Founding Partners

Deutscher Verband für Landschaftspflege e.V.

LANDCARE GERMANY

Founded:

1993

National structure:

Umbrella organisation with 190 member organisations

Biogeographical regions covered:

Atlantic, Continental, Alpine

Collaboration with farmers:

10.000

Main activities:

• training of Landcare associations and support of founding new associations
• projects on rural development and the protection of biodiversity, climate, soil and water
• consulting of political stakeholders on the Common Agricultural Policy

Collaboration:

• with European countries: Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Rumania, Spain, Slovenia
• International cooperation with Satoyama Initiative and Landcare Australia

Landcare Germany is the umbrella organisation of 188 Landcare associations in Germany. They support measures that preserve and restore cultural heritage landscapes (semi-natural or man-made) with their biodiversity. These activities not only benefit nature conservation but also a better quality of life of the regional population and other living beings in Germany. Due to its parity of nature conservationists, farmers, and communities, Landcare associations have a huge local acceptance. Often, they act as mediators between different stakeholders, mostly in rural areas. Landcare associations inform stakeholders and interested parties about the current situation in the region, discuss fears and challenges, and seek solutions. This way Landcare Germany contributes to the implementation of EU environmental targets, such as set in the EU Habitats and Birds Directive, Water Framework Directive (WFD), as well as European, national, and local biodiversity strategies. Maintenance of these cultural heritage landscapes also generates local and regional products and markets and therefore revenue. Landcare associations work in collaboration with farmers to find ways that ensure a reliable farm income while also preserving and improving agriculture-dependent habitats and species. This includes habitats in catchment areas of rivers and water bodies to achieve the goals of the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

Landcare Germany has years of expertise in fostering exchange and bringing together Landcare organisations from different European countries. These exchanges have aimed to broaden knowledge and implementation of European Directives in cooperation with farmers. Thanks to its experiences and European connections Landcare Germany has the capacity to establish a formal Network Landcare Europe. Such a network at EU level will help to better implement the European Directives by fostering the individual organisations in their activities together with farmers and local communities. It can also guide new initiatives and the creation of new Landcare organisations.

Landcare Germany can count on the experiences of Global Landcare and the International Satoyama Initiative, of which it is a member. These two international organisations promote the principle to live in harmony with nature and ensure local wellbeing and nature conservation.

Further information

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Legambiente Lombardia

Founded:

1980

Biogeographical regions covered:

Continental, Alpine

Collaboration with farmers:

10 per year

Main activities:

• Nature conservation & biodiversity/species protection
• Protecting cultural and natural values in the region
• Creation of income and employment in rural areas

Collaboration:

• with 7 European countries: France, Germany, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Netherlands, Romania, Spain

Legambiente Lombardia is one of the 20 regional offices of the non-profit organisation Legambiente, the most widespread environmental associations in Italy with more than 115,000 members, which support a wide range of activities throughout the country. Legambiente Lombardia implements projects with more than 100 local groups in the Lombardy region. Its members engage in activities such as raising awareness, sharing information and educating on scientific issues. Its environmental campaigns, such as “Clean up the world” or “People4soil” are well known for involving thousands of volunteers. 

Legambiente Lombardia developed several projects dealing with biodiversity protection and conservation in the entire region. Since the beginning of the 2000s the association has been working on land conservation and management with a “land stewardship” approach. It has developed activities and initiatives to promote and valorise the local biodiversity with citizens’ involvement, in cooperation with municipalities and local volunteers, creating “Retenatura system” and implementing the project “Think Green - land stewardship in the Lombardy”, which was spread to other regions in order to enhance landowners’ involvement in nature conservation in all the country, encouraging an active and positive role, above all in protected areas. 

Legambiente Lombardia participated as partner in the LIFE project “Landlife, boosting land stewardship as a conservation tool in the Western Mediterranean Arch” (2011-2014), which dealt with the dissemination of the Land stewardship concept in Europe and, at the same, aimed to enlarge the landowners’ network involved in the Land stewardship programme.

At regional level, the association has been developing several projects on ecological networks and biodiversity conservation, focusing on dissemination activities and the involvement of local people. 

Trashumancia y Naturaleza

Founded:

1997

Members:

190

Biogeographical regions covered:

Atlantic, Mediterranean

Collaboration with farmers:

60 per year

Main activities:

• Preservation of cultural and traditional natural landscapes, e.g. drovers´ roads use by the transhumant livestock
• Nature conservation & biodiversity/species protection
• Supporting farmers in responsible & sustainable farming

Collaboration:

• with European countries: Portugal, Germany, Greece, UK, France, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Netherlands, Romania
• International cooperation with Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Turkey, Chile

Asociación Trashumancia y Naturaleza (TyN) is a Spanish non-profit entity founded in 1997 with the main objective of recovering transhumance, the traditional pastoral system of pendular movements of herders, who cross Spain twice a year with their herds, making the most of natural pastures when they are available. TyN also works on the recovery of the 125,000 kms of drovers´ roads used by the transhumant livestock, aiming at preserving these biological corridors and all the ecosystem services provided by this pastoral system, preventing their abandonment and its damaging consequences such as overgrazing, encroachment, wildfires, lack of semi-natural forest renewal, biodiversity loss and soil erosion. The cultural aspect of pastoralism is central to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in order to preserve pastoral knowledge relevant for conservation and promote its application for combatting climate change and the sustainable use of biological diversity.

To address these objectives TyN supports transhumant shepherds on the ground with materials and equipment, and by legally advising and facilitating communication with local and regional authorities. Since its foundation TyN has helped to move more than 500,000 sheep, goats, and cows, through the drover’s roads with more than 50 transhumant families, encouraging generational renewal by promoting pastoralism among the youth. The organisation also improved the conservation of biodiversity and Natura 2000 areas by its support of extensive grazing.

TyN is a member of different national and international network entities such as the International Land Coalition (ILC), where it leads the Communal Systems working group in the EMENA area (Europe, Middle East, and North Africa), the Alliance for the Mediterranean Nature and Culture supported by the MAVA Foundation, or the regional support group for Europe & Artic in favour of the UN declaration of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) in 2026. 

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.

Agri Cultura Natura Transylvaniae

Founded:

2016

Biogeographical regions covered:

Alpine:

Collaboration with farmers:

300 per year

Main activities:

• Contributing to a more nature-inclusive farming system
• Supporting farmers in responsible & sustainable farming
• Protecting cultural and natural values in the region

Collaboration:

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

The main goal of Agri-Cultura-Natura Transylvaniae Association (ACNT) is to support the preservation and development of the many cultural and natural treasures of village life in Transylvania, Romania. As a non-for-profit and non-governmental organisation it provides professional advisory services to village dwellers in the fields of farming, nature conservation and building. The geographical area is in the Eastern Carpathians of Transylvania in Central Romania. ACNT organises trainings and study visits for farmers on different aspects of nature friendly farming. Topics range from milk hygiene through agroforestry to animal welfare. ACNT sets up a regional association for organic farmers already counting more than 150 members.

The organisation also helps farmers with trainings on cheese production to add value to their raw milk of extraordinary quality (hay milk). ACNT works closely with municipalities, nature conservation organisations and authorities responsible for the implementation of Natura 2000 and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

ACNT was founded in December 2016 to provide a clear division of activities from the Pogány-havas Regional Association (PHA). ACNT is the successor of many activities carried out by PHA from farm advisory to nature conservation. PHA was the partner organisation of Landcare Germany in a two-year project to discover how the Landcare approach could be implemented in Romania.

Conservatoire d'espaces naturels

Founded:

1989

National structure:

Umbrella organisation with 23 member organisations and 8000 members

Biogeographical regions covered:

Atlantic, Continental, Alpine, Mediterranean

Collaboration with farmers:

1500 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: Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Netherlands, Romania, Spain

The Fédération Conservatoires d’Espaces Naturels (FCEN) is the French umbrella organisation of all 23 Conservatoires d’Espaces Naturels (CENs) distributed all over France. Through a concerted approach and their territorial assets CENs have been helping to preserve the French natural heritage landscapes for over 40 years.

Grouped into a national Federation, the Metropolitan and Overseas Conservatoires sustainably manage a coherent and functional network of 3,700 natural sites covering 180,000 hectares.

The 23 CENs are non-profit organisations of public interest. From their origins, with the support of the State, Europe, local authorities, and private partners, they have become recognised as managers for the relevance of their action built on consultations as well as their sources of reference for their scientific and technical expertise. The CENs form partnerships and complementary relations between all biodiversity stakeholders coordinating territorial projects. Since 2009, the CENs have been recognised in law, by specific approval. CENs support the implementation of more than 250 Natura 2000 objectives’ documents (DOCOB) and work with about 1,500 farmers around France.

For over 20 years FCEN and the CENs have led many LIFE projects to conserve nature together with communities, farmers, and other stakeholders. As an umbrella organisation the Federation fosters exchange, offers advice for its members and carries out projects.

Baltic Environmental Forum Lithuania

Founded:

2003

Biogeographical regions covered:

Boreal, Continental

Collaboration with farmers:

200 per year

Main activities:

• Nature conservation & biodiversity/species protection
• Contributing to a more nature-inclusive farming system
• Foster exchange between farmers, conservationists, political stakeholders and landscape managers

Collaboration:

• with European countries: Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Albania, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Great Britain

The Baltic Environmental Forum Lithuania (BEF) is a nationally and internationally active non-governmental and non-profit organisation that carries out environmental activities. Today, the main areas of activity are biodiversity protection, agri-environment, rural development, nature tourism and sustainable development.

The organisation is assembled of experienced experts and young professionals and its credo - "nature shall be protected not from people but with people" - illustrates a strong emphasis on communities´ involvement in conservation work as well as the importance of addressing social and economic aspects as precondition for ensuring favourable conservation status of protected species and habitats. BEF LT has extensive experience in working on biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes. It is involved in practical conservation projects as well as scientific and political think-tanks focused on improving rural development and biodiversity conservation policies with regards to better performance in achieving biodiversity conservation goals.

BEF LT works with a variety of organisations, which share their values and beliefs that people can live in harmony with nature. Since 2006 BEF LT is a member of VivaSol, an association that promotes the survival and development of small farms, craftsmen, and other rural residents. Since 2010 BEF LT is a member of the International Aquatic Warbler Conservation Team, which takes care of the survival of the rarest European songbird. In 2017 they joined the European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism (EFNCP) to promote nature-friendly extensive farming and the Rewildening Europe network to make Europe more wild and natural.

Since 2018 BEF LT is involved in a 10-year LIFE Integrated project “Optimizing the management of Natura 2000 network in Lithuania” (LIFE IP PAF-NATURALIT), where it is one of the project partners acting in the field of agri-environmental measures,incl. testing a result-based scheme, and promotion of grazing activities to manage open habitats. This work involves constant cooperation with various stakeholders, including farmers.

Boeren Natuur

Founded:

2015

National structure:

Umbrella organisation with 40 member organisations

Biogeographical regions covered:

Atlantic

Collaboration with farmers:

90.000

Main activities:

• Nature conservation & biodiversity/species protection
• Contributing to a more nature-inclusive farming system
• Supporting farmers in responsible & sustainable farming

Collaboration:

• with European countries: Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Poland, France, Hungary, Slovenia, Germany, Spain, UK, Italy, Finland, Romania, Luxembourg, Lithuania

BoerenNatuur (BN) is the Dutch national organisation that represents all farmer collectives in the Netherlands. Its 40 members execute the agri-environmental scheme (AES) at a landscape scale, while aiming to conserve nature in farmland and maintain the farmland landscape. Within these 40 collectives over 11,000 farmers are actively involved, managing more than 100,000 hectares of farmland in total. Yearly over € 70 million are invested in agricultural management. Its members range in size and management unit: some of them have landscapes with more open grassland, others with more open fields.

BoerenNatuur has two aims: (1) to support its members and represent their interests with EU and national policy makers involved in the agri-environmental scheme, and (2) to stimulate a more nature-inclusive farming system in the Netherlands. To reach these goals, BoerenNatuur and its members in the collectives work together with farmers, conservationists, nature conservation organisations, governmental organisations such as the provinces and the waterboards, and also with local communities. BoerenNatuur’s starting point is an area-based approach focusing on creating the right mosaic for the Natura 2000 species to be preserved. Therefore, BoerenNatuur needs to work together with many organisations. Many of the farmers they work with are based within or near Natura 2000 areas. BoerenNatuur and also its members in the provinces are involved in several projects that aim at conserving Natura 2000 and at the same time creating the right circumstances for the farmers to make a living from their farming activities within these areas.