To the Model Forest for getting the experience in partnership building
During the period of August through to September, another Polish delegation visited the Komi Model Forest. It was the second visit of specialists from Poland during this time. While the first delegation was represented by the state forest service (forestry specialists from two regions: Poznan and Olsztyn), the second team (who have finished their tour today) included academicians from the Poznan University of Natural Sciences.
Both groups came to Komi within the frameworks of the international project “Baltic Landscapes” developing innovative approaches to sustainable landscapes management via establishment of the Model Forests network. In their work the project partners – representatives of seven member-countries – are guided by the Model Forest concept focused on interaction of all stakeholders at municipal, regional, and local levels for provision of landscapes management with account of up-to-date requirements and interests of each party. Both for the Polish foresters and academicians of the Poznan university, one of the key participants of the “Baltic Landscapes” project, experience in partnership building for natural resources management accumulated in our republic during the years of the “Komi Model Forest” project implementation turned out to be extremely interesting.
Both groups have been invited by the Komi Regional Non-Profit Foundation “Silver Taiga”, which organized their meetings with the key participants of the Model Forest and showed them the specifics of the forest resources use and management on the demonstration routes of the Komi Model Forest.
Representatives of the Forest Committee of the Komi Republic, Priluzje forestry unit, OJSC “Mondi Syktyvkar” and Komi Forest Academy initiated by it, Institute of Socio-Economic and Energetic Problems of the North of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Syktyvkar, Syktyvkar Forest Institute, Priluzje Public Forest Council took part in the meetings. Communication with the teachers of the Priluzje district actively involved in the project implementation and development of ecological education in their schools was not less interesting.
During these meetings numerous partners – participants of the Model Forest – evaluated the project results and their participation in the process from absolutely different perspectives. This, in particular, was especially interesting from the point of view of the Polish guests, because, by their own admission, they don’t have such partnership yet. According to the Polish foresters, they have a very well-organized environmental education system but it’s not always possible to successfully build an interaction between the local population and ecological organizations. Scientists from the Poznan University, in their turn, think that Polish forest service is trying to dominate and not always considers the opinion of other parties. Therefore, experience in building the partnership and ability of the partners to hear each other seemed very interesting and useful for the Polish guests. This is the Model Forest formula – partnership of all stakeholders – which they will try to use during the development of their model landscapes from now on.
– Certainly, in their aspiration to properly use forest landscapes the two countries face different economic, ecological and social problems rooted in various reasons, – Silver Taiga Foundation Director Yury Pautov says. – Nevertheless, both groups strongly believe that the knowledge gained in Komi will be high in demand during the development of their projects.
Valentina Semyashkina
Translated by Ksenia Matuysheva