Let’s save valuable steppes and meadows from plowing

Initiative: Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group

Location: Mykolaiv Oblast

Year: 2020-2021

Thanks to the specific climate in the south of Ukraine, the area boasts several valuable ecosystems that have a unique composition of fauna and flora. However, these localities in (not only) the Mykolaiv region have repeatedly been the target of illegal plowing and farming operations, especially by agribusinesses. The agribusinesses first lease land in close proximity to these valuable sites and gradually expand their production into these precious lands. Therefore, the Ukrainian Nature Conversation Group decided to permanently protect these areas from illegal use by campaigning for the designation of some of them as protected areas. This status significantly increases the chance of valuable ecosystems being able to continue to fulfill their irreplaceable function in maintaining biodiversity and retaining water in the landscape.