The first ever Natural Heritage Mission’s Summer School was held 18.-20. June at the Marine Biology Station, in the beautiful coastal town of Piran, Slovenia, where Nature Trust – FEE Malta joined as a partner of the COASTRUST project.
The opening theme of the Summer School was “Our Mediterranean Ecosystems’ Health is in Danger. Time to Restore It!”, with a specific focus on Wetland Restoration, which very aptly coincided with the passing of the new Nature Restoration Law (NRL).
Day 1:
The event kicked off with a review of the new legal framework for nature restoration, exploring its objectives, limitations, and expected impacts. This was followed by Round Table discussions on various thematic projects, such as the COASTRUST stewardship project, and the implications of the NRL. Several speakers highlighted the natural and socio-economic importance of wetlands, which was followed by a field visit to the Škocjanskii zatok Nature Reserve, an exemplary model of successful wetland restoration.
Day 2:
Day 2 revolved around methodologies and strategies for ecosystem restoration, covering topics such as ecosystem health diagnosis, vulnerability assessments, action prioritization, monitoring, and stakeholder engagement, among other tools. The latter part of the day included a team exercise, where students worked on a Restoration Action Plan based on an existing case study.
Day 3:
The final day featured examples of restoration projects such as the Wastewater Basin to Nature Reserve, Alder Forest Restoration in Transboundary Prespa, Restoration Efforts of Macroalgal Forests, and Coral Reef Restoration. The students presented their case studies, applying the knowledge gained throughout the Summer School to a critical-thinking action plan. The Summer School concluded with a closing ceremony.
