Maarjavälja green area will have sheep, meadows and berry bushes
In collaboration with the University of Tartu and the city of Tartu, the green area in the Maarjavälja district will become an urban nature oasis where residents can experience a rich natural environment without leaving the city.
On the field between Viljandi road and the Physicum and Chemicum buildings of the University of Tartu, various methods will be tested to enrich urban nature, providing benefits for wildlife and a beautiful and healthy living environment for people. Sheep will spend their summer in the green area, which will also feature a diverse plant community and an outdoor classroom. Local companies are invited to showcase and test their innovative and sustainable solutions in the green area.
Merle Karro-Kalberg, the landscape architect of the Maarjavälja demo area and Junior Research Fellow in Urban Ecology at the University of Tartu, said that Maarjavälja will become a place where one can get to know meadow plants, watch sheep grazing, and contribute to diversifying the urban space. “We want to create a place where people can encounter a rich natural environment in their daily urban life, even unintentionally. For children and young people, there will be free-play areas that combine play and being in nature. At Maarjavälja, one can jump on tree stumps, climb hills, play hide and seek in the bushes, and build something from branches,” said Karro-Kalberg.
At the end of May, a flock of Gotland sheep will move to the green area, taking over the mowing and maintenance of the grassland from machines. In a district historically occupied by gardens and pastures, maintaining meadows with the help of sheep has been a tradition. Additionally, the sheep bring joy to people, and everyone is welcome to make friends with them during the summer. The sheep can be petted if they agree to that, but not fed, as their digestion is delicate. Last year, the same flock was present at the Supilinn Festival, and they also maintained the green area of Tartu University Hospital. This experience showed that being in the urban environment and around people suits the sheep, so this year they will have the opportunity to graze on urban pasture for longer.
The project will bring vibrant life to the university’s green area. When the project leaders came to us with the idea, we immediately agreed to let them use the vacant green area to test new solutions. During the project, researchers will find ways to increase biodiversity in the city of Tartu and offer an enriching environment for people living and working in the surrounding buildings. It would be wonderful to explore the green area during a summer lunch break and gain new knowledge about the local nature.
In addition to creating a close-to-nature environment for people, the second major goal of the area is to test out ways to increase the biodiversity of urban green areas. Experimental plots for meadow restoration are planned to be set up in Maarjavälja, providing valuable information for University of Tartu researchers on creating and restoring meadows. Merle Karro-Kalberg explained that for creating meadows, various methods will be tested: native plant species grown in Estonia will be sown, soil enriched with mycorrhiza from donor areas will be brought in, and new meadow patches will be established to spread the seeds.
“With meadow experiments, we must remember that the development of communities takes several years and requires some patience. At the same time, this gives both the residents and researchers a good opportunity to calmly observe the meadow experiment from an ecological and social perspective. In a few years, we will know better which methods work for both urban nature and people. We can then use this knowledge more confidently to increase the biodiversity of the city’s public green spaces,” said Karro-Kalberg.
The demo area will also feature plant species that often evoke mixed emotions. Visitors will be invited to explore native hemp plants and navigate a nettle maze. People tend to disregard nettles and banish them from their gardens, but they actually play a very important role in the ecosystem. First and foremost, nettles are crucial food plants for the caterpillars of many butterfly species, helping to maintain urban biodiversity. Additionally, the shrub layer that is often lacking in the city will be fostered: berry bushes will be planted in the green area, which are suitable for birds and offer a treat for people passing by.
In the Maarjavälja demo area, the university will also collaborate with the soon-to-be-opened Rural Curiosity Centre (maaelu uudishimukeskus, MUHK) of the Estonian Agricultural Museum. To mark its new permanent exhibition “Barn Symphony”, the centre will support urban nature by bringing manure to fertilise the plants in the demo area.
The creation of the Maarjavälja demo area is supported by the UrbanLIFEcircles (Tartu ROHEring) project of the LIFE programme, which aims to improve the living environment for both urban nature and people.
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