Our project (LIFE24-NAT-PL-Control IAS for LIFE) is gaining momentum. On 17 April this year, we visited Wrocław to meet with the city authorities and the team of specialists involved in the project’s implementation.
Both meetings were related to Action T.2.2: Development of procedures to limit the introduction of alien plant species into urban areas, including allotments, as planned in the project. As part of this activity, the following is planned: collecting existing data on invasive alien plant species (IAPS) identified within the city, conducting an inventory of IAPS in various habitat types (field surveys), assessing the availability of IAPS in garden centres in Wrocław and its immediate surroundings, and analysing the routes by which IAPS are introduced into the city.
The results obtained will be used to prepare a final report, containing, among other things, procedures and regulations limiting the introduction of IAS, a map of IAS plant distribution, and recommendations (action plans) for priority routes of IAS plant introduction into the city.
The meeting with representatives of the Environmental Protection Department of Wrocław City Council took place in a very positive atmosphere. The scope of tasks to be carried out by the project team and by the City was agreed. Both parties are looking forward to fruitful cooperation and the development of results that will assist the Wrocław authorities in managing green spaces whilst addressing the issue of invasive alien species.
We met with the team of specialists at the Faculty of Biological Sciences of the University of Wrocław, which is situated in the immediate vicinity of the picturesque University of Wrocław Botanical Garden. During the meeting, the principles of cooperation in implementing activities in Wrocław were discussed, in particular the scope of work of individual team members (numbering 21 people), the method of recording IAS sites, and the methods of collecting and organising data on invasive plant species in the city.
