Among other things, species favored by insects and plants whose growing environments are threatened have been chosen for the future meadows in Kouvolaa. For example, it is hoped that the sweet corn will attract butterflies to the meadow.
Three new wildflower meadows will be established in the city of Kouvola.
The first of the meadows was sown on Thursday at Pihkatie field in Katajaharju.
The idea behind the meadows is to preserve nature’s diversity and provide different insect species with the natural plants they desperately need.
Pihkatie’s field has previously functioned as a sports field. The field has been little used in recent years, and the city has decided not to maintain it anymore.
Species suitable for butterflies
The seeds to be planted in the meadows have been collected this summer and autumn from the Kouvola city area.
The plants are mostly fairly common keto and meadow plants in Kouvola, whose natural habitats have been left behind by construction or are being overgrown.
There are also rarer species, such as the mountain monk.
– Plant seeds have been collected, for example, from Voikka’s railway yard. Along with the timber, there have been plants that do not necessarily grow anywhere else in Finland, says Kiviniemi.
For the meadows, especially various species of roast habitats preferred by insects, as well as species whose growing habitats are changing or threatened, have been selected.
– For example, keto maruna and sweet corn are to the liking of butterflies. Ahdekaunokki has grown here on the edge of the field from the beginning, says Kiviniemi.
Insect hotels and birdhouses
In addition to meadows, biodiversity has also been promoted in Kouvola by, for example, building insect hotels and birdhouses.
– This is a good idea. I plan to come in the spring to see what it looks like here, says Mettälä.
– Here, the children have played baseball and soccer, and the slightly older ones have played pétanque. It could have left some space for games, criticized Haapala.
He admits that right now the field has been little used because the previous generation has already grown bigger.
However, according to Haapala, families with small children have moved to the area, which could be without a playground in a few years.
The coming of the meadow takes time
According to plant expert Anni Kiviniemi, it will take a few more years for the meadow to be in full bloom. He hopes that the local residents will get excited about the meadow and its maintenance.
– These things don’t just happen by themselves.
Plant seeds have been collected in Kouvola, among other things, with the help of students. Some of the seeds have also been collected by Kiviniemi himself.
– As a pensioner, you can do something like this once in your life to leave a mark, he says.
The establishment of meadows is part of the Sustainable City project funded by the Ministry of the Environment. Its goal is to increase residents’ participation in promoting sustainable development.
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