WWF Central and Eastern Europe

WWF Central and Eastern Europe WWF works to preserve the Green Heart of Europe with the continent's greatest wetland, forest and wilderness areas. Thank you for joining the WWF CEE community.

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WWF CEE additional information:

From the Danube basin to the Carpathian Mountains, our region - the Green Heart of Europe - is home to:

- Europe’s most spectacular remaining wilderness areas outside of Russia, including the southern Carpathians and the Danube Delta;

- The largest remaining area of virgin and natural forests in Europe outside of northern Scandinavia and Russia;

- Most of Europe’s last remaining intact rivers and wetlands, including the globally important Lower Danube Green Corridor and the Mura-Drava-Danube corridor, “Europe’s Amazon”

- Two-thirds of the European populations of large carnivores, including bears, lynx and wolves;

- The Danube sturgeons that survived the end of the dinosaurs but now teeter on the edge of extinction.

🌲Happy ! From clean air to the essential resources that sustain our daily lives, from sheltering countless species to s...
21/03/2026

🌲Happy ! From clean air to the essential resources that sustain our daily lives, from sheltering countless species to soothing our minds with the rustle of leaves and birdsong, forests are living systems deeply woven into our wellbeing, culture, and traditions. Let’s take a moment to celebrate forests and remind ourselves to cherish and protect them, while encouraging close-to-nature forest management, so they can continue to sustain future generations.

🪻Today, we are sharing a glimpse of the moments our team had the privilege to experience in a true old-growth forest in Romania, where WWF Romania's campaign to protect virgin forests first began. This site is one of the most iconic old-growth forests in the Carpathian region, now part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, made possible through strong partnerships. It also stands as a powerful example that sustainable local development and nature conservation can go hand in hand.

🛖Alongside this, some of the photos also capture the spirit of the historic Maramureș “civilisation of wood”, that reflects a deep and enduring connection between people and forests.

Photo credit 📷 Yana Barzova, WWF Bulgaria

13/03/2026

Agree? 🐟 You either love them, or you just haven’t discovered them yet. THE STURGEONS.

Watch the video to see what WWF-CEE has achieved together with dedicated partners to protect this dinosaur-old species.

Explore the full WWF-CEE Annual Report here: https://wwfcee.org/news/wwf-cee-annual-report-fy2025

The sturgeon releases were made possible thanks to the LIFE-Boat 4 Sturgeon project: https://lb4sturgeon.eu/

17/02/2026

🍂 Why do so many of us feel uneasy in modern life? What happens when our daily routines drift away from what we are biologically and socially “designed” for?

In WWF Hungary's podcast, ethologist Vilmos Csányi reflects on how evolution shaped us as deeply social beings with an innate attraction to animals and the natural world.

🌿He explores how culture and education can either nurture or suppress this connection, and how living within artificial rhythms and environments can create tension and a sense that something is out of balance.

The conversation invites us to rethink our place in the living world and consider how reconnecting with nature and with each other might shape a more meaningful future.

🔍 Read more and explore the conversation: https://wwfcee.org/news/humans-as-social-beings-and-part-of-nature

13/02/2026

🌡️ Why is no one speaking openly about the climate crisis threatening the Winter Olympics? asks Mariagrazia Midulla, WWF Italia's Climate and Energy Head.

❄️ The 2026 Winter Olympics are taking place in a landscape already transformed by the climate crisis.

Concerns about the future of winter sports have been growing for years. Yet instead of using the Olympics to highlight what is at stake, organisers invested in more artificial snowmaking and continued to treat climate impacts as an inconvenient backdrop, not the central story they clearly are. Political and economic leaders continue to avert their eyes, choosing to sidestep the science and ignore what is unfolding in real time across the Alps.

⚠️ Unless we rapidly cut fossil fuel emissions and rethink how major events are planned, the future of the Winter Olympics, and winter itself, becomes increasingly fragile. We are entering an era where the world’s most iconic winter sports festival may be less about snow and more about the struggle to hold onto a climate that is slipping away.

The story of the 2026 Games is not just about sport. It is a warning, one we ignore at our peril.

Read the full article here https://wwfcee.org/news/olympics-on-little-or-fake-snow-a-global-event-running-out-of-winter

Is land really the main barrier to renewable energy expansion in Europe?💡A new WWF analysis published in SeeNews argues ...
06/02/2026

Is land really the main barrier to renewable energy expansion in Europe?

💡A new WWF analysis published in SeeNews argues that the challenge is not about hectares, but about planning. Strategic spatial decisions, transparent data, and clear processes are what determine whether projects move forward smoothly or face conflict and delay.

✅Evidence shows that wind and solar can scale without compromising food production or nature when planning is done well. The conversation should shift from land scarcity to planning quality.

Read the full commentary 👉 https://seenews.com/news/beyond-hectares-why-europes-renewable-energy-problem-isnt-land-its-planning-1289293

The analysis was carried out by the Energy Policy Group, Energiatudományi Kutatóközpont (Centre for Energy Research), WWF Bulgaria, WWF Romania, WWF Hungary, and funded by the EUKI - European Climate Initiative

04/02/2026

As part of our - series, today we share another inspiring story from that shows how wetland restoration benefits both people and nature.

🦆 Along the Danube River, the Gârla Mare wetland had been gradually drying out. Years of fish farming modifications disconnected it from the river, transforming a once vibrant wetland into a degraded reed bed and increasing its vulnerability.

Despite challenges such as changing landowner positions, design setbacks, inconsistencies in the cadastral system, and the global pandemic, WWF Romania remained committed. Through continuous work, water flow was restored, flood protection reinforced, and new areas dredged to create more diverse habitats.

The impact is clear:
🌱 400 hectares of marshland restored
💧 flood storage capacity increased to 5.2 million m³
🏠 downstream communities now better protected
🦦 wildlife has returned, including the Eurasian otter and the fire-bellied toad

Implemented under the , the restoration of Gârla Mare demonstrates how bringing back water also brings back life, strengthening ecosystems while supporting local communities. Learn more about partnership actions across the region here: https://buff.ly/415hr8o

02/02/2026

🌾Happy ! Today we celebrate one of nature’s quiet heroes. Wetlands. Places that protect us from droughts and floods, purify our water, and give space for life to thrive.

🌱For years, many of these landscapes were cut off, drained, and forgotten. But when we restore them, something remarkable happens. Nature responds.

🔍Below, you see Liberty Island on the Danube River in Hungary after a restoration project by and partners. A once disconnected side arm now flows again. Floodplain forests are recovering. Birds, fish, and insects are returning.

💧And the benefits go far beyond nature. The project helps secure drinking water for the people of Pécs and Mohács, and creates new opportunities for eco-friendly tourism and recreation.

This is the power of giving nature a second chance.

. WWF Hungary

19/01/2026

Great news to start the week🌿Our colleague Cristian-Remus Papp, Wildlife and Landscapes National Manager at WWF Romania, has received the 2025 Award for Most Impactful Author from the scientific journal Nature Conservation.

A well-deserved recognition of his 2022 publication on maintaining ecological connectivity in the Carpathian ecoregion while developing sustainable transport infrastructures, but also of the broader efforts taking place across the region.

The article emphasizes how thoughtful planning, cross-sector stakeholder collaboration and science-driven decisions, can significantly improve outcomes for wildlife.

Key takeaways highlighted in the paper include:
🌱 The need to integrate biodiversity objectives into large-scale land-use planning.
🦉 The critical importance of maintaining habitat connectivity in fragmented landscapes.
🤝 The value of partnerships between conservationists, land managers, and policymakers.
📊 Using spatial data and ecological modelling to guide smarter, scalable conservation interventions.

Many of the recommendations are transferable and can support connectivity efforts in other landscapes facing similar challenges.

Congratulations to Cristi and to all colleagues and partners involved. This is science in action, supporting real solutions for nature 👏

🔗 Award announcement: https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/news/1080
🔗 Article: https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/article/71807/

WWF-CEE Annual report 2025 is hot off the press. The past year gave plenty of reasons for despair, but also for hope🔴Rus...
07/01/2026

WWF-CEE Annual report 2025 is hot off the press. The past year gave plenty of reasons for despair, but also for hope

🔴Russia continued its attacks on Ukraine’s people, infrastructure, and environment. Politicians and even governments attacked civil society and fanned fears of bears and wolves for political gain. Across Europe, political attention focused on security and competitiveness to the detriment of longer-term concerns regarding climate change and nature loss.

🟡Such growing challenges demand real solutions.

🟢Across the region, we showed the possibility and benefits of working with nature rather than against it.

This annual report is an invitation to pause, recharge, and draw strength from what is possible. Discover the stories and successes that prove a future where people and nature thrive together is within reach.

🙏Our deep gratitude goes to all WWF-CEE team members, partners, supporters, nature advocates, and changemakers who made these hopeful achievements a reality.

Take a walk through the pages of the report using the link in the comments👇

🛑 More than 10,000 people have signed a collective objection to Slovakia’s proposed zoning of Poloniny National Park, ca...
29/12/2025

🛑 More than 10,000 people have signed a collective objection to Slovakia’s proposed zoning of Poloniny National Park, calling for stronger protection of one of Europe’s most important forest landscapes.

If implemented, the plan would:
⚠️ reduce protection for primeval and old-growth beech forests
⚠️ weaken safeguards in Natura 2000 sites
⚠️ leave even state-owned land without adequate conservation status

“Zoning should be the primary mechanism guaranteeing the highest level of protection for these natural assets. Instead, the draft plan would do the opposite,” said Miroslava Plassmann, CEO of WWF Slovakia.

The collective objection was initiated jointly by environmental organisations including Zelená väčšina, Aevis Foundation, My sme les, Prales, SOS/BirdLife Slovensko, and WWF Slovakia, reflecting a broad civil society coalition concerned about the future of the park.

Read the full article here 👉 https://wwfcee.org/news/more-than-10000-people-urge-stronger-protection-of-slovakias-unesco-national-park-in-line-with-eu-nature-commitments

23/12/2025

❄️ To all of you, advocates, scientists, partners, supporters, friends and followers who stand for nature, thank you for being part of our journey this year. Your time, energy, passion and dedication make a real difference.

As we look ahead, we remain committed to shaping a Green Heart of Europe where both people and nature thrive together. This future is only possible by working together.

Wishing you warm and peaceful holidays 🌿

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From the Danube basin to the Carpathian Mountains, our region - the Green Heart of Europe - is home to: - Europe’s most spectacular remaining wilderness areas outside of Russia, including the southern Carpathians and the Danube Delta; - The largest remaining area of virgin and natural forests in Europe outside of northern Scandinavia and Russia; - Most of Europe’s last remaining intact rivers and wetlands, including the globally important Lower Danube Green Corridor and the Mura-Drava-Danube corridor, “Europe’s Amazon”; - Two-thirds of the European populations of large carnivores, including bears, lynx and wolves; - The Danube sturgeons that survived the end of the dinosaurs but now teeter on the edge of extinction. http://panda.org/cee https://twitter.com/WWFCEE http://www.youtube.com/user/WWFCEE