NET – Managing our Natural and Cultural Heritage Assets.
Programme in Slovenia
5th – 11th July 2017
Themes.
ADAPTIVE APPROACHES TO SPECIES MANAGEMENT – Biodiversity in the forest (8 hours)
Slovenia is small but the greenest European country. We have very good management of biodiversity in forest. Together with the Forestry Institute participants will have theoretical and practical experience in the forest.
ENVIRONMENTAL INTERPRETATION – BRINGING NATURE TO PEOPLE – Biodiversity in the natural park. (8 hours)
Slovenia has natural parks which are located in different regions with typical biodiversity. Participants will have one day education in natural park Sečovlje. The aim of the regional park is to protect nature and preserve outstanding natural and cultural values, protection of native, rare and endangered plant and animal species, natural ecosystems and the characteristics of inanimate nature and the preservation and care of the cultural landscape. They strive for balanced and sustainable development, enabling visitors to experience the park, we developed research work and provide optimal conditions for living organisms. An important part of the park as well is educational and teaching work and managing protected areas.
CLIMATE CHANGE – MANAGING FOR NATURE IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT – Sustainable building. (8 hours)
Together with the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Ltd and by education web portal NEP Slovenia participants will visit good practice of smart and passive house, their management, monitoring.
ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT – MANAGING HABITATS AND ECOSYSTEMS – Rural food with biodynamic approach. (8 hours)
The Biodynamic Association Notranjska will present biodynamic methods of food production and it uses as self-sufficiency with elements Ecosystem management.
DEALING WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON AND NEAR NATURA SITES – Development of a trademark region. (8 hours)
The Green -Karst RDA, has developed branded products and services as a ‘Green Karst’ for quality and effective sustainable development which is proving to be a very successful approach for co-operation and conservation.
The NET programme (Sustainable development in Slovenia) is an opportunity to recognize, participate in and discuss some practical work and get to know a large part of Slovenia. We will meet different people – from local and national projects, project managers and staff. Please look at agenda below about places you are likely to visit. Also there are some more general sites printed at the end of the programme.
Vitra are willing to arrange meetings and visits, which are not on the itinerary, but which are relevant to the participants’ sphere of expertise or will be useful to them in their work.
MANAGEMENT OF CULTURAL LANDSCAPES IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE ENVIRONMENTAL, CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY – (8 hours)
The Karst region is a limestone plateau stretching from Nova Gorica southeast to the Croatian border, west to the Gulf of Trieste and east to the Vipava Valley. Cerknica Lake can disappear and then resurface in the Karst’s porous limestone through sinkholes and funnels, often resulting in underground caverns like the caves at Škocjan. Along with caves, the Karst is rich in olives, Teran wine, pršut, old stone churches and red-tiled roofs. NET looks at how these are exploited for economic sustainability.
Outline Itinerary for Slovenia
Day 1
Collect group on Ljubljana airport (Slovenia)
Dinner, discussion of Erasmus+ programme and objectives of NET project.
Day 2
Ecosystem management, managing habitats and ecosystems. Rural food with biodynamic approach
Visit staff of Notranjska regional park (Matevž Podjed, director), http://www.notranjski-park.si
Walk in Natural park Rakov Skocjan, http://www.cerknica.net/jame/ together with small and big natural bridge.
Lunch in tourist farm Kontrabantar, Dolenja vas
Drive and walk and swim around Cerknica Lake
Visit art and low energy house in village Topol, http://nep.vitra.si/ukrep.php?id=461
Permaculture dinner
Lecture (presentation Scotland) and discussion about practical experience about agriculture. We will invite members of permaculture association and inhabitants of village.
Day 3
Dealing with economic development on and near Natura sites.
Development of a trademark region
10.00 Discussion with staff of Regional Development Agency in Pivka, http://www.rra-zk.si/en and Robert Smrdelj, mayor of Pivka Municipality http://www.pivka.si/podrocje.aspx?id=0&langid=1060
12.00 Visit Park of military history, discussion with staff (Janko Boštjančič, director and Boštjan Kurent, guide), lunch. http://www.parkvojaskezgodovine.si/eng/Default.aspx
15.00 Meeting with Ales Zidar, leader of LAG (Local Action Group). Presentation of activity, visit 2 examples of good practice.
18.00 Visit Postojna and Boreo, regional centre for NGO http://www.boreo.si/novice.
Day 4
Environmental interpretation, bringing nature to people. Biodiversity in the natural park
7.00 Leave Markovec to Adriatic sea (2 hours)
9.00 Visit Secovlje Salt-pans, Landscape park, http://www.kpss.si, discussion with Andrej Sovinc, director, drive with bicycles over one part of park.
13.00 Lunch in Portorose
14.30 Visit Fiesa and walk by see to Piran. Meeting with Natalija Planinc, leader of Anbot.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dru%C5%A1tvo-Anbot-Piran/130313900382398.
Free time (swimming)
On return home walk across the Nature reserve Škocjanski zatok. http://skocjanski-zatok.org/en/
Day 5
Adaptive approaches to species management. Biodiversity in forest
10.00 Visit virgin forest Krokar (crow) in Kocevje, http://www.kocevje.si/znam_naravne.htm, http://www.kocevje.si/krokar.htm, http://www.kocevje.si/borovska.htm leading by forester Mirjam Mikulic (Slovenia forest service), http://www.zgs.si/zavod_za_gozdove_slovenije/index.html, lunch (sandwich) somewhere in the forest
Day 6
Management of cultural landscapes in order to achieve environmental, cultural, social and economic sustainability
9.00 Visit Planina field (wet meadow, typical pattern of agriculture field)
11.00 Visit Nanos (mountain above Vipava valley). Light typical Karst lunch jota on tourist farm Abram, http://www.abram-si.com/ANG/page.html. Presentation and discussion with owner). Visit exceptional vantage point above the Vipava Walley.
14.30 Visit old medieval village Goce (short walk) and town Stanjel, with Formal designed garden and path around the hill, where is Stanjel located
17.00 Dinner (dry ham, chees and karst wine) in karst cellar
19.00 Lecture (presentation Scotland), we will invite inhabitants of municipality.
Day 7
Managing for nature in a changing environment
9.00 Walk by Bears footprints path with Judita Unetic, member of Tourist association Menesija. Walk will be long cca 2.5 hours (6.5 km), walk to Spicka hill.
12.00 Lunch in new house of Judita Unetic.