Nature conservationists report rare species sightings in Czech Republic

Nature conservationists in the Czech Republic are reporting significant sightings of rare and endangered species despite challenging weather conditions. In the Kolín region, periodic ponds created by the Huslík Land Association and the Czech Union for Nature Conservation (ČSOP) with support from the Veolia Foundation have become habitats for rare fauna. Following recent rainfall, these ponds saw the appearance of branchiopods, including the summer fairy shrimp, which is considered a ‘living fossil’ due to its ancient lineage.

In the Iron Mountains Protected Landscape Area near Podmoklany, hundreds of gentians (Gentiana pneumonanthe) have bloomed. Although drought has threatened many traditional habitats, these endangered plants have thrived in more humid locations. The Czech Union for Nature Conservation designated this as the ‘Year of Gentians’ to highlight the critical state of these plant populations, which are increasingly vulnerable to extreme heat and lack of moisture.