Our field studies centre Krupárna – The Mill

A Rocha Czech’s centre, Krupárna (”the mill”) is located on a river valley near Dobruška, in Northeastern Bohemia, surrounded by 2.5 hectares of meadows and forests, and within thirty kilometres of the ecologically important Eagle Mountains, Grandmother’s Valley and the Rozkoš reservoir. Krupárna is an old, spacious building that was originally a grain mill, then a textile mill. A stream that used to power an old-fashioned water wheel still runs through the building; we intend to install a turbine that will provide an alternative, water-powered source of electricity.

After extensive renovation of The Mill, we’ll have two large classrooms with space for nature exhibitions, smaller common rooms, a library, office, workshop, small kitchen and a storeroom. The other half of the building is residential and will provide apartments for two A Rocha families. In the attic that encompasses the whole building, we’ll have a large dormitory and smaller guestrooms, with a capacity for about twenty-five visitors and volunteers.

Krupárna will enable us to expand our educational, ecological and environmental programmes for elementary and secondary schools. It will also provide a base for university volunteers engaged in conservation research and practical fieldwork. We also envision an office in the centre for a researcher and advisor in the field of ecological agriculture.

If you would like more information on Krupárna, please contact czech@arocha.org.