the nature educational trail „return to nature"

1. The nature educational trail „Return to nature"

A mining site provides a great variety of

landscapes and habitats that present low

disturbances from human activities. As a

leading cement and aggregates producer,

HeidelbergCement is committed to managing

biodiversity during and after extraction. In

more than 1000 quarries and pits worldwide

we strive to promote the exceptional local flora

and fauna. Through this proposal, which was

created under The Quarry Life Award we want to

raise the knowledge of the biological value

of mining sites and contribute to further

enhancing it.

We invite you to walk our nature trail.

If you want to know more download the application

The trail includes 15 point stops:

1. Welcoming board,

2. The historical alley of oaks

3. The area before exploitation,

4. Representative ecosystem,

5. Ruined reinforced concrete bridge

over the Bóbr River,

6. The diagram of aggregates,

7. The moraine hills in Turów,

8. Safety by the water,

9. Evaluation of the quality of water

and reading their state,

10. The Swans Island,

11. Viewpoint,

12. The monumental oaks,

13. The venerable Douglas fir,

14. The area after exploitation-

the directions of reclamation,

15. The world of plants and animals .

The proposed trail is the result of the work under the project "Valorization of the natural

environment, the educational and pro-ecological activities in the area of the Nowogród

Bobrzaoski Natural Resources Mine" submitted to 2nd edition of the Quarry Life Award.

2. The historical alley of oaks

Our educational nature trail starts in the alley

of historical red oaks (Quercus rubra). This

RETURN TONATURE alley is formed of 50 specimens of trees, and

the circuit in diameter at breast height, ie. at

the height of 130 cm, is within the range

from 194 to 366 cm. Selected specimens

reached monumental dimensions. The height

of the tallest tree is 23 m .

Did you know, that ...

This species originates from the eastern part

of North America, where it is the most common

species of oak and in Poland it is an introduced

species. It was brought to Poland in the

nineteenth century and as an invasive plant was

dangerous for the native flora.

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3. The area before exploitation

RETURN TO NATURE

Did you know, that.

Several cycles of the glaciations

occurred in the Pleistocene,

during which the Polish area was

partially or almost completely

covered by the continental

glacier. The ice sheet grew and

http://www.adam.krynicki.net/lo/mapy/pol_lodowiec.jpg

melted periodically during this

time, that is why the Pleistocene

glacial and glaciological

sediments are almost all over the

country.

Zeki Lake and the Area

Before Exploitation in 2010

The limits of glaciations

in Poland

The regular aggregate mining started

in 1963. The Bóbr River and the local

system of the drainage of the

ditches formed primarily the

hydrography of the area till this time.

Gradually, the mining was moving

from the flood barrier in the east

(about 500m), and then in the

northern direction (about 1000m).

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There was not a water reservoir in the place of

the current aggregate operation a few years ago.

The reeds grew and the water birds nested near

the shoreline of the existing reservoir called the

Turowski Lake ( Zeki). The tanks established in the

mine area in an artificial way, enrich the

hydrography of the land.


4. Representative ecosystem

More than an obligation

Representative ecosystems are areas

RETURN TONATURE dedicated to the nature dominion,

left intentionally with no human

interference. In the State Forests,

in hampered-access terrains, forestry

is not provided. In such terrains timber

is left to natural decomposition, which

contributes to the increase

of biodiversity in forest ecosystem..

Did you know, that

In timber may live:

•1500 species of fungi,

•1300 species of insects,

•More than 100 species

of invertebrates.

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In 2012 in local Forest Range of Krzystkowice due to the stormy weather big damages were noticed.

The nearest forest also suffered. Many trees were

uprooted or damaged. The left timber is a very

important element of forest ecosystem.


5. Ruined reinforced concrete

bridge over the Bóbr River

RETURN TO NATURE

The bridge visible in the pictures and

marked on the map was from

1937. It is the East Bridge.

It connected the old Theuern

City (today Turów) with the

Zeschau city (today Cieszów)

across the island on the Bóbr

River and the West Bridge.

The East and West Bridges were built in the early twentieth century.

Both have a reinforced concrete structure. In 1945, German troops blew

up a few bays on both bridges. They prevented the Russians the access

to the munitions factory, located in the nearby forests.

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Did you know, that

The Bóbr River has its origin in the Izerskie

Mountains in the East Karkonosze, near the town

of Bóbr in the Czech Republic. The river in the

whole of its course (272 miles) retains

the character of a mountain river, to the mouth

of the Odra River. The levees were built

in the years 1933-1936. The utensils of water

in the river reach a height of 7 m.

If you want to know more download the

application

6. The diagram of aggregates

RETURN TO NATURE

Did you know, that

The deposit of the natural

aggregate forms the quaternary

sediments of the accumulation

of the river developed

as a sandy- gravel forms and

multigrain sands. The aggregate

is extracted from the bottom

of the water reservoirs.

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7. The moraine hills

in Turów

RETURN TO NATURE

Did you know, that

Polish moraine hills are

mainly in the lake districts, as

a result of glacier activity.

In Poland, the highest

elevation of the moraine is

Wieżyca in Pomerania.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1GIlZa6nsgI/UNS6jTmkqRI/AAAAAAAAAGE/z6s-vSNVQ9s/s1600/lskan.jpg

moraine Lake ribbon lakes

glacier

less

sandur

glacial valley

sandur

frontal moraine

benthic moraine

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The landscape scheme formed by the glacier

Rock material deposited by a glacier

or moved under its pressure, creates

the diverse forms, such as hills, knolls,

embankments, etc.


8. Safety by the water

RETURN TO NATURE

Water, so hospitable for anglers,

charming with its beauty composed

in the landscape, has a power,

which requires respect and

imagination.

Disrespect of nature has already

taken a heavy toll of human

recklessness.

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Do not disregard that ban! It

is not a coincidence that

there are so many warning signs

along the lakeside. Swimming

in gravel-pit waters is very

dangerous: these reservoirs are

18 m deep, and locally may be up

to 26 m. The shores are steep and

can slide causing a threat.

Do not give in to the fatal temptation. Not far away from here, there is an equally

beautiful and safe place, it is a bathing beach

which meets the conditions for safe resting

by the water.


9. Evaluation of the quality of

water and reading their state

RETURN TO NATURE

Water analysis is an assessment of physic-chemical

parameters, as well as the biological assessment

of water quality based on the indicator organisms.

The indicator species may be a single species

or a group of species from the group of Protista,

plants and animals. Their presence or absence,

and the level of abundance are the evidence about

the state of water quality Did you know, that

The water gauge

is used for the

measurement

of water levels.

Its most important

Selected

physico-

chemical

parameters

of water

Tanks

during

operation

Tanks

during

operation

component is

the gauge patch

and scale.

pH

Hardness

6,4

soft water

6,8

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Clearness

Cl2-

[mg/l]

SO4 2-

[mg/l]

medium

0,8

200

large

0

It is worth noting that the process of operation does not

significantly affect the physic-chemical parameters

of water.


10. The Swans Island

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) is one of the largest

bird species in our country. The breeding area

of this species was restricted RETURN TONATURE to the north - eastern Poland and Silesia at

the beginning of the twentieth century.

The expansion of the species throughout the

country has begun since 1950s.

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Mute swan nest is a large platform built with

aquatic plants, mostly located on the edge of the

reeds, but slots are also created on the island or

in open water.


11. Viewpoint

RETURN TONATURE

The area is located in

the river valley,

surrounded by meadows, forests and

farmland.

The viewpoint is located on the top of the moraine hill with gentle

slopes and low altitude.

The landscape is anthropogenic, which

means that changes in the environment were created as a result of human activity.

In the mine area the effect of this activity is the creation of water reservoirs.

The mining area is expanded.

IT IS Clean air

The area around the mine is characterized by high

biodiversity.

Green forest Blue water Silence

IT IS NOT

Polluted air

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The water reservoir is subjected to reclamation.

Dying forest Polluted water Noise

In addition to the beautiful

views of the area around the

mine , it has other visionary

qualities, as seen above.


12. The monumental oaks

A natural monument is a legally protected creation

of nature, especially valuable

RETURN TONATURE for the scientific, historic, cultural and other

reasons. According to data from 2010

the number of natural monuments

in Poland was 36 316.

The marking

of natural

monument

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Oaks with monumental dimensions growing near

the mine buildings belong to the species

of English Oak Quercus robur. There are

two specimens with dimensions of circuit

DBH - 421 and 355 cm. Thicker oak tree has a

height of 27 m.


13. The venerable Douglas fir

Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii was

introduced to cultivation in Polish forests

RETURN TONATURE in 1833 and is considered to be one

of the most valuable species of foreign origin.

It grows up to 100 m in height in the areas

of Northern America from where it was

brought. It reaches a maximum height

of approx. 50m in Poland.

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Stately, venerable Douglas fir,

growing in the area around

the mine operating circuit,

has a trunk diameter at breast

height 238 cm and height - 18 m.


14. The area after exploitation-

the directions of reclamation

RETURN TO NATURE

Did you know, that

Reclamation is the

restoring of the usable

and natural values of

the devastated

and degraded areas by

the human activity.

Methods of recultivation of water

reservoirs are:

• removal of water bottom layer of

the lake,

• flushing,

• artificial aeration of lakes,

• inactivation of phosphorus,

• treatment and disposal of

sediments,

• removal of seston (suspension),

• economy of macrophytes,

• fishing biomanipulation.

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The area around the mine is

an attractive place of active

recreation and relaxation. The

swimming pool, water

reservoir were established

and stocked by the Polish

Angling Association. Gradually

the area is changing into the

shaped land of the ecosystem.


15. The world of plants

and animals (I)

Biodiversity includes all living organisms

RETURN TO NATURE

Did you know, that

in the analyzed area. All species play a role

in a complex system, which is the natural

environment, including the human. You can see

hundreds of interesting species of plants and

animals, including the protected species in the mine

and around the area.

Protection of species of plants is

a legal way to protect rare, wild

plants threatened with extinction.

THE PROTECTED SPECIES

SHOULD NOT BE DESTROYED,

PICKED, COLLECTED, SOLD,

PURCHASED AND TRANSPORTED

ACROSS THE BORDER OF THE

COUNTRY, ONE SHOULD NOT

DESTROY THEIR HABITATS!!!

Did you know, that

The plant located on the Red List of plants and Polish fungi,

in a group of species at the risk

of extinction- the rock cinquefoil Potentilla rupestris L.

The plant partially protected occurring in the mine -

the buckthorn

Frangula alnus

Invasive species is an alien species that spreads rapidly

and is a threat to the flora and fauna of the ecosystem, competing

with native species for ecological niche, as well as contributing

to the extinction of native species, for example robinia acacia

or loosestrife common.

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Robinia acacia Robinia pseudoacacia

Viola tricolor L Campanula patula L

The species of the spring flora, which feast

our eyes on the colours- the Paradise

for insects, are represented numerously

in the area of the mine.

If you want to know more download the

application

Lythrum salicaria

15. The world of plants

and animals (II)

One of the vulnerable groups of animals RETURN TONATURE are amphibians. 10 species, including frogs

of the genus Pelophylax, Rana, Hyla, natterjack toad

Epidalea calamita and toads Bombina species,

were inventoried in the mine area.

Edible frog Pelophylax kl. esculentus

The sand lizard Lacerta agilisi

and viviparous lizard Zootoca

vivipara, the Slow Worm Anguis

fragilis and the grass snake Natrix

natrix were found in the group

of reptiles.

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Brown long-eared bat Plecotus auritus

Natterjack toad

Epidalea calamita

Sand lizard Lacerta agilis

More than 180 species were

determined in the group of birds.

The bats dwelling in this area are

noteworthy particularly.


WORK CARD

The Nature Trail

"Return to Nature"

1. There is a great variety of landscapes and habitats in the mine area little disturbed by

the human activity. Which company manages over 1000 quarries and mines

around the world, including the mine aggregate in Nowogród Bobrzański and

promotes the protection of biodiversity through the organization of the "Quarry

Life Award"?

.

…………………………………………………………………

…………………….

2. This species comes from the eastern part of North America, where it is the most

common species of oak. It is an introduced species in Poland. It was brought to Poland

in the nineteenth century. It belongs to the invasive plants - dangerous for the native

flora. Give the name (Polish and Latin) of the tree, whose leaves and fruit you

can see in the drawing.

.………………

…………………………………………………………………………………

3. The deposits of minerals in Nowogród Bobrzański are the results of the glacier

activity. When did the exploitation of the aggregate begin in the mine?

.

…………………………………………………………………

4. There were big damages caused by the hurricane winds in the local Krzystkowice

Forest District in 2012. They also affected the nearby forest. Many of the trees were

uprooted or broken. The left dead wood is an important component of the forest

ecosystem. This whole area is called the representative ecosystem. Can we carry out

cleanup works (for example, remove the broken branches) in the area of the

representative ecosystem?

.

…………………………………………………………………

5. The landscape that we can see in the mine area was formed as a result of human

activity. How can we determine the character of this landscape - the landscape

transformed by man?

.

……………………………………………………………………

………………….

6. What does, the plaque with the image of our national emblem, ie. the eagle on

the green background, placed on the tree, mean?

.……………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………….

7. The area around the mine is an attractive place of active recreation and rest. The

bathing beach was built there and the water reservoirs are restocked by the Polish

Angling Association. What is called the human activity that seeks to restore the

utility and natural values of the devastated and degraded sites?

.

……………………………………………………………………

8. Name the two protected species of plants and four protected species of

animals in the mine area.

.

………………………………………………………….

.

………………………………………………………….

.

………………………………………………………….

.

………………………………………………………….

9. Two specimens of this species growing in the mine area are of monumental

dimensions. At what height was the circumference of these trees measured and

what kind of tree is this?

………………

The Work card was prepared by K. Walińska.

the nature educational trail „return to nature"

Environment