The City of Brno has again launched a range of sustainable, locally produced gifts, with the money raised contributing to the care of greenery and zoo animals in the city. Credit: Pocket media
Brno, Dec 13 (BD) – Last year, the City of Brno created a collection of #pripravbrno souvenirs and gifts, including wine from local winemakers and coffee from a local roastery. This year, the collection has been complemented by cloth bags for bread, fruit nets, glass bottles, and stainless steel thermos flasks.
These gifts have the added value of their proceeds going to the city company, Brno Public Greenery (VZMB). The money will be used for the care of special trees. The CZK 60,000 collected so far has gone to ash and horse chestnut trees in Špilberk, which underwent soil grouting and microinjection. “Soil grouting improves moisture conditions and aerates the soil around the tree,” explained Tomáš Trnka from VZMB. “It is an application of a hydrogel with water using a powerful compressor. Horsetail microinjection helps against the horseradish pest. The active substance is applied by special injection through a valve directly into the tissues of the tree. This is how the horse chestnut is treated for about two years, so there is no significant infestation and premature leaf fall.”
The collection is available to view at the TIC Brno office on Panenská or online.
Adopt a meerkat or an oak
The Brno iD platform gives the public an opportunity to do good deeds. The new “Send a Tree a Wish” application has been there since mid-November, allowing users to contribute to the care of a specific tree (minimum CZK 100) or even adopt it (for a contribution of CZK 500 or more). The project includes about 130 young trees from recent plantings and several monumental giants, all of which are included on a map in the application.
The Brno Zoo iD module offers a similar option. Here, too, the minimum contribution is set at CZK 100. This year, the zoo has already received 834 wishes with a total value of CZK 214,237.
Amounts in the tens of crowns can be donated directly to the animals’ food. For example, a pear for a meerkat will cost 20 crowns, and for 60 crowns you can treat a bear to a mackerel. And as they say, pennies add up; this year almost half a million crowns have been donated to the zoo in this way.
While you do not need an account on Brno iD to purchase wishes or virtual feeding, you do need it to adopt or sponsor an animal at Brno Zoo. Adoptions start at CZK 500, for which you can become an adoptive parent of a turtle, budgie or piranha. You can also contribute to the breeding of “more expensive” animals – the most expensive is the adoption of a Congo lion, which costs CZK 60,000. The smallest amount is set at CZK 500 and in these cases, when it does not cover the entire adoption, the donor is listed as a “breeding contributor”. Thanks to adoptions, the zoo has received CZK 4,160,376 this year!
From the markets to the comfort of your home
Most stalls remain closed due to anti-epidemic government regulations. However, anyone who would still like to check out the Christmas products and support the sellers can use the virtual marketplace.
