From 100 to nearly 250 hectares of land. From one completed restoration project to three, with another four in the works. These are the statistics from the past year, which was marked by growth for Refugium. We were able to achieve this growth thanks to new additions to our team—in the fall of 2025, two energetic ecologists joined us.
Ecologists Tomáš Havlík and Marek Rybár joined us during a turbulent time, as we were preparing to launch the natural habitat restoration project near Jakubov in the Doupov Mountains while simultaneously finalizing all the documentation for a large-scale project to revitalize the wetland meadows below the Heřmanický Pond dam in the Českolipsko region.
Both dove headfirst into these sometimes quite complicated processes, and after just under a year of working together, we can confidently say that today, along with our colleagues Eliška Kolomazníková and Prokop Svoboda, they form a well-coordinated team.
Ecologists Tomáš Havlík and Marek Rybár joined us during a turbulent time, as we were preparing to launch the natural habitat restoration project near Jakubov in the Doupov Mountains while simultaneously finalizing all the documentation for a large-scale project to revitalize the wetland meadows below the Heřmanický Pond dam in the Českolipsko region.
Both dove headfirst into these sometimes quite complicated processes, and after just under a year of working together, we can confidently say that today, along with our colleagues Eliška Kolomazníková and Prokop Svoboda, they form a well-coordinated team.
Let us introduce the newcomers:
Mgr. et Mgr. Tomáš Havlík
Field research and design of restoration projects
Mgr. et Mgr. Tomáš Havlík
Field research and design of restoration projects
Tomáš is a quiet force. He never speaks off the cuff, and when he does speak, you can be sure he has a deep understanding of the subject. At Refugium, he’s in charge of the biological oversight of our sites—each season, he monitors how they’re changing, how our management strategies are working, and whether any adjustments are needed. The reports he compiles form a key part of our restoration projects.
He studied zoology and then went on to earn a second master’s degree—this time in geology. This, combined with his practical experience in hydrogeology, helps him understand our degraded natural sites, where the water regime typically doesn’t function properly.
In the animal kingdom, Tomáš is most knowledgeable about several groups of insects and birds. He applied his zoological expertise for five years at Ekopontis, assessing the environmental impacts of various projects.
“I see Refugium as a project with a higher purpose—with a mission to restore lost life to the landscape, however clichéd that may sound, and to restore the essential capabilities that, through our own actions, it has so often lost. At the same time, I believe we can set examples of best practices that can inspire other entities, including government agencies.”
He studied zoology and then went on to earn a second master’s degree—this time in geology. This, combined with his practical experience in hydrogeology, helps him understand our degraded natural sites, where the water regime typically doesn’t function properly.
In the animal kingdom, Tomáš is most knowledgeable about several groups of insects and birds. He applied his zoological expertise for five years at Ekopontis, assessing the environmental impacts of various projects.
“I see Refugium as a project with a higher purpose—with a mission to restore lost life to the landscape, however clichéd that may sound, and to restore the essential capabilities that, through our own actions, it has so often lost. At the same time, I believe we can set examples of best practices that can inspire other entities, including government agencies.”
Mgr. Marek Rybár
Management and design of restoration projects
Marek is an ecologist with a soft spot for predators, especially the larger ones. Thanks to his roots near the High Tatras, he always knows exactly where to go to observe wolves or bears. He’s an excellent photographer, as evidenced by his patient and considerate documentation of some rare animal species in our region.
He studied terrestrial ecology and, after a brief stint at the Czech Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection, decided to join a company focused on regenerative agriculture. At the international company Carboneg, he was in charge of project management, and in addition to honing his managerial skills, he gained valuable insight into the issue of carbon (and other) offsets both in the Czech Republic and abroad.
Thanks to his proficiency with GIS software, he is also our go-to provider of map data, which is essential for every project.
“I love working and being out in the field, and I believe I have a solid foundation—from species identification to the assessment of ecological habitats. At the same time, I never want to position myself as an expert with a ‘monopoly on wisdom.’ At every site, collaboration with experts on various groups of organisms and habitats is essential, and my strength may well be my ability to understand and connect people from different fields, from ecologists and botanists to foresters and farmers.”
We’re rooting for Marek and Tomáš as they work to implement their visions, and we look forward to the next projects we’ll put together at Refugium. 🌱
You can find the full list of our core team and collaborating experts here.
He studied terrestrial ecology and, after a brief stint at the Czech Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection, decided to join a company focused on regenerative agriculture. At the international company Carboneg, he was in charge of project management, and in addition to honing his managerial skills, he gained valuable insight into the issue of carbon (and other) offsets both in the Czech Republic and abroad.
Thanks to his proficiency with GIS software, he is also our go-to provider of map data, which is essential for every project.
“I love working and being out in the field, and I believe I have a solid foundation—from species identification to the assessment of ecological habitats. At the same time, I never want to position myself as an expert with a ‘monopoly on wisdom.’ At every site, collaboration with experts on various groups of organisms and habitats is essential, and my strength may well be my ability to understand and connect people from different fields, from ecologists and botanists to foresters and farmers.”
We’re rooting for Marek and Tomáš as they work to implement their visions, and we look forward to the next projects we’ll put together at Refugium. 🌱
You can find the full list of our core team and collaborating experts here.