I would like to share a short, 2 minute video made by a group of nature photographers from Croatia: Goran Safarek, Ante Zuljevic, Drasko Holcer and Italian videographer Claudia Amico. The video is called “Natura 2000 – Pride of Croatia”. I met Goran on my last trip to Croatia in October. He is an excellent photographer and an extremely dedicated conservationist. Here is a short background to the video that Goran sent me.
As a result of entering the European Union in 2013, Croatia became part of the Natura 2000 network. This is the largest ecological network of protected areas in the world (more than 30,000 locations covering 20% of the EU surface area). The aim of the network is to assure the long-term survival of Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and habitats. Natura 2000 represents the foundation of a sustainable economic development, considering nature as a provider of basic necessities for the betterment of humankind. At the same time, the network has been created to protect natural processes, plant and animal species and the habitats upon which they rely. Natura 2000 means humanity in nature, not nature without humans. This is the message we are trying to convey because of the often misguided perception that protected areas are impediments to the economic development; whereas, the truth is the opposite.
This video is integral part of the project called “Together for Nature Conservation – Civil Society Organizations for Effective European Natura 2000 Network in Croatia”
Translation of Croatian text in the video:
Natura 2000 – Pride of Croatia (0:03)
Croatia is a country rich in protected natural heritage (0:19)
Now part of a network of ecological areas in Europe (0:30)
Sea, mountains, rivers, forests (0:38)
Natural areas encompass 37% of the land surface and 16% of the sea (1:00)
Large natural areas result from the existence of rich landscape and biological diversity (1:08)
Natura 200 protects nature (1:20)
Natura 2000 is not impediment to the investment (1:25)
It supports sustainable agriculture and fisheries (1:33)
Natura 2000: humanity in nature, not nature without humans (1:38)
Natura 2000: an opportunity, not impediment to the economic development (1:47)