Lena – Local Economy and Nature Conservation in the Danube Region

LENA – LOCAL ECONOMY AND NATURE CONSERVATION IN THE DANUBE REGION

Photo: Alexander Ivanov ABOUT LENA

There are 70 national parks and more than 1000 Natura 2000 areas, covering a large spectrum of ecosystem services in the Danube region. Due to the protected status, these areas are often regarded as hampering local development, while their intrinsic economic poten- The implementation of the initiative led to: tial is usually overlooked. At the same time, more and more studies confirm the multiple 1) Knowledge generation and empowerment benefits, including social and economic, of of local communities through pilot actions; Natura 2000 sites. 2) Developed tools for sustainable resource use in protected areas and; The international Interreg DTP project “LENA” 3) Improved framework conditions for sustain- (Local Economy and Nature Conservation in able use of protected areas. the Danube Region) worked with 11 protected areas, covering more than 375,000 ha and The wide range of the project contributed more than 14 Natura 2000 sites, chosen based to informing and gaining the buy-in of local on outstanding nature values and untapped stakeholders to nature conservation as well as potential for sustainable economic use. The to empowering local entrepreneurs to profit project covered approximately half a million from natural heritage sites in a way that pro- people, most of them living in communities tects natural resources. • Opportunities for sustainable income gen- work Units Sustainability Strategies (RENN) – with low income (monthly income ranging eration and natural resources manage- https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/news- between 200 and 500 EUR), struggling with LENA also supported the shaping of policies ment room/news/2018/07/26-07-2018-interreg-pro- out-migration and ageing population. for development of functioning framework for • A number of reports and analyses were ject-lena-wins-german-sustainability-project- sustainable use of protected areas. produced with focus on fish, wild plants 2018-award The broad partnership coalition implement- and agriculture and distributed to the tar- ing LENA (17 partners from 9 Danube coun- The following deliverables were created get groups with useful information, good It would be beneficial and efficient to imple- tries) supported and strengthened joint and within the project: practices and practical advice. ment the created approaches, instruments integrated approaches and policies for the and products in other territories to achieve bal- conservation and sustainable use of protected • Four Guidance documents based on the • LENA implemented activities on policy anced development across the Danube region. areas, in particular in Natura 2000 sites, along experience gained in the project pilot sites. level – a profound analysis on the na- the Danube and its tributaries. It created new The booklets are focused on: ture-based business and green jobs was income opportunities in the nature-based eco- • Communication of the value of nature; elaborated as well as recommendations nomic sector and up-scaled impact across the • Sustainable resource use; for strategic actions to create an integrat- region. • Business planning and marketing of eco- ed approach for nature protection, natural system based economic activities; resources management and “green” jobs • Securing funding for sustainable devel- creation. The recommendations were dis- opment of communities. seminated among decision-makers in all countries involved in the project. • New opportunities for tourism and sus- Our partners: tainable transportation The project implementation led to the crea- • 97 people from 6 countries (Bulgaria, Ro- tion of integrated approaches and policies for mania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Ger- nature protection and sustainable use of pro- many) were trained and certified as Dan- tected areas. And what is most important – ube Guides. the project reached and empowered the local • E-mobility was promoted through creat- communities throughout the project countries. ing e-bikes routes, installation of charging stations for e-bikes in Germany (10), in In appreciation for its achievements pro- Romania (2) in Bulgaria (2) and through ject “LENA” was awarded with the German buying 10 e-bikes and e-rickshaw. sustainability award for projects: ”Projekt Nachhaltigkeit 2018” by the Regional Net-

2 3 E-MOBILITY AND NATURE ROUTES PILOT ACTION DANUBE GUIDES

The main objective of the E-Mobility Network Background pilot action is to strengthen human and social capital in protected areas in the Danube re- Danube culture and nature guides called “Dan- gion. Human capital is strengthened by e-mo- ube Guides” have very particular aims and vi- bility-managers and social capital by providing sions. As for the visitors they want to make green mobility options like e-bikes and its in- the nature and culture of the respective re- frastructure with charging stations along na- gion tangible in every way, and thus, create an ture routes. unforgettable experience. In the long-term a transnational network of “Danube Guides” will Local E-Managers were appointed in Belene, be developed aiming to communicate the im- Bulgaria; Ivanovo, Bulgaria; City of Tuttlingen, Nature routes within LENA were defined as portance of protecting nature for the public. country. The regional trainings consisted of Germany; WWF Romania, [Ciocanesti fish farm] four modules, each one lasted 2,5 days. After and BSC Kranj, Slovenia. The appointed e-man- “A safe, scenic and sustainable path that The training of “Danube Guides” wants to ena- a theoretical and practical exam, the partici- agers are the “multipliers” who should carry the connects natural landmarks and touristic ble future “Danube Guides” to design their own pants received an official certificate. EU-wide trend towards the use of e-bikes into highlights as well as places for buying lo- innovative touristic offers (e.g. guided tours, na- their region and further develop green mobil- cal products and opportunities for learning ture workshops, landscape interpretation, etc.) Content of the ity options for the local population and tour- about nature protection. In order to create a and thus create new income opportunities for “Danube Guides” ism. For the e-managers common curricula for green mobility option for e-bike users e-hub regions and protected areas. regional trainings training were developed. The training of the stations are along the way. The target group e-managers consisted of developing common are families and tourists interested in nature.” As a project partner Donaubüro Ulm / Neu- The four training modules consist of a theo- strategies on how to improve e-mobility in the Ulm (DE) is responsible for the implementation retical part and a more practical one which Danube region by involving the relevant stake- The Danube Bike Path runs from the source of this pilot project. The qualification program should either give participants the tools to holders. In June 2018 the E-Managers came to in Donaueschingen to the Danube Delta and was conceived by the Donaubüro Ulm / Neu- convey content, or help participants to develop the City of Tuttlingen and the Landscape Park is part of the well-known and highly frequent- Ulm together with response & ability gmbh. an educational tourism product themselves. Young Danube for a theoretical and a practical ed European Bike network Velo6 – Atlantic – Those modules include regional-specific con- training that included besides an e-bike excur- Black Sea. In order to direct tourists also away Transnational and regional trainings tent about the history of the Danube, sustain- sion, some hands-on experience on e-bike re- from the Danube to explore the landscape able development, ecosystems, cultural and pair and the participation at a stakeholder con- and attractions beyond, Nature routes are In a transnational training, participants from natural heritage, societal trends, marketing ference. Further trainings were done through developed. They should guide visitors to the Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and communication, didactics and product a webinar and during the partner meetings, beautiful valleys and mountains of the subsid- and Germany were trained to become “Dan- development. participants exchanged ideas and experience. iaries. With e-bikes it is comfortably possible ube Guide” trainers, during an intensive five- to discover also more mountainous areas. Like day workshop at National Park Donau-Auen in Together we aim at establishing a transnational Nature Routes as a green mobility solution were loops the nature routes are attached to the Orth (Austria) in April 2018. network of “Danube Guides” in order to raise developed in Germany, Bulgaria and Romania. EuroVelo6 Route. the awareness for protecting and valuing the Those “Danube Guides” trainers acted as mul- natural and cultural heritage along the Danube. tipliers and educated “Danube Guides” in the course of regional trainings in their respective Results in a nutshell:

• 6 countries involved: Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Germany

• 12 active Danube Guide Trainers qualified

• 97 Danube Guides qualified in regional trainings

4 5 NATURAL CAPITAL ACTIONS NATURAL CAPITAL ACTIONS

In total three types of natural capital actions ties while using the Danube region’s rich bio- Boosting the potential of legal and responsi- were implemented across six countries. Their diversity in a sustainable way and conserving ble commercial fishing and direct marketing main aim was to reduce perceived trade-offs it for future generations. During the project between nature conservation and economic duration strong transnational partnerships Markets for Danube fish in Bulgaria and Ro- development. They showcased different op- have been established to share knowledge of mania are underdeveloped, financial capital is portunities to improve local livelihoods and natural and agricultural production and value lacking and illegal activities such as poaching create long-term benefits for local communi- chains. and fishing out of season are common. In order to tackle these issues, the pilot activities included working with fishing families and com- 6 countries involved: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary Romania, Serbia and Slovenia munities for income diversification, supporting the establishment of physical local markets for direct fish sales and capacity building work- Utilizing wild plants, sustainably harvested shops for local fishermen. Completing sustainable in buffer zones of protected areas agriculture value chains

The harvesting of wild plants and their com- A number of production, marketing and capac- mercial use have a long tradition in the Dan- ity-building activities were implemented with ube region and present a great opportunity to the goal to demonstrate viable and ecological- local communities that live in biodiverse rural ly sustainable options for food production and areas. The pilot activities were focused on en- agriculture value chains from protected areas. gaging local communities in wild harvesting These included producing and marketing eco- activities through capacity building workshops logical-suitable crops like non-GMO soy and and trainings based on the FairWild Standard. animal species such as the Black Slavonian pig, This Standard was specifically developed for as well as creating local brands for adding val- wild plant collection and trade and is widely ue to the products. recognised as the best voluntary code of prac- tice addressing ecological, social and economic requirements. • 101 fishermen trained on good practices, • 2 regional labels established in close con- financial opportunities and direct market- sultation with the stakeholders ing in Bulgaria and Romania • “Certified product from the Comana Na- www.fairwild.org • 2 trans-border meetings with partici- ture Park”: 7 producers/companies cur- pants from both countries and the Fish- rently use the label (3 cereal, 2 vegetable • 169 participants engaged in 8 capacity ery Agencies from Bulgaria and Romania and 2 honey producers) building workshops and trainings on sus- discussed traditions and the differenc- • Mark of origin “Meat of Black Slavonian tainable wild plant collection in 4 coun- es in local legislation and established a Pigs”: 46 breeders participated in special tries cross-border fishermen network trainings • Final lessons learnt publication describing • Analytical reports on legal frameworks, • Best practices in sustainable Non-GMO the transregional approach and FairWild good practices, ecological carrying capac- soybean production according to the methodology used ity as well as lessons learnt Danube Soya Standard were disseminat- • FairWild Standard and Performance Indi- • Information material for fishermen in Bul- ed to more than 500 local farmers and cators available in Bulgarian, Serbian and garian and Romanian languages stakeholders along the feed and food val- Slovenian languages ue chains • Awareness of Danube Soya Non-GMO certification and labelling was raised, giv- ing “face” to local farmers and bringing identity to locally produced soybeans

6 7 NATURAL CAPITAL ACTIONS POLICY ASSESSMENT OF LENA

Nature Business Tools small and medium sized companies in rural • There are market niches for nature-based areas to utilise given resources in the environ- business models in all economic sectors of The Danube region has an invaluable natu- ment, having a beneficial or neutral impact to interest under the LENA project: environ- ral and cultural heritage creating potential for nature and to build successful businesses giv- mentally friendly agriculture and wild plant sustainable business, protecting, preserving ing an added value to them, local communi- harvesting, sustainable fisheries, ecotourism livelihoods and thus increasing quality of life ties and visitors as well. and e-mobility. for the people living in the nature protected areas and their vicinity. LENA addresses this Increasing market access of sustainably • There is a wide spectrum of nature-based business potential of underdeveloped settle- sourced natural products supports small and types of jobs created in local communities ments by preparation of four Guidance book- medium sized companies in rural areas and either in connection with the actual pro- lets, in order to support the interest groups in elsewhere increasing the value of their prod- tected sites administration or due to na- their endeavours creating nature friendly eco- ucts by branding the quality, production pro- ture-based business developments. nomic activities. cess and the origin of the products, aiming to expand their market. Sustainably manufac- Research methodology Communicating to local people and visitors tured products will achieve a higher value on the value of nature to the local economy is the market A broad policy assessment was carried out 1) Starting with January 2018, relevant data has meant for protected area managers, tourism under LENA Project aiming at providing deci- been collected through the network of LENA organisations and public administrations re- Mobilising finances for conservation, nature sion-makers in LENA countries with updated partners, with regards to the business and/ sponsible for building knowledge capacity of based jobs and business models addresses information on the current level of uptake of or socio-economic activities carried out in an local people and visitors about the importance needs of non-governmental organisations, “nature-based” jobs and businesses into the environmentally-friendly manner in the local of ecosystems, their preservation and how this small and medium sized enterprises, public EU, regional, national and local policy-making. context of selected pilot sites: Landschaftspark should be communicated to general public as authorities and others in developing the pro- Junge Donau (Germany), Triglav National Park an opportunity for economic activities. tected areas across the Danube region and The analysis evolved through several steps, as (Slovenia), SCI Dunav Vukovar - HR2000372 utilising the available national and European follows: literature review, data collection, de- (Croatia), Szatmár-Bereg Nature Park (Hunga- Developing capacity for sustainable use of grants. Guidance booklets are available on- velopment of a methodological basis, review ry), National Park Fruska Gora, Special Nature the natural and cultural heritage, as element line at the addresses of the LENA partners’ of the most relevant policy plans, programmes Reserve Gornje Poduvanije and Special Na- of Protected Area management gives the premises. and strategies for each pilot site in terms of ture Reserve Deliblato Sands (Serbia), Persina knowledge to the potential entrepreneurs and the actual level of integration of nature-based Nature Park, Rusenski Lom Nature Park (Bul- jobs and businesses concepts, and formula- garia), Comana Natural Park and ROSPA0021 tion of recommendations. The analysis aimed Ciocănești – Dunăre (Romania). at assessing how substantial, explicit and com- prehensive are the levels of integration of na- In addition, a detailed list of relevant policies at ture-based jobs and nature-based businesses national and regional level has been compiled. into various sectoral policies. Following the assessment, policy recommendations were for- 2) Following a literature review, the definition mulated for each country with regards to: a) of “nature-based” business was agreed upon strengthening the knowledge base, b) policy within the project partnership: formulation, and c) policy implementation.

Key Insights Nature-based businesses, which are also the main source for nature-based employ- • Nature-based businesses and nature-based ment refer to: “socio-economic activities jobs are useful concepts to reveal the pos- oriented towards profit-making or income itive socio-economic conditions generated generation, driven by the recognition of the locally by protected areas, including Natura added-value of ecosystem services, natural 2000 sites. landscape features and biodiversity, and • Nature-based businesses are directly or in- carried out in a manner that ensures their directly benefiting from services provided long-term preservation”. by healthy eco-systems in natural areas with high biodiversity.

8 9 POLICY ASSESSMENT OF LENA BELENE MUNICIPALITY, BULGARIA

3) Another crucial element in the methodology consisted in the elaboration of a common clas- sification scheme for understanding the typol- ogy of nature-based jobs likely to occur in local communities, either triggered by nature-based business activities or explicitly linked with biodiversity conservation/protected area management. A number of 13 types of nature-based jobs were taken into consideration as relevant to those sectors of interest for LENA (see dia- gram).

Belene Municipality is a municipality in Pleven Province, northern Bulgaria. It is located along Looking to the future – generally applicable the south bank of Danube river, by the border strategic recommendations with Romania. Some parts of Persina Nature Park are located on Belene Territory. The desig- The assessment concluded on three main ar- nation of the park aims at conservation and eas for policy improvement, where both lo- restoration of Danube wetlands. The park is cal stakeholders and national policy-makers named after Persin Island, which is part of the should further develop and strengthen their Belene Islands Complex. Belene Municipality efforts, as follows: is one of the LENA project partners.

• Strengthening the knowledge base - un- What has been achieved within the project: derstanding the connections between well-preserved ecosystems/ biodiversity and E-mobility Fish activities: local economies, and awareness raising in • 7 representatives of Belene Municipality • A survey was conducted on the local fisher- terms of mutual benefits, mainly through took part in the Danube Guides trainings men communities and the necessity to pro- the joint set-up of a database by the national and now the municipality dispose of trained mote sustainable fishermen practices; and regional statistics offices in the Danube people to guide tourists and visitors. • Two trans-border meetings with the partic- 4) The data collected with the support of LENA countries on the labour market, linked with • Charging station for e-bakes was installed as ipation of fishermen communities from Be- partners coupled with other data collected nature-friendly activities and through the well as3 e-bikes bought lene and Giurgiu were conducted. The main on-line were processed; the respective policies promotion of research and innovation and • New bike-routes were identified and infor- topics for discussion were connected to the were examined content-wise with regards to integration of results in the relevant public mation was disseminated. differences in the local legislation and the relevant references made on the afore-men- policies; • The new infrastructure has already been different fishermen traditions. tioned types of jobs and/or underpinning so- used by the citizens. • Two-day training for fishermen was organ- cio-economic activities at the level of local • Better sectoral policy elaboration, in terms of ized in Belene communities situated in the proximity of pro- enhancing the integration of nature-based • “River Danube and its fish fest” has been or- tected areas. jobs and businesses and reflecting it in clear, ganized promoting the river and its natural integrated goals, actions, indicators; value. For the past two years during the fest some biking to protected areas in Persina • Strengthened and locally/geographical- Park was organized as well as fish contests ly-targeted policy implementation through and culinary treats. Two movies have been various mechanisms (incentives, funding shot and these were showed on the nation- programmes, etc.) with a view to achieve al TV and disseminated via the social media. a measurable growth of the nature-based • With regards to the development of the business sector and human capital in urban fish market in Belene municipality a mobile and rural communities located within or in fridge showcase was bought. It will be pro- the proximity of protected areas. moted during the Danube fest in 2019.

10 11 IVANOVO MUNICIPALITY, BULGARIA VUKOVAR-SRIJEM COUNTY, CROATIA

Ivanovo Municipality is a municipality in Ruse Province, Central-North Bulgaria, located along the right bank of Danube river in the Danubian Plain.

The area is best known with the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other important sights in the municipality include the medieval Bulgari- an fortress of Cherven, which reached its apo- gee in the 13th and 14th centuries and features a well-preserved keep from the 14th century, and the Rusenski Lom Nature Park.

Ivanovo municipality is a project partner of LENA project and the activities implemented tice connected to collection and use of wild there and in Russenski Lom PA supports the plants (training, demonstrations, fests). implementation of the project goals. A meeting was held in Ivanovo back in 2017 E-mobility dedicated to the topic “Sustainable use and trade with wild plants in Bulgaria” with the Within the project an e-charging station was participation of suitable stakeholders. The in- Educations were implemented 4 different lo- installed in Ivanovo city and 3 new e-bikes ternational certification standard FairWild was cations in the Vukovar-Srijem County so that were bought. In order to use the e-bikes some presented. This activity was to encourage and every breeder, who is interested in this topic, bike routes were identified in different areas of motivate the local stakeholders to get better can participate with travelling as little as pos- Ivanovo municipality. awareness of the local wild plants market and sible. to position themselves. There is also a roster of trained people in Ivano- What is also particularly important to mention vo who well provide for the e-mobility on the Within the project implementation Ivanovo is the cooperation with partners from Serbia municipality’s territory. municipality prepared a pre-investment re- – Danube Soya. This gives a special emphasis search for establishing Wild Plant Collection to transnational impact which is the main pur- Ivanovo and wild plants Point which will give the local community the pose of this kind of programs. Danube Soya in opportunity to increase their income. The pilot area of Vukovar-Srijem County refers their business deal with certification of prod- Steps have been taken to create new business to the promotion of the breeding autochtho- ucts with NON-GMO labels which gives added opportunities and introduce sustainable prac- nous breed of pigs – black Slavonian pigs. Loca- value to producers. Breeders feed pigs with soy tion selected for pilot area is under Natura 2000 so this is great link that has been used in this protected area which was precondition for par- within the project. ticipation in the Project. Within pilot activities conducted by Vukovar-Srijem County are:

• the formation of an experimental farm of black Slavonian pigs • development of the Management system of the farm • education of breeders and potential breeders of black Slavonian pigs • development of Study analysis on the con- tribution of the breeding program of Black Slavonian pigs in the function of environ- mental protection and biodiversity

12 13 SZATMÁR-BEREG NATURE PARK COMANA NATURE PARK, ROMANIA

The LENA project was launched in January to become a locally certified producer. Once 2017 in the framework of INTERREG Danube certified, their products are labeled and pro- Transnational Programme. Its objective is to moted, recognized as being obtained in the create work opportunities that, beyond their protected area, reliable from the perspective economic benefits, can contribute to the pres- of observing park’s principles, sustainability, re- ervation and exploitation of our natural and strictions and values. The estimated benefits cultural heritage, by helping the preservation of certification and labeling for manufacturers and maintenance, and the sustainable use of are expected to come from: a less bureaucrat- protected natural areas. ic certification system, the ability to access a dedicated niche market, streamlines sales and Within the framework of the Szatmár-Bereg marketing, acquiring a visual identity and pro- programme, we have organized and realized moting through park assets. the harvest of the fruits of wild plants (like sloe, elderberry, briar), whose processing has result- Comana Nature Park Administration plays an ed in the birth of a well-liked product typical of important role in the management of environ- the region. During the community educational ment and biodiversity in a national and Euro- and demonstrational cooking events, jams are pean protected area of 25.000 ha, situated in prepared of t sloe, elderberry, and briar. Upon Giurgiu County, Romania, near to Danube Riv- this example, the product can be sold locally, er, of which one third represents forests and thus up to dozens of families per settlement the rest are agricultural lands, ponds, rivers, can gain additional income. pastures, vineyards, orchards, rural settlements, roads, etc. It also protects and is engaged in A kind of secondary income, the amount of supporting local identity, culture and social de- which depends only on the activity and en- velopment. gagement of the persons involved in making jam. Moreover, sloe and briar to be preserved, A certification procedures and labeling activi- can become a base material for jam in the as NATURA 2000 area). In other words, not only ty have been carried out within LENA project Szatmár-Bereg Nature Park (and in the Szat- will the realized programme have economic for a local brand label of farmers and their már-Bereg Landscape Protection Area, as well benefits, but also for the nature, (since a sig- products in Comana Park. In a simple, con- nificant part of the sloe bushes has been de- cise and accessible way there is established a stroyed by the employees of the public works clear set of conditions and criteria on the ba- programme in the area for the recent years sis of which local agricultural producers can causing enormous damage to the wildlife). be selected for certification and promotion through a direct association with the park’s Moreover, we hope that, the completion of the name and status. Anyone can apply for free programme will set an example for the citizens of the region, and the areas with sloe shrubs will turn into value-creating habitats. By doing so, stopping their destruction, true value is go- ing to be created.

The tool is enabling conservation management in business context, in order to ensure transition to sustainable resource use in the protected areas, to establish and promote the value of nature to the local economy, and to operationalize nature-based models of economic activities, inside the nature park.

14 15 CIOCANESTI NATURA 2000 SITE, ROMANIA TRIGLAV NATIONAL PARK, SLOVENIA

GREEN MOBILE POINT Get a ride for free and without emissions

Gorenjska region, with its new integral tourist products, developed in the LENA project, received its first e-rickshaw, the electric tricy- cle. The use of e-rickshaw experimentally pro- motes development of sustainable mobility in Natura 2000 sites.

E-rickshaw performs the function of e-mobile transport in the Natura 2000 area Bohinj and in the urban areas of Kranj and Škofja Loka, WWF-Romania and Outlying Cycling Romania Pedal to a complex cultural experience thus promoting sustainable mobility, in par- have created, for two-wheel adventurous lov- ticular e-biking, in protected and urban areas. ers, 5 new cycle routes. Not far from Bucharest, As no adventure on two wheels is complete after just one hour and a half drive, the cyclists without the knowledge of the cultural herit- DANUBE GUIDES will discover the routes that cross one of the age offered by the areas it crosses, the 5 trails most important natural protected areas in Ca- from Ciocanesti are sprinkled all the way with Training for tourist guides along the Danube larasi County: Ciocanesti Danube. churches, monasteries, museums or memorial and its tributaries “Danube Guides” was carried houses. out in six countries. As part of the pilot activi- The area is unique due to the richness of wet- ty, two representatives from Gorenjska gained land species. There are plenty of lakes, swamps, Cyclists are encouraged to visit the ruins of the the title of trainers for guides across the Dan- fishing areas where cyclists can make stops: Brancoveanu court (Silistea-Obileşti), the Gul- ube Region, while 15 participants successfully important natural areas, cultural places (hand- menita Civilization Museum, the Lower Dan- completed regional training. 80 hours train- icraft workshops, local producers) and build- ube Museum (Calarasi). Whether you go for a ing for guides across the Danube region took ings (museums, memorial houses, etc.). day trip with your family or choose to spend a place at different locations in Gorenjska and few days with your friends on the wild routes covered various content modules of heritage With different length and level based on differ- that have the departure/ arrival point at Cio- interpretation and sustainable development. ent experience and free time, the routes can be canesti Farm, you will have a guaranteed full The participants gained a diverse knowledge finished in one day or in 2-3 days. There are cen- cultural experience that will help you better of innovative interpretation as well as responsi- turies-old crafts in the area: ironing, carpentry understand the local community and recon- ble tourism entrepreneurship. and wooden sculpture. And local producers can nect to nature. offer to the tourists products which are home- With the trainings conducted, a network of made or grown in their own garden, with 100% “guides across the Danube” is being estab- natural resources: vegetables, dairy, jams, honey. lished, which aims to highlight, among other things, the importance of natural and cultural heritage, their conservation and interpretation.

SUSTAINABLE HARVESTING OF WILD PLANTS IN PROTECTED AREAS

Triglav National Park has as the result of the LENA pilot activity integrated FairWild standard in the standard of the new Quality brand of Triglav National Park. The standard addresses regulations of sustainable wild plants harvesting for selected species in buffer zones of protected areas.

17 CITY OF TUTTLINGEN, GERMANY DANUBE SOYA PILOT ACTIONS, SERBIA

Pilot actions in Serbia were conducted at three pilot areas of Danube region: Gornje Podunav- lje, Deliblato sands and Fruska Gora. On selected areas, Danube Soya implemented following activities supporting LENA project goals:

Danube Guides and E-Hubs 2019. One week was in a more urban setting • Sustainable agriculture pilot actions resulted in the city of Ulm and the other training was in in knowledge transfer on best practices of For the e-hub network stakeholders were the more rural environment of the landscape sustainable soybean production and practi- brought together in a regional conference on park. All participants have developed touristic cal demonstration to more than 500 local “E-Bikes and Tourism”. Within the Landscape products with the aim at making the nature farmers and stakeholders along the whole • Wild plant workshops were organized in pi- Park Young Danube a continuous network of and culture of the young Danube tangible by value chain during the Field Days located in lot region Fruska Gora and Deliblato sands ten e-bike charging stations that are connected communicating the value of protected areas Gornje Podunavlje. Awareness about Dan- with the support of the project partner WWF with nature routes could be installed between and creating an unforgettable experience. ube Soya certification and labelling scheme Hungary Traffic program, resulted in knowl- the source of the Danube in Donaueschingen was raised and Danube Soya label is intro- edge exchange about good sustainable col- and the city of Sigmaringen 100 km away. The duced into local products. lecting practices of MAPs in protected areas goal was to have a charging station in each • Danube Guides Trainings were successful- municipality of the landscape park. The ten ly completed by 15 local tourist guides in charging stations were placed in the region Gornje Podunavlje and Fruska Gora becom- within a distance of 30 kilometers following ing part of Danube Guides Network which the principle of triple B: Bike needs energy * support responsible and sustainable tour- Body needs food * Brain needs entertainment. ism along the Danube with respecting nat- The use of e-bikes makes it possible to travel ural and cultural heritage, their conservation not only on the mostly flat surface along the and interpretation. Danube in the valley but also explore the less • Moreover, transnational cooperation on sus- travelled sites on the higher plateau. The na- tainable soybean supply and value chains ture routes create access to natural landmarks, is established through learning interactions places for buying local products and touristic with Vukovar Srijem County, resulting in highlights away from the highly frequented knowledge generation, institutional cooper- EuroVelo 6 Danube path. ation between partners and their stakeholders and empowerment of pilot regions in Also 15 Danube Guides were educated in Ger- sustainable value chains with added value many. There were two training weeks in spring market possibilities.

18 19 CONTACT

DIANA ANDREEVA | PROJECT MANAGER Climate Change and Green Economy team WWF Bulgaria | 19B, Tsar Boris III Blvd. (Allianz building), Floors 4 and 5, 1612 Sofia, Bulgaria Tel.: +359 2 950 5040 E-mail: [email protected] www.wwf.bg

Website http://www.interreg-danube.eu/approved-projects/lena

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lenadanube/

The Project LENA - Local Economy and Nature Conservation in the Danube Region is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance II (IPA II).

Photo: Alexander Ivanov