summer work Furttal

To the north of Zurich, the Furttal valley stretches east-west from Regensdorf to Würenlos. There are no fewer than 24 cantonal nature reserves here, between intensively used agricultural land, which is used for vegetable and herb production, among other things. These nature reserves are characterized by a strong structure and high diversity. For example, reed beds that have become waterlogged due to slope outcrops are located directly next to dry meadows. Since 1991, the railway embankment of the former "Schipkabahn", a disused railway line between Baden and Bülach, has also been part of the protected areas. In addition to its connecting function (approx. 3.4 km of the disused railway embankment and approx. 1.8 km of the SBB railway embankment in use in the municipalities of Otelfingen and Buchs are protected), the railway embankment also has a great variety of structures: the gravelly track bed loved by reptiles - nutrient-poor, south-facing dry meadows - wet areas caused by slopes and former cable shafts - species-rich hedges and woody plants as well as some old oak stands.

The volunteers from the Nature Network are responsible for maintaining the areas alongside local farmers, foresters and nature conservation associations. In the summer months, in addition to smaller jobs, there are two time-intensive areas of work:

From May to November, the volunteers regularly walk through all nature reserves to effectively combat invasive neophytes. In this way, the goldenrod ( Solidage canadensis and S. gigantea ), the fleabane ( Erigeron annuus ) and other problem plant species are pushed back, thus allowing more space for the diverse, native plant populations.

Between June and November, various meadow areas - including the entire railway embankment - are mown by the volunteers using blade mowers and brush cutters. Depending on the type of meadow, mowing takes place once or twice a year. The time of cutting also varies depending on the type of meadow. This allows the diverse vegetation to be taken into account. In addition, the staggered mowing and the retreat strips left standing (at least 10% of the mown areas) ensure that there is always a sufficient supply of food and retreat areas for small animals. After the cuttings have been left for a few days, the volunteers return. Now everything is raked up by hand. Where possible, the volunteers rake the cuttings into grubs, which are then loaded up mechanically by local farmers and taken away. Where this is not possible, the volunteers pull the cuttings using tarpaulins or the self-made trolley on the old tracks to our vehicles, where they can load them up for transport.