The project aims to preserve natural grasslands and its species of medical herbs in the buffer zone of Zemaitija National Park.
Planned project activities and results are:
· Community members with the help of scientists will carry out the inventory of rare and endangered plants in the outskirts of Babrungas.
· 2 ha of natural grasslands will be maintained according to the recommendations of scientists.
· 2 km of length educational path will be constructed in the natural grassland in the Zemaitija National Park.
· A nursery of 50 different species of rare plants and medicinal herbs will be created. It will be constantly enlarged by number of new naturally growing species. The plants from this nursery will be shared with other communities, botanical gardens, and school?s educational gardens.
· Local people will be informed and trained on progressive methods of sustainable agriculture and environment protection: 160 hours are assigned for the lectures and educational trips. Two educational camps will be organized for 60 children and youth. Information material and guidelines for observation and registering of rare plants will be published.
· The community will carry out sustainable agriculture activities and will start growing y medicinal herbs and spices that usually grow in natural meadows. This way rare and endangered plants and natural grasslands will be protected from total destruction and extinction.
· During the project the group of 20 local people will establish a Cooperative of Medicinal Herbs Farmers. The project creates preconditions to develop their own environmentally sustainable small business: the herbs drying facility and water reservoir will be installed, and the farmers will get basic training on ecological farming. The established cooperative will aim to increase their activities after the project.
· During the project lifetime, local community will receive extensive education on natural resources management, small alternative businesses, sustainable and ecological agriculture, and cultivation of rare plants, accounting and computer literacy. The community will organize numerous cultural activities in order to strengthen their communication and organization.
The project will involve various groups of stakeholders - NGOs, governmental institutions and scientists. The partners of the project are Plunge Municipality, the botanical gardens of two universities and their scholars, administration of the Zemaitija National Park, centers of ecological farming, the House of Agriculture of Lithuania, two ecological clubs, NGO ?Jadvygos zoles?, and SGO project leaders of the NGO Gojelis in Moletai district