Nature conservation initiatives launched in Slovenia and Croatia

In Slovenia, the Natura Kozjansko project has launched a 7.8 million euro initiative to restore habitats within Kozjanski Park and the Dobrava–Jovsi area. The project, which runs until May 2029, is funded largely by European funds and aims to protect endangered flora and fauna across five Natura 2000 sites. Key activities include purchasing 66 hectares of land to restore extensive meadows, planting oak trees, and creating ponds to support species like the great crested newt. Additionally, the project will renovate the Jovsi interpretive center in Kapele to enhance local eco-tourism.

In Croatia, authorities are working to establish new protections for the Peruština pine forest in Kožino. Natura Jadera and Zadar County are coordinating efforts to determine if the area can be officially declared a park-forest. This process involves submitting professional findings to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition. Even if the park-forest status is not granted, local officials plan to include the area in spatial planning documents as a site of special landscape value to preserve the coastal green belt between Dikla and Kožino.