Kaunas is a good example of how an urban center can engage in nature conservation through the involvement of the local community, academic institutions, and various organizations.
Botanical Garden of Vytautas Magnus University
One of the most important projects for preserving plant biodiversity is the 62.5-hectare Botanical Garden of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), founded in 1923. It houses a wide variety of indigenous and exotic plants and is home to numerous university lectures and research projects. The garden holds the biggest collection of Dahlias in Lithuania, with 1,481 types that can be seen blooming at the end of summer.
Šilainiai Project
In 2020, the Šilainiai Project focused on biodiversity and long-term strategies for public space in Kaunas, a city undergoing rapid changes. As part of the initiative, the Šilainiai Bees project highlighted the issue of dwindling food sources for bees due to overly short grass in the neighborhood. To address this, the project introduced the idea of creating “Meadow islands” — small, flowering areas that could provide a food source for bees. A pilot “Meadow island” was set up at Fort No. 8, which could serve as a model for other areas in the city.
Beyond bees, the project aimed to explore the broader biodiversity of the Šilainiai area, including animals, plants, and fungi. Recognizing that residents were proud of their green spaces but unaware of the threats they faced, the project sought to raise awareness about local wildlife and develop strategies to protect it. A key part of this effort involved creating a biodiversity map of Fort No. 8, a military heritage site now serving as a local park.
From April to September 2020, local residents were invited to contribute to the biodiversity map using the iNaturalist app. The project also planned a live event in June 2020 (potentially online due to quarantine restrictions) to engage the community in discovering and documenting the area’s flora and fauna. The map was expected to be released in autumn 2020.
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