Workshop on Ecosystem Services: Contribution to the Conservation of the Balkan Terrapin
The company Geonatura organized a course on ecosystem services as part of the Erasmus+ project TUNE IT – Nature benefits: from theory to practice, with participation from team members of the Association Hyla and the Faculty of Agriculture. The goal of the course was to train participants to understand and apply this concept in nature conservation and sustainable resource management.
Within Work Package 5 of the LIFE for Mauremys project, special attention is given to measuring the impact of project activities on habitats and ecosystem services. One of the key outcomes of the project is the quantification of changes in water quality and ecological biodiversity, which allows for better protection of Balkan Terrapins (Mauremys rivulata) and their habitats in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The participation of the project team in the course enabled them to acquire new knowledge and tools that will contribute to more precise evaluation and future activities in the protection of the species.
The course was held in three modules, from September to November 2024. The lectures were organized and led by Geonatura experts Lea Buban, Tea Šilić, and Gjorge Ivanov. The first and third modules were held in the inspiring space of BizKoshnica in Jabukovac, while the second module took place online via the MS Teams platform.
Module 1 – Provided an overview of the theoretical foundations of ecosystem services, including the use of indicators and the assessment of their monetary value. Participants worked through practical tasks to analyze how to apply these concepts in their institutions.
Module 2 – Organized as a webinar, it brought together experts from Croatia, Slovenia, and Serbia, who shared their experiences in integrating ecosystem services into the management of protected areas.
Module 3 – Focused on planning future activities, where participants developed action plans for applying the knowledge gained in nature conservation.
In the second module, guest lecturers included Tomislav Hudina (BIOM), who presented nature restoration projects with an emphasis on "Dinara back to LIFE," Ilona Rac (Biotechnical Faculty, Ljubljana), and Renata Rozman (Škocjan Caves Park), who shared examples of applying ecosystem services in nature conservation in Slovenia. Nikola Stojnić (Provincial Institute for Nature Protection of Vojvodina) shared experiences on communicating ecosystem services in the process of declaring protected areas in Serbia.
Participation in the course allowed project team members to better understand the application of ecosystem services in the protection of river turtles. By documenting and quantifying ecosystem services, the project will ensure the long-term sustainability of conservation measures and link nature protection with the interests of local communities. The exchange of knowledge and experiences among experts will further contribute to the successful implementation of the project and the achievement of its goals.
