When yielding the hay, the nature must be cared for

The Environmental Board invites the farmers stocking up for animals on winter feed to be cautious upon proceeding with their work and to take into consideration the surrounding nature.Every summer hay yielding season has started. Simultaneously with stocking up the feed for the farm animals, many species of bird and animal species nesting on grassland, are bringing up their offspring, which increases the chances of the young animals and farm machinery coming into direct contact. The Environmental Board is urging farmers to take into consideration the animals likely to occur on the meadows.“Numerous increasingly rare bird species breed in the mown areas of Estonia, such as the corncrake, the curlew and the grey partridge. It is often likely that to the farmed grasslands also occur some young of roe deer and brown hare. Farmers should be careful in hay yielding and preferrably mow the area by edge-to-edge or center-to-edge method. Applying these methods allow birds and animals at least to partially retreat from the machinery and thus save the wildlife specifically characteristic to agricultural landscapes,” emphasized Tõnu Talvi, chief specialist of nature protection for the Environmental Board. Also, the Environmental Board recommends that the hay and silage rolls prepared from the hay from grasslands would be aggregated at the earliest opportunity in separate storage areas. This will later diminish the damage to the animal keeper caused by game animals, as for instance, bears and deer, interested in the valuable animal feed.“Estonia is a very rich and diverse country, where natural forests and swamps alternate with agricultural and farm landscapes. Different traditionally farmed semi-natural habitats rich in species, such as meadows, wooded meadows and natural pastures are crucial for the preservation of biodiversity. Every farmer has an opportunity to contribute to preserving the natural values of these areas,” said Talvi.The Environmental Board values the traditional landscapes of Estonia and poses great importance to good cooperation with farmers and all other parties who cherish the nature.More information:Tõnu Talvi Chief Specialist of Nature Protection at the Environmental Boarde-mail¬: tonu.talvi@keskkonnaamet.eetelephone: 5016 869Sille AderSpokesperson for the Environmental Boarde-mail: sille.ader@keskkonnaamet.ee telephone: 5745 0332