Official Opening of the White Carpathian House of Nature

The modern visitor centre is located in the historical part of the town of Veselí nad Moravou, entrance gate to the White Carpathians (Bílé Karpaty) Protected Landscape Area. The White Carpathian House of Nature was this day officially opened by Environment Minister Petr Hladík and Jan Grolich, Governor of the South Moravian Region. It is part of the House of Nature programme realised by the Czech Nature Conservation Agency in collaboration with local partners. The White Carpathian House of Nature is operated by its investor, a local branch of the Czech Union for Nature Conservation (CUNC).

“I love the South Moravian nature and I always like coming back here. I therefore welcome the creation of a House of Nature whose educational activities will not only inform about the unique White Carpathians, but particularly show how to protect them. Children, students and adults will find a range of activities here and a playful exposition taking them through the local world of animals, forests and meadows. It is another occasion to build our relationship with nature and enjoy caring about it. That is why I am pleased that the Ministry of the Environment has been able to support this modern visitor centre with a subsidy of nearly 72 million crowns,” says Environment Minister Petr Hladík.

The visitor centre was built at the site of an eco-centre which provided information and education on the White Carpathian nature for nearly thirty years.

“We have been thinking for a long time who should guide visitors to the House of Nature along the exposition. In the end, we decided on a resident of the White Carpathian forests and meadows, the Aesculapian snake, as the entire exposition is based on playfulness and interactivity. The largest space is of course dedicated to the unique White Carpathian meadows. However, the House of Nature is not just an exhibition, but also a space for playgroups, while adults may look forward to topical lectures, field trips and other activities. Building this House of Nature was not easy, so we are very grateful for the support we received from the South Moravian Region and the Municipality of Veselí nad Moravou,” explains Jitka Říhová of CUNC.

“This year, three Houses of Nature are opened in South Moravia: in addition to the White Carpathians also for Pálava and Hodonínská Dúbrava. They will be a place where visitors can learn more about the uniqueness of these Moravian sites. For this reason, we have financially supported all of them. The Region has provided more than 10 million crowns for this House of Nature in Veselí nad Moravou alone,” Jan Grolich, Governor of the South Moravian Region, adds. “Support of the House of Nature concept is very important for our Region – for education and tourism development, as well as for involvement of the public, especially the younger generation, into protection of the beautiful South Moravian nature. In short: we have a lot to be proud of, but therefore also much to protect.”

“We have conceived the House of Nature programme after a model that works also elsewhere in the world. Houses of Nature orientate visitors in an area, and provide them with basic information and facilities. We want to present areas of various nature to show how diverse our nature and landscape is. We would like people to leave with a good idea of what to do to keep it that way,” František Pelc, Director of the Czech Nature Conservation Agency, explains.

The White Carpathian House of Nature consists of two interconnected buildings. The original historical building on Bartolomějské Square was completely reconstructed. The other one is a new building in low-energy style. Part of the exposition is located here, on two floors. It includes a studio for practical activities (not only for children), but also for various workshops and courses.

The first section of the exposition introduces the visitor to the entire Carpathian Arc, and in drone images also to the most interesting places of the White Carpathians. The second part is dedicated to forests, presenting typical woodland residents such as clouded Apollo, Carpathian blue slug, and rosalia longicorn, and stressing the importance of deadwood. The largest space is taken in by the section on meadows, the biodiversity of the local grasslands and their management. Eight stories taking place on the meadows during the year unfold here – from the overwintering of plants and animals through the germination of orchids and development of the blue butterfly to the origination of fairy rings. Visitors can also listen to the sounds made by the corncrake, a grasshopper and the field cricket, or view seeds of common meadow herbs.

In the new building, the connection between the underground and the aboveground is presented. Here, visitors can watch various films about soil life and nature of the White Carpathians or play an interactive game. The Tips for Trips panel presents 20 outings including route descriptions and a list of natural and cultural attractions.

The outdoor spaces offer a model of the Morava River with its meanders, showing how to retain water in the landscape. There is also a natural garden here with an insect hotel, deadwood, compost, a herb bed, a species-rich grassland, rare weeds, and plants of open-canopy forests.

The official opening of the White Carpathian House of Nature on Friday 15 March 2024 was attended by 120 guests.

The ribbon cutting was performed by Petr Hladík (Minister of Environment), Jan Grolich (Governor of the South Moravian Region), Petr Kolář (Mayor of the Municipality of Veselí nad Moravou, František Pelc (Director of the Czech Nature Conservation Agency), Michal Renát (representative of the Syner company), and Jitka Říhová (representative of the Bílé Karpaty branch of the Czech Union for Nature Conservation).