GreenHealth 3rd Interregional Learning event in Poland
NWRA Staff and Stakeholders attend GreenHealth Project Interregional Learning event in the Podkarpackie Region of Poland
Eiméar Dowd (Regional Development Manager) and Declan Meehan (Senior Planner) were the NWRA representatives who attended the 3rd Interregional Learning event of the Interreg Europe GREENHEALTH project in the Podkarpackie Region in Poland last week. Amongst the Irish delegation were Emma O’Hagan, Rural Recreation Officer from County Leitrim, and Sinead McDermott, Tourism Officer with Leitrim County Council. At this project event, partners presented local examples and shared experiences about how to improve accessibility and inclusion when encouraging activities in the outdoors and the enjoyment and protection of natural amenities.
The Irish delegation showcased their Good Practice example at the event and presented on the recent First National Trails Conference held in Carrick on Shannon from 31 Aug – 2 Sep. This was chosen as a unique example of bringing stakeholders together to discuss how to improve trail maintenance, education, and community inclusion through outdoor activities.
During the event, the Polish hosts, the Office of the Podkarpackie Region, invited the partners to visit the PANS Herbalism Department at the State Academy of Applied Sciences in Krosno, after which the study visit continued in the Forestry Promotion Centre in Muczne and the Bieszczady National Park. The workshop elements of the event were coordinated by the EUROPARC Federation and addressed the topic of ‘Sustainable Inclusiveness’ and integrated elements of the Healthy Parks Healthy People Toolkit.
The overarching aim of the GREENHEALTH project is to make EU regions more resilient and to restore bio-diversity in natural spaces by improving the management of European Protected Areas. The aim is to focus on strengthening links and strategic & operational collaboration between actors working on biodiversity protection and those involved in promoting human health & well-being. Fundamentally, this project centres on the recognition that protected Areas in EU are a key tool, not only for the preservation of nature & biodiversity conservation but also for the provision of multiple benefits in the ecosystem of public services.
Find out more about the project here: https://www.interregeurope.eu/greenhealth
Pcitured above: Emma O’Hagan, Declan Meehan and Eiméar Dowd at the Interreg Europe GreenHealth project 3rd Interregional Learning event in Poland
