LIFE Nature is an EU program that helps to fund the preservation actions for natural habitats and free-living flora and fauna. Based on biologists' expertise on plant associations of dry grasslands in Kozjansko, the EU Committee approved the project titled »Preserving dry grasslands on the Vetrnik and the Oslica”. What are dry grasslands? The turf is extremely thin and there is only little soil. Grasslands are sloping, and owing to the rock structure, water drains away very quickly.

The project took 3 years, to the end of 2003. It brought along numerous improvements in preservation of cultural landscape and habitats.

The results of our project are:

• a management plan for dry grasslands on the Vetrnik and on the Oslica
• the network of all grassland owners
• draft technical plans
• financial substitutes for the owners
• renaturation of high grasslands turning into forest (approximately 20 hectares)
• individual technical plans for particular polygons
• acquisition of appropriate logistic support for taking action
• establishment of permanent monitoring of the project area