The “Prevention and utilization of Invasive Alien Species – PURE” project was carried out from January 1st, 2021, to April 30th, 2023. The Overall objective of the project was to secure natural biodiversity, safe, pure, and clean environment by preventing the spreading of the Invasive Alien Species (IAS) in the programme area. This objective defined the aims and the tools to reach these aims.
To fight Invasive Alien Species requires common effort from all of us, the local communities, property owners, local and government administration, and non-governmental organizations etc. The main question is how to recognize IAS and how to fight them in eco-friendly and effective ways. The “PURE” project tried to answer these questions by organizing awareness raising events in local communities and schools in the City of St. Petersburg, Leningrad Region, and South-Eastern Finland.
In the awareness rising events organized during the project implementation the focus was to disseminate information about Invasive Alien Plant Species such as Himalayan Balsam, Lupin and Hogweed. With the representatives of local communities was also organized practical bees. The project managed to educate a notable number of people from the different age groups. The youngest participant of these various events was 3 years old and the oldest over 70 years. The project also studied possibilities to develop and pilot new ways to mow down, collect, sort and store hogweed safely and tried to find out methods and technologies for hogweed utilization and processing.
The studies of possibilities to utilize and process Hogweed material in laboratory scale produced interesting results. The Hogweed material was studied as a source for useful oils and extracts and as a feedstock material for the biogas process. The project partners reached interesting results, which hopefully can be used in the future. It seems that hogweed contains chemical compounds which are widely used in cosmetics, in foodstuff etc. It seems also possible to produce energy from hogweed using biogas process.
Fighting the Invasive Alien Species is essential for maintaining and supporting the biodiversity of the environment. The project carried out small but concrete part in this fight. The project will continue its work by the online course about Invasive Alien Species. Also, the project publication and Guide for Teachers will be further available.
View this project in keep.eu
