. Next to the nectar garden is a hotel for insects and bird feeder intended to promote biodiversity and raise awareness about nature conservation. Nearby is also a renovated playground for children. Three such orchards have been created in Rakovi jelši, Savski naselj and Puhtejeva ulica. The arrangement of the public orchard is one of the goals set in the environmental protection program for the City of Ljubljana 2014 - 2020. (1, 2 and 3)