Abstract
Since ancient times, as proved by the jawbone, dated to about 35000 years ago, found in a cave in the Southwestern mountains, mankind has been present in the Carpathians and contributed to the development of non-forest habitats. Through human influence, entirely new plant compositions were formed in the expanding grasslands and wetlands. These natural environments provided a home for rich biodiversity and a wide variety of unique ecosystem services that are essential for humans. However, with the start of large-scale agricultural production, mechanization, intense fertilization, illegal logging, and a race to cultivate more profitable plant species in order to meet the raised demand, the destruction of species diversity increased disproportionately.
Carpathian protected areas (PAs) have been established precisely for the purpose of safeguarding and conserving the outstanding natural and cultural values of this mountain system and protecting them from anthropogenic disturbances. Are they really doing their “job” or they still lack concrete impacts in guaranteeing the safeguard of biodiversity richness? The improvement of the quality of life, the strengthening of local economies and communities, and the conservation of natural values and cultural heritage should go hand in hand in the Carpathian area. The aim of the Centralparks project has been to provide a framework for cooperation and multi-sectoral policy coordination, a platform for joint strategies for sustainable development, and a forum for dialogue between all stakeholders involved, included local communities and young generations. They are among the main beneficiaries of the project's communication and environmental education activities carried out intending to raise awareness about biodiversity conservation and PAs’ sustainable management.
It was considered essential to make scholars and students closer to biodiversity protection needs activating a participated process able to raise from the beginning the most urgent problems affecting the Carpathians. Meetings and workshops have been organized in 4 Carpathian countries to facilitate the dialogue and create a bridge between PAs administrations, local communities, and students. The purpose of all these educational activities is to disseminate environmental knowledge and encourage people to get involved in defending and preserving the outstanding natural values of Carpathians PAs, today threatened by anthropogenic dangerous activities. So far, enthusiastic responses have been received as well as a high level of participation in the proposed activities, which demonstrated that raising problems is the right way to find shared solutions, even if these answers involve costs and economic risks for the local communities.
The most appropriate way of protecting Carpathian nature and fostering environmental education in non-formal settings is, indeed, through coordinated educational actions. Transboundary cooperation is needed to improve the management capacities of Carpathian PAs both for the benefit of biodiversity and for the sustainable prosperity of Carpathian communities.