ALCDF

14/10/2026

🌿 KEEPING MOUNTAIN TRADITIONS ALIVE, CONNECTING FARMERS FOR A STRONGER FUTURE!
🐑 Healthy pastures, thriving farms and stronger mountain communities!
On 31 August and 1 September 2026, ALCDF brought together 24 local farmers in for two engaging training sessions on Sustainable Mountain Pastoralism, organised within the Mountain Connect: Balkan Mountain Forum project.
🌱 The sessions explored sustainable pasture management, climate resilience, traditional mountain products and new opportunities for rural livelihoods.
🤝 More than just training! Farmers shared experiences, built new connections and enthusiastically welcomed the opportunity to network and learn from fellow farmers across the Western Balkans.
✨ The sessions also helped identify pioneering local farmers whose inspiring experiences will be featured in the project's upcoming Best Practices Publication.
💚 Connecting people, sharing knowledge and keeping our mountain communities thriving!
The Grant for Grassroot Initiatives is co-funded by the Western Balkans Fund and the European Union, as part of the WBF–EU Joint Action.

13/10/2026

🏔️🌿 CONNECTING MOUNTAINS, PEOPLE & OPPORTUNITIES IN KOSOVO!
Stronger mountain tourism starts with stronger local communities! 🤝
On 22 September 2026, 23 participants came together in Gjakovë, Kosovo, for an inspiring workshop on Sustainable Mountain Tourism, organised by our project partner, Kosovo Development Center (KDC), within the framework of the Mountain Connect: Balkan Mountain Forum project.
🌄 From the breathtaking landscapes of Bjeshkët e Nemuna to the rich natural and cultural heritage of Malet e Sharrit, the workshop explored how mountain tourism can create new opportunities for local businesses, guesthouses, guides and rural communities.
💡 Through interactive discussions and group work, participants shared experiences, identified challenges and developed practical recommendations focusing on:
🥾 Better mountain trails, signage and visitor information
🏡 Connecting guesthouses, local gastronomy and outdoor experiences
🌱 Promoting sustainable, community-based tourism and year-round opportunities
🤝 Strengthening cooperation among tourism operators, local communities and regional partners
✨ The message was clear: Our mountains have extraordinary potential, and cooperation is the key to unlocking it!
Through Mountain Connect, we are bringing people, ideas and experiences together to build a more connected, inclusive and sustainable future for mountain communities across the Western Balkans.
The Grant for Grassroot Initiatives is co-funded by the Western Balkans Fund and the European Union, as part of the WBF–EU Joint Action.

12/10/2026

FROM TRADITIONAL STITCHES TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES!
Empowering women, preserving heritage and creating sustainable livelihoods in Montenegro's mountain communities. 🌿
Traditional embroidery is more than a craft. It carries stories, preserves cultural identity and can open doors to new economic opportunities for rural women.
Through the Mountain Connect: Balkan Mountain Forum project, two inspiring workshops brought women artisans together in Berane, Montenegro, on 13 August and 16 September 2026, turning traditional skills into ideas for sustainable entrepreneurship.
✨ From craftsmanship to a shared identity: The first workshop introduced Gorski Vez (Mountain Stitches), a common brand concept connecting traditional Montenegrin embroidery with contemporary handmade products, including bags, accessories and souvenirs.
🤝 From creativity to economic opportunity: The second workshop explored how these products could become part of a sustainable business model, focusing on fair remuneration, quality, transparent cooperation and access to markets.
Organised by our project partner, the Regionalna razvojna agencija/RDA Bjelasica, Komovi, Prokletije(RDA BKP), the workshops represent important steps towards transforming traditional knowledge into new opportunities for women and their communities.
💚 Because when women thrive, mountain communities grow stronger — and traditions find a future.
Through Mountain Connect, we continue building bridges between cultural heritage, women's entrepreneurship and sustainable mountain development across the Western Balkans.
The Grant for Grassroot Initiatives is co-funded by the Western Balkans Fund and the European Union, as part of the WBF–EU Joint Action.

09/10/2026

From local engagement to regional connections: Mountain Connect activities underway in Albania
The first field activities of “Mountain Connect: Balkan Mountain Forum” started in mid-July and continued throughout August 2026, marking the beginning of stakeholder mapping and engagement.
Through field visits, individual meetings and consultations, ALCDF and project partners KDC in Kosovo, CSCD in North Macedonia and RDA in Montenegro engaged with farmers, pastoralists, rural producers and other mountain stakeholders to better understand their activities, experiences and needs, while identifying motivated actors interested in networking and exchanging knowledge with their peers across the Western Balkans.
The stakeholders identified through this process will contribute to the project's regional stakeholder database and engagement plan, connecting mountain communities from Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro.
The Grant for Grassroot Initiatives is co-funded by the Western Balkans Fund and the European Union in Albania, as part of the WBF–EU Joint Action.

24/07/2026

The 8th European Congress of Conservation Biology (ECCB) took place in Leiden on the 6-10 of July. The event attracted 850 participants from 25 countries.

Maria Petridou gave a presentation on the work being done under ‘PONT Connect’ and specifically the PONT grant to Pindos Perivallontiki “Enhancing connectivity of Balkan chamois in North-Western Greece”. Read all about this and the charismatic Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) here 👉 https://www.pont.org/pont-connect-part-of-the-8th-eccb-in-leiden/

PONT Connect is a five-year programme, running from 2025-2029, financed by the French Facility Global Environment (FFEM) and the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation.

24/07/2026

24/06/2026

🚶Vazhdojnë ekspeditat kërkimore në Zonën e Mbrojtur Korab-Koritnik
➡️Ekspertët e kontraktuar nga ALCDF, Profesor Elvin Toromani dhe Dhimiter Peci, së bashku me ekipin teknik të ALCDF, në bashkëpunim me specialistët e Agjencisë Rajonale të Zonave të Mbrojtura dhe aktorë të tjerë lokalë, po vijojnë punën në terren në kuadër të hartëzimit dhe vlerësimit të habitateve prioritare në Zonën e Mbrojtur Korab-Koritnik.
➡️Gjatë inspektimeve dhe verifikimeve në terren u kryen vëzhgime, m***e dhe vlerësime ekologjike, si dhe u mblodhën të dhëna hapësinore të gjeoreferencuara (GIS). Aktivitetet përfshinë identifikimin dhe hartëzimin e habitateve natyrore, vlerësimin e gjendjes së ekosistemeve, evidentimin e elementëve të biodiversitetit, analizimin e përdorimit aktual të tokës, regjistrimin e koordinatave gjeografike (GPS), dokumentimin fotografik të zonës së studimit dhe grumbullimin e të dhënave të nevojshme për monitorimin dhe vlerësimin e ndikimeve në mjedis.
🗂️Informacioni i mbledhur do të shërbejë për identifikimin, vlerësimin dhe klasifikimin e habitateve prioritare që kërkojnë ndërhyrje për ruajtje dhe konservim, si dhe për evidentimin e zonave me ndjeshmëri të lartë ekologjike. Një vëmendje e veçantë do t’i kushtohet mbrojtjes dhe konservimit të habitateve kullosore, për të cilat do të përzgjidhen dhe zhvillohen parcela pilote demonstrative që do të shërbejnë si modele për zbatimin e praktikave të qëndrueshme të menaxhimit.
➡️Në vijim, të dhënat e grumbulluara do t’i nënshtrohen proceseve të përpunimit, analizës dhe vlerësimit teknik, në bashkëpunim me ekspertët përkatës dhe palët e interesuara. Ky proces do të mundësojë përmirësimin e klasifikimit të habitateve, vlerësimin e gjendjes së tyre ekologjike dhe përcaktimin e prioriteteve për ruajtjen, restaurimin dhe menaxhimin afatgjatë të tyre.
📊Rezultatet e këtij procesi do të përmblidhen në raporte teknike, harta të detajuara GIS dhe materiale informuese që do të mbështesin monitorimin, menaxhimin dhe planifikimin afatgjatë të kësaj zone me vlera të veçanta natyrore.
➡️Këto aktivitete zhvillohen në kuadër të projektit “Korab-Koritnik: Restaurimi i Natyrës dhe Fuqizimi i Komuniteteve”, financuar nga Programi PONT dhe zbatuar nga ALCDF në partneritet me LAG “Dibra Turistike”.
🌱 Mbrojtja e natyrës fillon me njohjen, dokumentimin dhe menaxhimin e qëndrueshëm të saj.
Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust - PONT Agjencia Kombëtare e Zonave të Mbrojtura Agjencia Kombëtare e Pyjeve Adzm Diber AdZM Kukes

05/06/2026

🌿 On World Environment Day, June 5th, ALCDF renews its commitment to protecting nature and building a greener, more sustainable future for all. 🌍💚

22/05/2026

Gëzuar Ditën ndërkombëtare të Biodiversitetit!

28/04/2026

Good strategy!

Milestone for lynx conservation in Europe 🎉

The Balkan lynx is one of six subspecies of the Eurasian lynx. With under 50 individuals left in the wild, the Balkan lynx is critically endangered and only found in the Southwestern Balkans.

👉 Now, a new Regional Strategy for the conservation of the Balkan lynx has been officially endorsed at the CMS COP15 in Brazil.

The strategy highlights the importance of transboundary cooperation, pointing out that the future of the critically endangered Balkan lynx depends on coordinated efforts beyond national borders.

This is more than a plan: it’s a shared vision and call to action for a species on the brink of extinction, that can be saved if authorities, conservation experts and local communities join forces 🐾

If you want to know more about this new Regional Strategy or lynx conservation in Europe, read the news on our website ➡️ link in the comments!



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