Milovice nature reserve receives Czechia’s top ecological awards
The Milovice nature reserve is the first in Czechia to win the country’s top three ecological awards. By reintroducing large herbivorous mammals to the area, the project has successfully rewilded the former military zone northeast of Prague, restoring its unique ecosystem.
In the 1990s, Milovice’s biodiversity faced a sharp decline following the departure of military machinery. To address this, the Czech Landscape Conservation Society introduced a herd of wild horses from Britain’s Exmoor National Park in 2015. These were later joined by European bison and Tauros cattle, creating a grazing system that mimics natural ecological processes.
A decade on, the reserve has witnessed a remarkable transformation. Rare species such as the European jackal, bats, butterflies, and even the elusive European grey wolf have been spotted in the area. Dalibor Dostál, Director of the Czech Landscape Conservation, says even experts were astonished by the speed and scale of the development:
“The transformation of the landscape was very rapid. By the third or fourth year, grazing by wild horses and other large herbivores had suppressed the invasive grasses that had overgrown the area. Those grasses receded and were replaced by over 111 species of flowering herbs, bringing about a huge change.”
This impact is best illustrated by the resurgence of two rare species in the reserve. The population of the Alcon blue butterfly increased by an astounding 1,700%, while seedlings of the rare cross gentian flower grew by more than 5,500%.
Milovice nature reserve has also become a model for similar projects across Europe, says Mr. Dostál:
“In addition to the original Milovice reserve established in 2015, there are now 15 large ungulate reserves throughout Czechia. We also collaborate with other countries, exchanging animals with Germany, France, and the Netherlands, and supporting the establishment of new reserves, most recently in Slovakia and Ukraine.”
The project, undertaken with the Biological Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the University of South Bohemia, recently earned the prestigious E.ON Energy Globe Award, adding to the Josef Vavroušek Award in 2019 and the SDG’s Award for advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Dalibor Dostál sees these three major awards as a significant acknowledgment of the dedication of those who stood at the project’s origins:
“We were the first to come up with a similar concept in Czechia, and anyone who introduces a new idea often faces mistrust. So these awards are important because they show that our ten years of hard work were meaningful and are recognized by both the public and experts. They also confirm that our approach to nature conservation is the right one.”
