In May, we organized a study visit to the Czech Republic for colleagues from Moldova. With representatives of there state institutions, protected areas, NGOs and volunteer inspectors, we visited four protected areas, a sustainably managed commercial forest and one of the largest river revitalizations in the Czech Republic.
During the intensive week-long trip, we not only learned about the natural values of the protected areas and their management, but also, and above all, about the European approach to nature conservation. We focused on the Czech experience with the implementation of the Natura 2000 network, the division of competences between Czech nature protection institutions and the activities of nature guards in our country, their legislative protection, equipment and practical experiences.
Of great importance was the meeting of rangers from Moldova with a representative of the European Ranger Federation (ERF), who introduced the participants to the possibilities of cooperation and the wide range of training courses for rangers that the ERF regularly organises in a number of countries.
Have a look at moments from the trip in the photo gallery.
"It's inspiring to see how there is a priority given to eco-education and building relationships between rangers and the public, instead of fines, which are seen as a last resort," said Nicolae Nastasi, representative of the Moldovan Association of volunteer inspectors. "I also hope that we will establish cooperation with the ERF, which is a great opportunity for the Moldovan association," he added. Marius Cat from the Moldovan Environmental Protection Agency highlighted the high emphasis on natural resource monitoring and its role in the context of the country's accession to the EU.
The programme and materials from the study tour can be found here.
In addition to education, participants also appreciated the positive impact of the study tour on relationships between individuals, which can then be reflected in cooperation between institutions and with NGOs. The trip was held in a very friendly atmosphere, also thanks to the open and helpful attitude of the representatives of czech protected area administrations and other sites we visited, which resulted in a warm thank you for how welcome the participants felt in the Czech Republic.
The study tour was implemented within the framework of the project "Czech Support for a Better Management of Protected Areas in Moldova", implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Challenge Fund and "Natura 2000 Moldova: Promoting a European Approach to Nature Conservation in Moldova" with the support of the Transition Promotion Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
