Recultivation of the Zelgli ruderal area
Realized:
2020
performed by:
Naturnetz Mittelland
In 2011, in the municipality of Schlieren, the northern border around the artificial turf football pitch Zelgli, along the Zelgliweg, was transformed into a colorful, species-rich ruderal area. The eastern half of the ruderal area still has its typical perennial vegetation. The western 50m have been heavily overgrown with grass in recent years and now resemble more of a meadow than a ruderal area. Partial recultivation was necessary to preserve a ruderal area. For the time being, this will be limited to the grassy western part of the area (around 200m2).
As part of this reprofiling of the ruderal area, the first step was to remove humus from the nutrient-rich topsoil in the area of the ruderal area using an excavator. Care was taken to protect the existing bushes. The civil servants carefully separated the fine, sandy, humus-rich material from the reusable stoneware (wall gravel/stones/debris), removed the old fleece so that no legacy waste was left behind and redesigned the gravel strip along the fence. Fresh boulders, root stumps, wall gravel, debris and sand were transported and installed to give the ruderal area a mosaic-like structure with various niches. Last but not least, the ruderal area was freshly sown.