Naturschutzsyndikat SICONA

Naturschutzsyndikat SICONA

Founded:

1989

Members:

40

Biogeographical regions covered:

Atlantic, Continental

Collaboration with farmers:

380 per year

Main activities:

• Nature conservation & biodiversity/species protection
• Preservation of cultural and traditional natural landscapes
• Protecting cultural and natural values in the region

Collaboration:

• with European countries: Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Romania, Spain

SICONA

The SICONA-Sud-Ouest Syndicate for Nature Conservation is an association of 21 communities situated in the southwest of Luxembourg for more than 30 years. Together with its partner syndicate SICONA-Centre, which regroups another 22 communities in the central and central western part of Luxembourg, SICONA englobes almost a third of the country’s surface area and is the largest nature conservation organisation of its kind in Luxembourg. The principal missions of the syndicates are the conservation and restoration of species and their natural habitats through applied conservation measures as well as awareness raising campaigns aimed at public stakeholders, private landowners, and the general public.

Projects are carried out by a joint force of negotiators and planners, scientists and technicians, pedagogues, and technical maintenance staff. As such, SICONA can ensure the practical implementation of nature conservation projects from the planning phase to their execution, including scientific supervision and monitoring as required, and also group all the know-how needed for awareness raising campaigns under one roof.

SICONA ensures the maintenance and restoration of grasslands, orchards, hedges, and wetlands owned or administered by its member-communes., Another important part of their work are projects in direct cooperation with private landowners and particularly farmers. The cooperation with farmers and other private landowners provides locations for the creation of new habitat structures such as ponds, delivers welcome assistance in the management of selected habitats, or enables the collection of valuable plant material for grassland restoration projects, another area of their expertise. A more recent project promotes the value of local farming activities as well as regional food chains for farmland biodiversity, and forges direct links between nature conservation, agriculture and (the kitchens of) public institutions. This project is highly successful and about to be implemented on a nation-wide scale.

SICONA puts great emphasis on sharing knowledge through articles, conferences, and workshops, which enables the exchange of experience with both national and international partners.