Wetlands are among the richest – and at the same time among the most endangered – ecosystems. They purify water, protect us from floods and droughts, are among the most effective land-based carbon sinks, and provide refuge for thousands of plant and animal species. However, over the past century, most of Lithuania’s wetlands have been drained, converted into agricultural fields or forests, and with them, the invaluable benefits they provide to both people and nature have been lost.
Just a 20-minute drive south of Vilnius Airport, the White Vokė wetland complex opens up before your eyes. This vast territory, covering more than a thousand hectares, stands out from its surroundings because it is constantly waterlogged. Pools of water gather in places, Lake Papys stretches across the landscape, numerous bird species live here, rare plants grow, and beautiful morning mists often form. Few people know that seventy years ago, peat extraction began in this area, and the peat was used to heat the city of Vilnius. At the same time, the living natural environment was almost destroyed.
Today, the area has been designated as a habitat and bird protection site due to the rare bird and amphibian species found here, and Lake Papys has been declared an ornithological reserve. Yet despite this protected status, the impacts of peat extraction are still clearly visible: the land surface is scarred by drainage canals, artificial mounds have been piled up in places, and because the natural water regime has been disrupted, shrubs and trees not typical of such habitats have begun to grow on elevated areas.
The recovery of a damaged wetland occurs naturally, but it may take centuries or even millennia. In the context of climate change, it may not happen at all due to increasingly hot summers, reduced precipitation, and shifts in plant communities. However, restoration processes can be accelerated by applying appropriate conservation methods.
Natural recovery can also be supported by nature’s own “engineers.” Arūnas Samas, a researcher in ecology and environmental science at the Life Sciences Center of Vilnius University, highlights one of the most important creators of such ecosystems — the Eurasian beaver. “Beaver activity helps regulate water levels, slow down runoff, and restore the natural hydrological regime. These are essential conditions for maintaining stable wetland development and ensuring a high level of biodiversity at the landscape scale,” says the scientist.
Although it is impossible to return to the past and restore the same wetland that existed before peat extraction began, it is possible to give this territory both its former and new functions and structures, ensuring a rich abundance of rare plant, bird, and animal species.
The exhibition is part of the project “Wetland restoration in Lithuania and Latvia using integrated habitat restoration and maintenance methods” (LIFE MarshMeadows, No. LIFE20 NAT/LV/000273). The project brings together science, nature conservation, and local communities to restore the natural functions of wetlands and ensure that these areas once again become resilient to climate change, rich in life, and beneficial to people. The exhibition is organized by the Baltic Environmental Forum.
The exhibition can be viewed in the foyer and the central building on the second floor of the Life Sciences Center of Vilnius University until the 5th of April.