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Description
The main objective of the project is to increase the engagement of the Barycz Valley inhabitants in activities for the climate and nature of the region. These are two of the biggest ecological challenges in the world today. With the help of three partners (from Poland, Hungary and Slovakia) and using our own experience, we are introducing new possibilities for dialogue between residents and local authorities. We conduct meetings with inhabitants and representatives of local governments as well as lectures on environmental protection. During these meetings and via the Internet, we collect proposals for local civic initiatives. Two of them will be implemented within the project in cooperation with their initiators and local authorities. During the meetings we are working out a strategy of creating an energy self-sufficient village in the Barycz Valley following the example of similar villages in Germany. We also promote volunteering among the inhabitants of the Barycz Valley and the employees of Lower Silesian companies. Volunteers will take action to restore the habitats of native plants and birds and renovate the educational centre in Korzeńsko. In addition, we will conduct workshops and meetings on biodiversity and climate.
Summary of project results
The aim of the project was to encourage people to take action to protect nature and the environment, and more broadly: to build a sense of ownership and responsibility for their surroundings. In the context of the most important and urgent natural challenges for the world - the protection of biodiversity and reversing climate change, the biggest problems are unawareness of the seriousness of the situation, lack of knowledge about solutions, beliefs about high costs, low civic activity, or learned passivity. Self-generation of energy is little known and not very popular, associated with the installation of domestic hot water, less often with photovoltaics or windmills. Meanwhile, there are solutions that allow you to make simple devices using solar energy yourself. What''s more, thanks to the use of secondary raw materials, these installations are cheap. In addition to the ecological effect, awareness and knowledge will increase support for professional solutions on a larger scale. In the field of biodiversity protection, knowledge and awareness are even weaker. Since interfering with nature requires a lot of knowledge and insight, proposals addressed to the general public are often reduced to safe actions, such as planting trees or hanging nesting boxes. Creating a fashion for climate and natural diversity actions is not to be limited to duplicating suggested solutions. Rather, through understanding the problems, it should provoke action in one''s own backyard, in the local community, region, and even the international arena.
Together with partners: Multum PR from Poland, Ekopolis Foundation from Slovakia, LBDCA from Hungary, we stimulated the activity of local communities. We carried out activities in Lower Silesia and its surroundings, especially in the Barycz Valley and as part of a study visit to Lake Balaton in Hungary. We implemented grassroots ecological initiatives. Thanks to this, local Leaders emerged who reported them and managed their implementation - we implemented 3 initiatives: Sensory corner and social composter in Bagno, planting native species of fruit trees and shrubs in Przygodzice, Improving the safety of black tern nesting by building platforms on Milickie Ponds. In September 2022, we organized a series of meetings with a representative of the Ekopolis Foundation on grassroots initiatives implemented in Slovakia. He inspired and suggested to participants what can be done for nature and how to implement such ideas. We took the most active leaders on a study visit to Lake Balaton in September 2023. LBDCA representatives showed the participants their experience in popularizing democratic practices in local institutions and organizations and activities related to the development of the Lake Balaton region and cooperation with residents. We also conducted education as part of 10 workshops and 20 lectures, engaged volunteers as part of the so-called Green Gym - we removed invasive vegetation from meadows in the Barycz Valley, which we take care of. We acquired participants for activities during 8 festivals where we set up a stand, 17 meetings with residents and Leaders, the summary was during a concert. Multum PR prepared a campaign for business encouraging employee volunteering. We renovated part of the building that we lease from the Żmigród commune and where the Ecological Education Center will be built. The ground floor was renovated along with toilets and a workshop room where we organized an exhibition on biodiversity.
715 people involved
544 participants in workshops, meetings, classes.
135 volunteers,
30 long-term contracts,
5 competence volunteers.
Strengthening cooperation between citizens and local authorities and NGOs - 45 people.
7 pro-ecological citizen applications to local authorities.
Locally agreed concept of implementing Energy Villages.
Żmigród energy cluster was created, where we co-created the action program. Greater awareness of residents is the result of our talks with the municipal authorities and partly the current geopolitical situation in the world. Greater interest in energy and climate protection issues was visible during and after the Commune with Verve workshops. Our activities confirmed the importance of the two most important challenges on which the project focuses - protection of biodiversity and climate. Conversations and meetings with people gave us the certainty that in the communities of the Barycz Valley there are people willing to act. We influenced the development strategy of the Barycz Valley and the Education Strategy in the Barycz Valley. We placed emphasis on the issues of protecting biodiversity and green energy, surprisingly, in the previous strategies these aspects were only superficially included. Cooperation with the Ekopolis Foundation strengthened the awareness of local leaders participating in the workshops Commune with Verve. They saw what and how they can do for the environment and how to benefit from it. Stefan Jančo talked about it. As a result, the ordinary association "Perspektywa" was established, which supports the community in local activities. Partner 1 actively helped to create the image of Etna and create a new website. Cooperation with Partner 3 brought very nice changes. The trip was of an integrative nature, the Leaders drew from the experience of LBDCA in implementing grassroots initiatives and intersectoral cooperation. Thanks to this, they decided to implement some solutions in their own area. It is still too early to determine the impact of these changes. Thanks to the trip, Etna gained a new member. The implemented initiatives influenced nature, but also strengthened social relations, e.g. in Bagno, where all the residents of the village use the social composter. At the same time, they submitted an application to the commune to build a composter and got involved in the political life of the village. The implementation of the initiative in Przygodzice also resulted in the submission of a pro-ecological application to plant trees and shrubs over the Glinianka reservoir. The competition for initiatives involved 16 groups from all over the region to come up with a way to work together for nature and improve its values. A visible change occurred among the participants of the Green Gym, especially the employees of HPE, who constantly return to the meadow enchanted by the changes that have occurred thanks to them. The project entitled "We help wild bees", which we could not implement, will be implemented by the Wrocław City Office. The originator of the idea submitted an application for funding.