Project Name: Nature Benefits

Date: 01.03.2023-28.02.2025

Location: Ankara

Role Of DKM: DKM contributes developing the course program and implementing this program with local managers.

Contact: Tugba Can

Project Summary:

The "Tune It - Nature Benefits: From Theory To Practice", supported by the EU Erasmus+ VET Grant Program, of which Nature Conservation Center is a project partner, started with a Kick-off Meeting in Belgium. The project is coordinated by Natuurpunt from Belgium and apart from Nature Conservation Centre, there are ten NGOs from EU countries as project partners.

The project's main objective is to develop a course and provide training for site managers and local (regional) authorities responsible for managing natural areas. This will enable them to use existing knowledge and tools on the natural benefits and translate them into their daily working practice. This, in turn, will ensure that vital nature benefits are maintained and increase the opportunities for natural areas to contribute to society's needs.

The project partners plan to achieve this through a 3-module course tailored for a wide range of audiences and developed in five languages ​​(English, Dutch, Croatian, Ukrainian, and Turkish):

• MODULE-1 'Learning the basics' provides a general overview of nature's benefits (ecosystem services), methodologies, available guidelines, and examples of good practice.
• MODULE-2 'Putting it into practice' offers an opportunity to explore in more detail how to use nature benefits (1) in communication with various stakeholders; (2) while choosing the alternative solutions or planning the restoration; (3) for finding the alternative revenue; and (4) planning the management of their site.
• MODULE-3' Planning for future action' provides participants with the necessary skills to transfer the obtained knowledge to their colleagues within their organizations.

Due to specific innovations in vocational training for nature conservationists, the Belgian National Agency of the EU's Erasmus+ Programme funds the project. It will be implemented by a consortium consisting of 10 organizations from 5 European countries, including two international networks:

• Natuurpunt Beheer (lead partner)
• Nature's Nature Academy,
• Wageningen Research,
• Stichting IVN,
• Natural monuments,
• Danube-Carpathian Programme,
• Geonatura Ltd. Consultancy in Nature Protection,
• Nature Conservation Center Foundation (DKM),
• Eurosite – the European Land Conservation Network and
• Ecosystem Services Partnership.

The long-term goal is improving the management of natural areas, thus restoring degraded and protecting the healthy and/or endangered ecosystems while ensuring the wide range of societies' benefits by improving the competencies of natural area managers (site managers) and local and regional governments. The two-year project is scheduled to be completed on 28.02.2025.