Snail promotion in the Basel region

In 1910, the Basel-based naturalist Fritz Heinis collected zebra snail shells here at Schillingsrain, which are now kept in the museum in Liestal. Amazingly, it is still found here: otherwise, the once common species is currently only known from two locations in the canton of Basel-Landschaft. However, the population has declined sharply since Heinis' time. It can now only be found, along with the bulbous grain snail, in places with pronounced pasture steps in the barrenest part of the adjacent lean pasture within the municipal nature reserve. The potentially endangered western heath snail is even more widespread in the pasture.

In order to stop the further decline of the endangered snail species in dry meadows and pastures at least locally, the Hot Spots association has launched a concrete support project for endangered snail species in the cantons of AG, BE, BL, TG and ZH, which will run from 2017 to 2020. As part of this project, the Nature Network is allowed to recultivate one of these support areas.

All endangered snail species in the TWW depend on a high proportion of open, sunny soil. Ideally, the small open soil areas take up around 50–75% of the area of a habitat and are closely interwoven with the herb layer.

With their loose, limestone-rich and rather nutrient-poor soil, the road embankments exposed to the SE and WSW under the ESB car park and west of the railway line are very well suited to the re-expansion of the populations of zebra snails & Co. For this purpose, the embankments were carefully cleared of bushes by the nature network in the winter of 2017/18. This work was continued in 2019 over five days of work and the areas are now gradually taking on the shape of a species-rich dry meadow.

As soon as their vegetation structure has developed sufficiently, some of the zebra snails, bulbous grain snails and western heath snails will be relocated from the Schillingsrain pasture so that they can reproduce accordingly; unfortunately, they cannot get here on their own. Another species that is to be re-established is the thyme snail, an original faunal element of Liestal. However, the four species will only be able to establish themselves and survive if their habitat is cared for in the long term in a way that is appropriate for them. In addition to regular mowing, this includes maintaining open areas of ground, removing emerging woody plants and consistently combating invasive neophytes.

Not only the snail species in question benefit from the measures, but also many other rare animal and plant species.