On May 28-29 2016 a seminar called “Shebenik Jabllanic National Park protection and better livelihood in Rajca buffer zone” was organized by the Organic Agriculture Association (OAA), Albanian partner on the ETNAR project.
The first day of the seminar was dedicated to the situation in National Park Shebenik Jabllanic and its importance for protection of natural resources in Albania. Another very important topic discussed were the opportunities for sustainable development of local communities in the buffer zone, including Agro-tourism and cultivation of an endangered berry Vaccinium vitis idaea. Also discussed were the ways in which Bern Convention can be used as an effective tool for protecting the National Park, with an example of the campaign to protect National park Mavrovo in Macedonia presented by our project partners from Eko-svest. After the lunch, participants traveled to the Bardhaj village where they had a meeting with the local community.
The second day of the event was dedicated to a field trip to the National Park with the participants having the opportunity to learn about its main characteristics from a biologist, forest engineer and a local guide.
This event was organized as an activity within “Advocacy NGOs networks for sustainable use of energy and natural resources in the Western Balkans and Turkey – ETNAR”, an EU funded project from the IPA civil society partnership framework programme.