Lithuania: Protecting nature for responsible tourists

Protecting nature for responsible tourists

The biodiversity in lagoons and dunes in two nature parks in Lithuania is now better protected thanks to ideas from Romania and France. Eco-tourists will soon be able to admire lagoons with cleaner water and more frogs or enjoy an instructive walk across the moving dunes.

The project ‘Innovative models for protected areas: exchange and transfer’ (IMPACT) brought together six partners from six countries who had each prioritised preserving biodiversity in their region’s Natura 2000 areas. They also came together to look for smart ways to create green jobs in these areas, in eco-tourism or outdoor sports for example, without compromising their natural heritage. The Baltic Office of the Coastal and marine union association (EUCC) joined the project to identify good practices in other countries which would reduce the pressure on coastal ecosystems and preserve the services they provide in Lithuania. The EUCC Baltic Office’s ambition was to develop an innovative cross-sectoral policy toolbox for both regional development and nature conservation, and to contribute to the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.

195,100

Images © EUCC Baltic Office

ERDF The EUCC Baltic Office identified several inspiring ideas within the partnership and prepared three new projects for two parks: Kuršių Nerija National Park and Pajūrio Regional Park. For example, pond management ideas from Spain inspired a project for building floating islands and barriers in the local lagoon to create a better habitat for frogs and other freshwater amphibians. Practices from Romania and France also helped to reconcile the conservation of a UNESCO World Heritage mobile dune with its sustainable use in local tourism. The three projects received support from the Interreg South Baltic Programme with 195,000 euros in total.

LITHUANIA