Since 2022, together with the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water, we have been fighting against a contract of an investor whose permit for opening a stone quarry in the biosphere reserve had expired. The RIEW and local residents managed to win the court cases, but the investor is trying to continue their activities through local loopholes.

We are the guardians of the biosphere reserve, and we want to preserve it at all costs for future generations. The park contains an extraordinary amount of biodiversity and historical heritage dating back thousands of years, including chalcolite rock sanctuaries, Thracian mounds, chapels, and monasteries.

What interests me the most is the integration of cultural and historical heritage within the biosphere reserve, as well as the promotion and maintenance of these sites, so that the entire richness can be preserved.

My expectations for this course is to help me get a better insight on how can such a diverse Biosphere Reserve can be managed and how to overcome certain challenges that may come forth in its development.

I hope to apply the engagement and participation methodologies commonly used in Man and the Biosphere Reserves programmes, to my work in a World Heritage property.

I also aim to deepen my understanding of Biosphere Reserves and apply them to our naturalistic context.

- To share my experience and be exposed to others' experience in a constructive way

- To refresh my perspectives for my work through the lenses (experiences) of others

- to be exposed to the real life context of environmental managers (I am not a manager myself)

Through this course, I expect to deepen my understanding of governance approaches, biosphere reserves, and practical strategies for integrating conservation, local communities, and sustainable tourism. I also hope to gain comparative perspectives that can be applied to heritage management and planning in my professional work

Griselda Kanushi

I‘d like to see some more practical examples of the concepts that we hear about in our lectures and connect theory with best practices

My background:

- I'm graduated last march in Environmental Humanities masters degree

-I'm now working for an N.g.o called Sumus aimed at creating and fostering environmental awareness

My expectations:

-I'm enthusiastic of meeting new colleagues with whom sharing experiences and practises

-I'm happy to have this dive in my study field after a period of more practical experience

My expectation from this course is to deepen my understanding of natural heritage conservation frameworks, governance models, and best practices. I am particularly interested in the integration of natural heritage conservation with local development and community-based approaches. I also look forward to professional exchanges and knowledge sharing with fellow participants.

I am studying an MSc in Biosphere Reserve Management at Ebersrwalde University for Sustainable Development. I did my Bachelor's degree in Natural Resource Management from Ethiopia and have been working as a graduate assistant at Jimma University.

I hope that this course will expand my understanding of cultural heritage and the MAB program through case study and discussion, and also create a network with people from around the world.

I am David, studying Biosphere Reserve Management at HNEE in Germany. I have done an internship at South African National Parks and will be working with Canadian & Norwegian Biosphere Reserves in a few months. I am interesting in wildlife and visitor management, as well as participatory approaches and local benefits of BRs.

I hope to get more hands-on real world knowledge complimenting my studies and to connect with people with similar interests.

Cheers

Over the past week, I have been conducting weed sampling as part of my work as a research fellow at the University of Coimbra, contributing to a Horizon Europe project that explores how agroecological practices can reduce weed emergence in agricultural fields. In parallel, I am working within the Tejo–Tajo Internacional Biosphere Reserve and developing a PhD proposal focused on the role of cultural ecosystem services in shaping agroecological transitions across Biosphere Reserves and a UNESCO Global Geopark.

My research interests lie particularly in understanding how cultural values, identity, and sense of place can inform the future governance of Biosphere Reserves, contributing to governance frameworks that are responsive to local communities and grounded in what people wish to preserve within their own territorial contexts. Through this work, I aim to explore how Biosphere Reserves can be embedded in policies of care, and how communities living within these designations can meaningfully value and articulate their territories through their own perspectives.

I am especially interested in learning more about frameworks and tools for assessing cultural ecosystem services (CICES), as well as engaging with first-hand experiences from experts working in this field.

I am particularly interested in exchanging experiences and learning from Mediterranean and South-Eastern European case studies, and in gaining tools to strengthen cross-border governance, community engagement and sustainable development, while reinforcing Biosphere Reserves as living laboratories for integrated heritage management.

Hoping to study more on Natural & Cultural heritage approaches in BRS and other designated areas in the Mediterranean.

I'm the geoscientist in charge of the educational project. I also collaborate on the educational projects of the two Biosphere Reserves in the province of Cáceres.

I hope this course will help me professionally, allowing me to acquire new knowledge and skills, as well as meet new colleagues :)

Cheers

Thank you!