Spring has sprung in the Alps, and with the arrival of the pasture season, outdoor activities are underway. Although LIFEstockProtect continued to host many meetings online, team members have been involved in preparing various practical livestock protection initiatives in line with the project’s objectives.
Training courses ready
The project’s first livestock protection training courses were announced last month and are available to book on the new LIFEstockProtect training website, which will be used for all future events.
The courses will take place in the project regions of Austria, Bavaria and South Tyrol, and will be in German. They will be held at various farms working together with LIFEstockProtect as competence centres. Taught by experienced farmers, project members and external experts, the courses can be booked by anyone interested in implementing protective measures. Each course offers different topics on livestock protection – you can find more details on the training website.
How to take part
- Visit the training website
- Choose the course you’d like to attend
- Add the course to your cart
- Put in the billing and additional information
- Complete payment – you will receive a confirmation email.
An evening on livestock protection in Bavaria
The project partner Bioland Bavaria held two online information evenings regarding livestock protection in Bavaria. Participants learned about the current state subsidies offered to farmers and importantly, what to do when they suspect a livestock depredation. Dozens of people attended the evenings and engaged avidly in the topics discussed.
Alpine pasture review completed
As part of the preparatory actions of LIFEstockProtect, the project partner Naturmuseum South Tyrol coordinated a review of existing studies on optimal use of Alpine pastures and the impact of livestock activity on biodiversity. The objective of this was to find recommendations for guided grazing to preserve or restore vulnerable alpine ecosystems. In addition, the review will directly contribute to the project actions C4.1 and C4.2, to assess how both livestock and livestock protection affect the environment. You can read it, along with the other deliverables, here.
Volunteer Workforce Network starting this year!
The Volunteer Workforce Network will kick off in the project region this summer! LIFEstockProtect has already found several farmers willing to participate in this network, which is partially modelled on the successful PASTURS project coordinated by the project partner Eliante (read more about PASTURS below). Volunteers will spend at least a week with shepherds on alpine pastures, supporting their work and helping them with livestock protection. More information will soon be available on the website.
