The mayor of Radkov, Petr Dubový, and NGOs Arnika and civic association Radkov had met and agreed to work together to save a local avenue. The concrete proposed steps to save the avenue count on an active involvement of local citizens in treating the trees and dealing with authorities regarding support from public financial sources.
Preserving the avenue is a priority for the mayor of Radkov, Petr Dubový. "I would like to keep the avenue as a walkway for pedestrians and cyclists and I strive for cooperation of villages and their citizens in this matter. The historical and aesthetic value of the avenue is very important to us. We would like to plant new trees to replace those that have been cut down because of poor state of health. I am glad that there are such devoted people in our village, in which I count also the members of the civic association Radkov, as well as members of Arnika who have experience saving the avenues all over the Czech Republic and who have offered a helping hand," comments the mayor on the meeting.
According to the participants of the meeting, the crucial part is involving the local citizens. "We would like to include the local citizens in the life of the avenue. We are able to supply volunteers for simple maintenance such as trimming branches under expert supervision or clearing the brushwood. What about stopping the traffic through the avenue for one day? Then the people could walk through the avenue, take their children for a walk or a stroll," suggests Tomáš Skalík from the civic association and adds that they plan a "Day for the avenue" this year.
Since the avenue lines a road that is the only road connecting more settlements, other parties are interested as well. Local activists have turned to the Center for Citizen's Support at Arnika. "Arnika still continues to negotiate with Radkov, Vítkov and the road administration of Moravia-Silesia and tries to find a common ground for all interested parties. A common goal has to be to preserve the unique avenue in Radkov," says the expert on tree protection RNDr.Marcela Klemensová from Arnika.
Some lime trees in the avenue have already succumbed to the ravages of time, some of them are in a bad shape and their future is uncertain. It is therefore necessary to start with the regeneration of the avenues as soon as possible. The experts also took samples from the branches of the lime trees from the avenue and examined them closely in a genetic laboratory. The results will help to uncover new facts about the planting of the avenue and to select an appropriate method for the current renewal.
Supported by a grant from Switzerland through the Swiss Contribution to the enlarged European Union and the German Federal Environmental Foundation.
