Discover the areas of intervention
Nature Returns currently centers on 5 protected areas across Europe and Africa, uniting 9 partners
Different areas mean different challenges and solutions, that’s why Nature Returns is working in five Protected Areas with different characteristics and pressures:
- The Nature Park of Principe, Sao Tome and Principe
- The floodplains of Lonjsko Polje Nature Park, Croatia
- The highlands of Shar Mountain National Park, North Macedonia
- The coastal marshes of the Ulcinj Salina Nature Park, Montenegro
- The forested islands of Pico Island Nature Park, Azores, Portugal
This will allow testing a variety of businesses as solutions for the management of protected areas.
Select a protected area to learn more
Principe Nature Park
1. ABOUT PRINCIPE NATURE PARK
Principe Nature Park covers roughly half of this tropical island with 8,000 inhabitants. Isolated from the African mainland by volcanic phenomena, the island has a high degree of endemic species of flora and fauna.
The Park was designated in 2007, and since 2012, Príncipe Island and its surrounding islets were confirmed as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.
2. CHALLENGES
Main conservation goals that might require business solutions are related to deforestation, alien invasive species and marine and coastal pollution by plastics.
3. APPROACH
The project is using the current management plan to assess the main pressures on the site. Businesses will be identified through a call for ideas and the evaluation by the project partners.
4. PROJECT PARTNER AND PEOPLE
Asiem Sanyal
Terrestrial Conservation Programme Manager
Oluwasegun Sunday
Project Manager
Lonjsko Polje Nature Park
1. ABOUT LONJSKO POLJE NATURE PARK
Lonjsko Polje Nature Park is a large floodplain system associated to the Sava River in Croatia, with 50,650 ha of protected area. In addition to the lowland floodplain forests and wet grasslands that host rare animal and plant taxa, it is a stronghold of traditional breeds of animals that represent the culture of this region.2. CHALLENGES
Native habitats are threatened by invasive alien species (such as Amorpha or Xanthium), by pathogens with impact on Ash trees, and by depopulation that causes the loss of traditional management of the floodplain.3. APPROACH
The project is using the current management plan to assess the main pressures on the site and identify business opportunities that will be identified through a call for ideas and the evaluation by the project partners.4. PROJECT PARTNER AND PEOPLE
Maja Sabljak
Head of the Conservation Department
Domenika Gugic
Expert Associate for Biodiversity
Damir Culjak
Chief Ranger
Shar Mountain National Park
1. ABOUT SHAR MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
Part of a transboundary protected area shared with Kosovo and Albania, this is the largest park in North Macedonia and combines spectacular mountain landscapes, lakes, river valleys and forests, with many peaks above 2000m of elevation. Lynx, several bat species, chamois and Egyptian vultures represent part of the large list of species in this area.2. CHALLENGES
Challenges in this park are proportional to its huge size and include wildlife poaching, forest fires, illegal logging, unplanned development, livestock overgrazing, construction waste dumps and illegal settlements.3. APPROACH
The project is using the current management plan to assess the main pressures on the site and identify business opportunities that will be identified through a call for ideas and the evaluation by the project partners.
Anela Stavrevska-Panojotova
Head of Department for Nature Conservation
Altin Idrizi
IT Associate
Ulcinj Salina Nature Park
1. ABOUT ULCINJ SALINA NATURE PARK
This is the largest salina in the Adriatic. It was built in the 1930s, and salt production stopped in 2013 and this coastal wetland is now mostly covered by grassland, halophyte vegetation and reeds. Ulcinj Salina is the most important wintering, nesting and feeding site for birds on the eastern coast of the Adriatic and a key stopover site for birds migrating on the Adriatic Flyway.2. CHALLENGES
This very recent park is threatened by the abandonment of the large salt exploitation tanks and lack of regulation of water level. There is big potential for impact, mainly by the possibility to revive the water management by a business.
3. APPROACH
The project will help developing the first management plan of this new protected area and assess the main pressures on the site. Businesses will be identified through a call for ideas and the evaluation by the project partners.4. PROJECT PARTNERS AND PEOPLE
Goran Gugic
Head of the Working Group for Ulcinj Salina Nature Park, Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism
Ksenija Medenica
Programme Director, CZIP
Pico Island Nature Park
1. ABOUT PICO ISLAND NATURE PARK
Dominated by the highest mountain of Portugal, the Pico Nature Park is the largest of the Azores and includes the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture. Large areas of natural vegetation with little or no human intervention dominate together with the volcanic rocky and cave habitats and the volcanic coastline with endemic plants and seabirds.2. CHALLENGES
Main conservation goals that might require business solutions are related to alien invasive species, both animals and plants, which are on the top of the agenda for nature conservation in the Region.3. APPROACH
The project is assisting the revision of the management plan and assess the main pressures on the site. Businesses will be identified through a call for ideas and the evaluation by the project partners. A call for entrepreneurs will kick off businesses that can revert the main pressures.4. PROJECT PARTNERS AND PEOPLE
Carla Goulart Silva
Biologist in the Nature Conservation Division
Vanda Serpa
Director of the Pico Island Nature Park
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