The Steppe: A Natural and Cultural Space of the Emerald Network Project
“The Steppe: A Natural and Cultural Space of the Emerald Network” is a project implemented by the Ukrainian Ecostation Network and Kholodnyi Yar National Nature Park. The project aims to conserve and promote the meadow-steppe ecosystems of Kholodnyi Yar, which form part of the natural heritage of both Ukraine and Europe. It contributes to ecosystem conservation, strengthens cross-sector cooperation, and promotes the region’s natural and cultural heritage.
Project objective: to develop a management system for the steppe habitats of Kholodnyi Yar National Nature Park, a site within the Emerald Network.
Through a travelling exhibition, field surveys and habitat mapping, training activities, and knowledge exchange among researchers, conservation institutions, and the public, the project supports data collection, fosters collaboration, and facilitates the implementation of modern approaches to steppe ecosystem conservation in line with European nature conservation practices.
Project locations:
- Cherkasy Oblast, Kamianka Urban Territorial Community, Kamianka.
- Cherkasy Oblast, Medvedivka Rural Territorial Community, Hrushkivka.
- Sumy Oblast, Popivka Rural Territorial Community, Vyrivka.
- Kyiv Oblast, Rzhyshchiv Urban Territorial Community, Balyko-Shchuchynka.
Implementation period: March–May 2026.
The initiative is implemented within the mini-grant competition “Support for Local-Level EU Integration Initiatives”, administered by the National Interests Advocacy Network “A N T S” as part of the project “Stronger Europe – A United Front for Advancing Ukraine’s EU Membership for Greater Resilience and Security”, funded by the European Union.
MATERIALS CREATED WITHIN THE PROJECT:
A travelling banner exhibition on the management of meadow-steppe habitats.
The exhibition presents the activities of the Ukrainian Ecostation Network, highlights the importance of conserving meadow-steppe biodiversity, and showcases successful practical examples from Hlyboki Balyky Ecostation and The Rock of Practical Botany Ecostation, where regulated grazing and traditional haymaking are used as tools for ecosystem restoration:
Report on the Survey of Meadow-Steppe Habitats within the Emerald Network Site “Kholodnyi Yar”, prepared as part of the project "The Steppe: A Natural and Cultural Space of the Emerald Network". Prepared by: Serhii Panchenko, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor.
