The project “Survey of the key bird species of the Polish Carpathian Mountains and creating the system of their monitoring and protection” includes a number of activities targeted at local communities. Directly involved will be representatives of local authorities, businessmen, nature lovers and local leaders.

Economical and environmental strategies

One of the major objectives of the project in reference to particular Carpathian communes is to work out economical and environmental strategies. Twelve communes in the Polish Carpathians have been included in the scheme: two communes in the Silesian Voivodeship, six in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship and four in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship, proportionally to the number of Carpathian communes in each voivodeship. The chosen communes stand out from others because of their exceptional natural features and, first of all, because some of the Natura 2000 sites are located within their boundaries or in their immediate neighbourhood.

The aim of the economical and environmental strategies is to present environmental resources of the communes on the one hand and practical solutions to be adopted by local people for using these resources in environmentally friendly business activities on the other.
Before the commencement of strategy development, a preparatory meeting is organized in each of the selected communes so that local problems with nature conservation as well as others can be discussed.

Workshop for local community in Gromnik. Photography: Tomasz Wilk

All 12 strategies will be summed up in a brochure including examples of real solutions for environmentally friendly business activities and sent out to more than 200 communes in the Polish Carpathians to inform all local communities in the region about good practices.

Guide

Another important objective of the project is preparation of a guide to the Polish Carpathians. Scheduled for 2013, the publication is going to feature the most interesting sites in the Carpathians in terms of natural environment with particular emphasis on birds.

The guide is also going to include a list of tourism-related companies in a given area, thus promoting small local business.

How are we going to help nature?

All schemes aimed at local communities within the framework of the project are meant to promote sustainable business activities. We hope that this will directly affect frequent implementation of pro-ecological solutions for the benefit of people and wildlife.

Translation: Monika Ujma