On our November trip to Moldova, we were accompanied by professional nature guards from the Beskydy mountains and Slovak Paradise. Their task was to pass on their service experience to their current and future colleagues on both sides of the River Dniester.
Jana and Róbert Javorský, guardians from the Beskydy Mountains and Slovak Paradise, were able to see the working conditions of the Moldovan volunteer nature guards during several visits to local villages. They took part in working meetings in the newly declared Lower Dniester National Park and the Jagorlik Nature Reserve, which is located in the so-called Transnistrian region.
!! PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE WORKING TRIP TO MOLDOVA BY PHOTOGRAPHER JANA PLAVEC !!
During the training of Moldovan volunteer nature guards and meetings with the public organized in cooperation with our partner organization Biotica, the Javorskis talked about how nature conservation works in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. They also shared their knowledge and experience from their work in the field with their Moldovan colleagues. They also donated several photo traps to local rangers to support the protection of the Moldovan natural environment by sharing know-how and technology.
On our third trip to Moldova this year, we were happy to take advantage of the readiness of Czech-Slovak experts to share their knowledge and experience from the post-communist transition of our countries, as well as suggestions on possible settings for nature protection and the status of selected protected areas in Moldova.
We were also happy to join the fieldwork, during which we helped with the volunteer planting of trees and shrubs around a kindergarten in the village of Copanca in the south of the country. Both the teachers from the kindergarten and the parents of the preschool children took part. “Unfortunately, young people from Moldova, particularly, are leaving to work in Russia or the European Union countries. It is reported that around 30% of the population has already left the country. Therefore, great respect goes to all those who stay and try to develop and protect their villages and surroundings,” says Pavel Pinkava, the project coordinator.
This mission has been implemented within the framework of the joint project “Guardians of Moldovan Nature: Advocating for the rights of local communities on both sides of the Dniester” of Arnika and Biotica, which is supported by the Transformation Cooperation Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
