Employees of the Public institution for management of protected areas of Dubrovnik-Neretva county held an educational workshop as part of the project LIFE Contra Ailanthus (Establishing control of invasive alien species Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven) in Croatia) on September 15, 2023 in the Forest Park Velika and Mala Petka.
The educational workshop brought closer to the students of the Gimnazija Dubrovnik the impact of invasive alien species in our area, and the LIFE CONTRA Ailanthus project. They talked about good practices for preventing further spread and new introductions were discussed more specifically. It is explained in more detail how to proceed in case of finding Ailanthus altissima or other invasive foreign species in nature. As part of the workshop, students were also presented with a standard removal method, which is mechanical removal in combination with chemical (glyphosate-based herbicide). The students had the opportunity to try their hand at the actual removal, by using project equipment and tools (gloves, scissors, scissors) to mechanically remove the strip at the entrance to the park-forest. Such a protocol is planned to be used in most project areas within this project.
Also, as part of this project, it is planned to test an alternative method of removing ailanthus, with the aim of developing an efficient and more environmentally friendly protocol.
*foto and text: zastita-prirode-dnz.hr
