Although winter may seem like a dormant period, it is an ideal time for preparing good ideas for community projects – and when spring comes, people seem to jump into action! We receive an abundance of promising applications each spring, and this year was no exception: new community gathering places, ponds, tree plantings, community gardens, workshops, even a forest theatre and a sauna. By the end of April, we had already supported 256 neighborhood activities. Take a look at some of them in more detail below.
A new orchard in Želeč
Members of the Želeč Gardeners’ Association in the Olomouc Region will revitalize the area around the gardeners’ clubhouse. The association plans to establish an orchard along with a seating area and a campfire circle, which is envisioned as a meeting place for gardeners and other residents of the village. What’s more, they plan on renewing the tradition of cider-making at the orchard. Before they prepared their application, the members of the gardeners’ association asked other residents what they thought of the idea: “…I also asked residents if they would like to resume cider-making in the village. When we asked them, we had a very positive response…out of 165 households, we collected 101 responses, where almost 80% said they were interested in cider-making…”. Work has already begun in the orchard and we look forward to seeing the results.
Preservation of wayside crosses
One sunny afternoon, as the members of the Naplno association sipped coffee in one neighbor’s garden, one of their older members, Marta Procházková, mentioned that the neglected crosses by the roadside could use a bit of a facelift. Recognizing a fine idea, the members began calling on neighbors to see if they had any surviving photographs of old crosses, or if anyone knew where some of the crosses which had been stolen in past decades might be – and lo and behold, parts of wrought iron crosses were found in several attics.
The group’s ambition crystalized into restoring a piece of history and preserving places where people walking in the landscape can pause and rest. They contacted local stonemason Josef Sotona and restoration specialist Martin Šerák. Together they researched the original appearance of the crosses and finalized the budget.
The members of the association believe that their efforts will create value that will last long after they have put their tools away, something that will be appreciated by future generations. With spring in full swing, they are trying to raise enough funds to begin preparations for repairs as soon as possible.
A sauna to bring people together
In the village of Jankovice, local volunteer firefighters want to build stronger ties between different groups (mainly volunteer firefighters, children, the elderly, and soccer players). They plan on collaboratively converting an old caravan into a mobile forest sauna, which they will place on the bank of a local reservoir. There are a lot of people in the village who are interested in saunas, so they want to engage them both in the construction of the sauna, in using the actual sauna and in organizing a party in the sauna area. They will use wood from a recently demolished municipal building (beams, roof battens) for the landscaping and to build a “shell” around the new sauna. They then want to organize regular events in and around the sauna, which will bring together not only the inhabitants of the village, but will also attract people from outside the village.
A new pond will enhance animals' habitat and biodiversity
Not far from Frýdek Místek, in the village of Tyra, Andrea Suszková and her neighbors plan on building several ponds above the village. These ponds will not only help protect homes from rain damage, but also provide safe havens for local animals. They will improve the habitat for aquatic insects, and the larger and more stable water system will become a better habitat for amphibians, which in turn brings with it a greater abundance of birds. The ponds will also serve as a water source for forest animals, goats and sheep. Andrea also plans to organize field trips for kindergarten children and parent-child playgroups, and to organize neighborhood events with a barbecue to inspire others to do similar projects.
