News from the Meadow

We're overjoyed — the Meadow has two new residents. We've taken in two donkey beauties, Tonička and Elvíra, so our Karel finally has companions of his own kind.

Tonička is dark as dusk, with a white blaze on her muzzle and a temperament that likes to size everything up calmly before coming any closer. Elvíra is brown, with big fluffy ears, and never misses a thing at the fence. They're settling in the donkey way — slowly and thoroughly: new smells, new sounds, a new herd. But they've already shared their first moments over the hay.

Karel and his poorly leg

Karel is getting to know them a little more carefully than we'd wish — his leg is sore, so he's resting and being kept an eye on. He's getting the care he needs, and we're rooting for him to be back on his feet soon. Donkeys are herd animals and solitude suits them least of all, so we're sure that having two friends beside him will be the best medicine Karel could get.

Thank you to everyone who helps us open the door to more animals. Without you we'd have nowhere to welcome Tonička and Elvíra.

Winter is approaching relentlessly and our hay barn stands empty. Hay prices have doubled this year and we have to haul supplies from far away, which makes transport more expensive too. The Meadow is home to around 93 rescued animals — cows, sheep, Karel the donkey, a mouflon, pigs, rabbits, dogs, cats and poultry — and through the winter, when the pasture gives nothing, everything comes from the hay barn. That's why we're launching a hay and straw fundraiser for the winter of 2026/2027: we're raising 100,000 Kč, of which roughly 85,000 Kč goes to hay and straw and the rest to transport.

You can donate by card or bank transfer through Darujme.cz — a trusted donation portal operated by the Via Foundation. And if you can't donate right now, sharing the fundraiser helps a lot too. Thank you for helping us fill the hay barn!

We're overjoyed — our Louka Run game is officially out on Google Play! The review is behind us and you can now download the Android app straight from the store. No ads, no tracking and no in-game purchases — and all the proceeds go toward caring for the animals you run as in the game.

And as promised: soon we'll launch a big contest for whoever runs the farthest, with a beautiful handmade prize. So download it, run and train — and follow us so you don't miss the start of the contest!

We're overjoyed — we've launched our very own game, Louka Run, on our website! It's an endless runner where you play as our real animal residents: Karel the donkey, Pogo the sheep, Avala the cow, Flíček the piglet, Yakul the mouflon and Květa the cow. Each character has abilities based on its real personality, and every run ends well — we are a sanctuary, after all. You unlock access to the game with a donation for the animals, so you get to run and help at the same time.

And that's not all! The game is already awaiting approval on Google Play. Once the app is out, we'll hold a big contest: whoever runs the farthest wins a beautiful handmade prize. So keep training — and follow us so you don't miss the start of the contest!

We're delighted — two new residents arrived today! They're two-month-old sheep named Malvína and Rozárka. They're already settling in beautifully with our whole flock and bleating adorably. We're sure they'll feel right at home with us.

We've got great news — we're announcing the dates of our upcoming events at the Meadow! Summer and autumn here will be packed with gatherings, and we warmly invite everyone who wants to get involved and spend time among the animals, nature and good people.

Look forward to the Loukáda on 21–23 August and again on 4–6 September, the Spolu Mezi Lesy festival on 11–13 September, and a walk together on 26–27 September. You'll find all the dates laid out clearly on our events page.

We'll be adding programme details bit by bit, so follow us so you don't miss anything. We're really looking forward to seeing you!

We've written up what 2025 was like at the Meadow — month by month, with everything that life at a sanctuary brings. The arrivals of new residents and painful farewells, work weekends, fundraisers, the pumpkin season and new hopes for the year ahead.

We take you through the whole year just as we lived it. Read our first annual report right here on the website — and enjoy new photos from life at the Meadow too.

Our Spolu Mezi Lesy weekend — a three-day gathering somewhere between a retreat and a festival, right at the Meadow — is moving to a new date. We'll now meet on 11–13 September 2026.

You'll find the full programme and sign-up on our Facebook event. We're looking forward to time together among the forests, the animals and good people.

Our beloved Siberian blondie, Máša the cat, has given us a bit of a scare these past few days. We found she has a poorly paw, which was causing her pain and keeping her from fully enjoying the usual feline pleasures.

We took her to the vet straight away, where she received all the care she needed. She was given painkillers for relief and antibiotics to treat any infection. Máša is brave and we're sure she'll recover soon.

This weekend we'll take her for a check-up to make sure the treatment is working and the paw is healing. We're rooting for her — and thank you for your support!

We're preparing an incredible adventure for you! We'll set out on a two-day journey through the Central Bohemian countryside in the company of dogs, a donkey, a mouflon and other animal friends. We'll sleep under the open sky, cook dinner over the fire with live music, and in the morning you can try a kung-fu-style warm-up. This will be an unforgettable time full of sharing and letting life flow!

We warmly invite you to another walk together, taking place on Saturday 11 April. We'll meet at 10:30 right here at the Meadow. We're looking forward to more lovely time spent together with the animals and with you!

Our March walk was absolutely magical! Nearly 40 of us came together and the atmosphere was full of joy. The animals thoroughly enjoyed the attention and company of the visitors. It was wonderful for us to share these moments with all the beings who came to see us.

Thank you so much for all your contributions and donations, which we deeply appreciate. And thank you too for the lovely photos and footage you shared with us.

Winter here is fairly peaceful — apart from the occasional chase after Kesy and some extra care for Julek the rooster. He's currently warming up in his little house and, out of gratitude, starts crowing as early as 4 in the morning. So we've got a reliable alarm clock sorted!

We're delighted that Hovory ze země came to visit. You can listen to Tomáš talking about our Meadow and the animals in the video.

The Valentine's walk was a great success! It was beautiful, and thank you so much to everyone who came, for your donations and for cuddling the animals. We all enjoyed it enormously.

Would you like to support our efforts and offer your products to a wide audience at the same time? We're looking for talented makers, craftspeople and artists who'd like to team up and sell their products through our e-shop. Every collaboration helps the animals!

Get in touch at info@nechmerust.org or on our Instagram.

From Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September, the Meadow turns for three days into something between a retreat and a festival. Spolu Mezi Lesy is a weekend where nature, animals, live music, intuitive art and movement meet — yoga and dynamic meditation in the morning, art therapy and creating together in the afternoon, authors reading their own work, a tea ceremony, music therapy and jams by the fire into the night. You sleep in your own tent right at the Meadow, and plant-based food is provided all weekend.

Capacity is limited, so don't wait. The full hour-by-hour programme, the price, accommodation and how to sign up are all on the festival's own page — and you can follow the run-up on the Facebook event.

The magical walk with the animals is behind us! We went for a stroll with the animals and it was magical. Thank you to everyone who came and helped create an unforgettable atmosphere. The animals loved it, and so did we!

🎉 We're thrilled to announce: the Meadow Shop is ONLINE! 🎉

After long preparations, our e-shop — the Meadow Shop — is finally open! By buying any product you directly support the running of our Meadow and the care of our animal residents. You'll find our own creations here as well as beautiful things from makers we're friends with.

Dear friends and supporters of the Meadow, autumn is slowly drawing to a close and we'd love to share with you everything that's happened here over the past few weeks. It's been a time full of contrasts — we experienced a huge wave of solidarity and the joy of recovery, but also demanding moments of battling the weather and illness.

The hay stores are bursting at the seams — thanks to YOU! 🌾

Let's start with the best news. Thanks to your amazing support in the fundraiser, we managed to fill the hay stores right to the roof! That's a huge relief for us. We know that whatever the winter brings, our little bellies will have plenty to eat. Thank you to every one of you who contributed. We couldn't have done it without you.

Pumpkin season and battling the winds 🎃💨

We've also come through an intense pumpkin season. We helped out at the Pumpkin World and ran our stall. It was hard work, but lovely. Sadly, nature showed us its strength and a strong wind destroyed our stall. But that too is country life, and we're not giving up. Meanwhile, at the Meadow we managed a big task — we successfully drained the cellar, which is key for the Meadow's facilities.

Princezna is recovering 🐷

As many of you know, our pig Princezna underwent a costly and demanding operation. We're happy to report that she's recovering! She's our great little fighter. Thank you for all the thoughts and contributions that helped secure her the very best care.

Hopes for December and a CALL to makers ✨

We're confident we'll all be back on our feet soon. We very much hope to see you at the last event of the year — the magical walk on 13 December. We also have a call for all talented makers! We're preparing the Meadow Shop and looking for original products that would delight our supporters and help the animals. If you create with love, get in touch!