Alta Garrotxa recently participated in the 2nd Nature Conservation Congress, organized by the Nature Conservation Network (XCN) with the support of the Generalitat de Catalunya. The meeting brought together professionals, administrations, entities, and research centers to share experiences and reflect on the current challenges of natural heritage conservation.
Within the Congress framework, Alta Garrotxa's experience was presented through the talk «Beyond Meadow Opening: A Mosaic Landscape Planning and Management Strategy for Conservation». The presentation highlighted the importance of coordinated, cascading territorial planning for the recovery of open space habitats, integrating biodiversity conservation, extensive livestock farming, and forest fire prevention. The role of the Alta Garrotxa Protection Plan, the Extensive Livestock Farming Promotion Plan, and the Strategic Infrastructure Plan for Fire Prevention was emphasized.
The Congress also provided an opportunity to learn about other projects and approaches related to the recovery of open spaces and biodiversity conservation. Contributions from Paisatges Vius, the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), the Museum of Natural Sciences of Granollers, the BETA Technological Center, and the L’Aube Association, among others, enriched the debate.
The meeting underscored the need to strengthen collaboration between entities, enhance the conservation sector's impact, and build alliances with farmers, economic sectors, and other territorial stakeholders. The importance of strong entities and stable resources to translate knowledge into tangible results for nature was also highlighted.
Participation in this Congress has been an opportunity to showcase the work being done in Alta Garrotxa, learn from other experiences, and advance collective knowledge building. Such exchanges contribute to improving territorial management strategies and reinforcing nature conservation based on cooperation and territory-rooted knowledge.
