Over the past two weeks, meetings have been held with local residents interested in or affected by lynx-related topics. All of them can join the so-called Local Consultative Groups (LCG) that we have set up in the scope of our project. We have five such groups in Slovenia – LCG Kočevsko, LCG Pivško, LGC Loška Dolina and Loški Potok, LCG Gorenjska and North Primorska, and in the Cerknica area, we have joined the LIFE Stržen Project Council, which already has active stakeholders.
At the LCG meetings, we usually present the latest information about reintroduced lynxes, the results of the lynx monitoring, and the topics, which might be of local interest. This time we presented the interpretation on the Lynx Educational Trail in Kočevje and what follows its opening, a visit to the renovated exhibition and learning trail about large carnivores in Mašun, the newly opened nature classroom in Loško Potok, which is managed by a local hunting club, and guided observation of wildlife in the Triglav National Park.
However, these were not the main topics of this year’s meetings. The project has funds planned for activities at local level – through the members of the LCG. These are activities that local people would like to implement in their area, related to lynx, forest or coexistence with large carnivores. At the Dinaric Groups meeting and the Gorenjska LCG meeting, members proposed a wide variety of ideas, of which they will vote for the ones they like the most and will be later on implemented in the scope of the LIFE Lynx project.
Thank you to everyone who participated and to everyone who submitted their ideas before the meetings! If anyone else would like to join us in developing ideas further, please contact us at: [email protected].
Online meeting of Local Consultative Groups from Dinaric region. Photo: LIFE Lynx
Presentation of the Nature classroom in Loško Potok at Dinaric region LCG meeting. Photo: LIFE Lynx