Datenbank der Projekte zur ländlichen Entwicklung

RDP project support to a contractor providing dry-stone wall construction and maintenance services in Estonia. The project actions focused on repairing dry-stone walls in Matsalu National Park as traditional socio-cultural landscape features.

Estonia's Matsalu National Park is a valuable natural heritage asset. The Park's authorities are involved in restoring and conserving the Park's landscape features for future generations to enjoy. Part of this work involves restoring the walls that were used as traditional land boundaries. Conservation of these historically important landscape features requires technical skills and a contract was awarded to Mr Hellat Rumvolt to carry out the work.

The main aims involved: conserving and restoring semi-natural landscapes; positively enriching the visual landscape; and maintaining traditional rural skills.

RDP funds were used to fund the costs of work involved in restoring 220 meters of dry-stone walls. Actions included: clearing vegetation from around dilapidated walls; identifying and digging up original stones that had fallen, become buried or been moved; sourcing new stones to fill gaps; and re-constructing the walls to their original condition.

220 meters of dry-stone walls have been restored, providing a boost to the quality of semi-natural landscape features in Matsalu National Park. Outcomes improve the Park's overall attractiveness and capacity to act as a rural tourism destination for the local economy. The walls also offer valuable habitats for amphibians, reptiles, small mammals and birds. Such ecological value of the stone walls is expected to increase in the future as the walls mature.

Planning for this type of work is important to ensure the timing is correct for accessing the walls and completing the work on deadline. Seasonal and climatic variations need to be factored in from the outset. Ecological considerations also need to be integrated to ensure minimum disturbance to the surrounding (National Park's) natural heritage.

Metsküla, Lihula vald, Läänemaa, Estonia

Lääne-Eesti

Estonia

5 900

4 720

1 180

https://www.rmk.ee/subject-headings/for-hikers/national-parks/matsalu-national-park

Hellat Rumvolt

hellatrumvolt@gmail.com

+372 534 234 79

Estonian