CICPA UE

Forum of the Szczecin Lagoon launched by CICPA!

On Thursday, 21st of February, Society For The Coast, Woliński National Park and Community Centre of Culture in Stepnica, in cooperation with the Mayor of Stepnica Municipality, invited self-governments, institutions and NGOs from all communities and elderships located around the Polish coast of Szczecin Lagoon, West Pomerania, to the Conference „Common Initiatives in Conserved and Protected Areas. Over the water, around the Lagoon”. This interactive meeting was held in the Museum of Nature of the Woliński National Park in Międzyzdroje.

It was great occasion to show what CICPA offers to local communities, present effects of cross-border partnership established so far since January 2018 and to invite new communities to join activities focused on building cooperation, based on the use of valuable natural areas, in particular within the Natura 2000 Network.

To underline importance of cooperation at this transregional area, representatives od Society For The Coast and Woliński National Park presented many good examples of other already completed and ongoing educational and social projects activating local communities living in valuable natural surroundings of Odra Delta Nature Park and Woliński National Park.

Mrs. Anna Błeszyńska from regional Contact Point of Interreg South Baltic Programme 2014-2020 presented the possibilities offered by Interreg Programmes and she invited to get to know ongoing Interreg South Baltic projects whose beneficiaries are Partners and Associated Partners from the West Pomeranian region.

Our initiative met great interest from self-governments of Nowe Warpno, Police, Goleniów, Wolin, Międzyzdroje, Świnoujście, Kamień Pomorski and Dziwnów – every community around Polish coastline of Szczecin Lagoon and Kamieński Lagoon! We hosted over 40 participants from 22 organisations, including 16 new ones in project CICPA (15 new ones to Interreg South Baltic Programme!). All representatives appreciated the idea of creating a “Forum of the Szczecin Lagoon”, which will become a common platform for the joint development of communities located in valuable and unique natural areas and for communication and dissemination for realized, ongoing and planned projects. This demonstrates a real need to undertake joint activities, not only focusing on own locations but to build strong group ready for cross-border partnership and network building.

As a result, the next “Forum of the Szczecin Lagoon” will be held in Stepnica. All municipalities, institutions, NGOs, formal and non-formal groups of stakeholders around Szczecin Lagoon and Kamieński Lagoon will be more than welcome to bring own ideas and share them on the Forum. On 26th of March, Stepnica will become a regional capital of green initiatives! Keep updated and join Common Initiatives in Conserved and Protected Areas!

Fot: Mrs. Mariola Kwiryng, Mr. Mirosław Smugała and Woliński National Park