Workers from the Podyjí National Park, collaborating with the Land Fund Association Hády, successfully eliminated a significant illegal dump located near Havraníky in the Znojemsko region. The operation involved transporting away a total of 115 tons of material, primarily remnants of shoe soles deposited by the state enterprise Gala before 1989. This cleanup was a part of ongoing efforts to manage invasive species, during which the waste was discovered hidden beneath non-native plants. The leader of the park's field service, Petr Lazárek, reported that the team initially located the dump in November but had to pause operations due to inclement weather.

The dump not only contained old shoe soles but also other waste, including glass, which had accumulated over the years. The area covered approximately 1,500 square meters and required the removal of contaminated soil alongside the refuse. After the removal, the next steps in the project will include reseeding the area with a mixture of native grasses and herbs, aiming to restore the natural habitat. The cleanup marks an important effort in maintaining the ecological integrity of the national park and addressing the historical pollution left from the communist era, highlighting the challenges of environmental management in post-communist countries.