The traveling exhibition Seeds for Life (Semena za življenje) was created as part of the project "Preserving Priority Meadow Habitat Types in Slovenia by Establishing a Seed Bank and In Situ Restoration" (LIFE FOR SEEDS).
The exhibition will be on display on the meadow in front of Bohinjka – the TNP Bohinj Centre – until the end of summer. It showcases fascinating and, unfortunately, now rare meadows from various regions of Slovenia, including those from the Alpine world.
Did you know that different types of meadows form on carbonate (alkaline/basic) and silicate (acidic) soils? Each type of meadow has its own characteristic plant species, and the life cycles of certain insects—such as butterflies—are strictly tied to them. If a plant species disappears, the butterfly disappears with it. Did you know that biodiverse meadows are threatened all across Europe, including Slovenia? They are endangered both by abandonment and by over-intensive agricultural use.
The exhibition is beautifully designed, easy to understand, and engaging. We often think a meadow is just a meadow—but that is far from the truth.
As part of the LIFE FOR SEEDS project, efforts are being made to protect these unique meadows in various ways. One of the most interesting methods involves harvesting seeds directly from them to create a very special seed bank.
You are warmly invited to visit Bohinjka to view this exhibition, as well as the permanent exhibition "More Than a Lake" (Več kot jezero) inside the centre.
To mark the 100th anniversary of the Juliana Alpine Botanical Garden in Trenta, the indoor exhibition is complemented by a jubilee showcase prepared by Špela Pungaršek, curator of botany at the Slovenian Museum of Natural History and head of the Juliana Alpine Botanical Garden.