Habitat creation on disused clay pits in Zalog, Slovenia

Clay mining in the clay pits of Zalog (Straža municipality) ceased several decades ago. The once degraded mining area became an interesting place of biodiversity, but if the natural processes in a man-made habitat remain intact, the area may soon become overgrown. Extensive restoration works have been planned and carried out, including the creation of vegetation-free islands and water channels, an artificial nesting site for Sand Martins, ponds for amphibians and infrastructure for visitors (nature trail, observation tower, shelters for bird watching…).

The restoration works were completed in November 2020.