PLAN OF THE PROJECT

"MANagement and conservation of TRAditional landscapes in the Nordic and Baltic countries and in the Republic of Karelia (MANTRA)"

1. Background and linkage to previous co-operation

During recent years there have been established several projects and arranged seminars concerning traditional rural biotopes and landscapes in the frame of Nordic funding. During these seminars different institutes and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have met and reciprocally exchanged knowledge of innovative methods, projects and studies on this theme. Generally traditional land use history is very long and quite similar in the Nordic and the Baltic countries and the Republic of Karelia. The management situation of traditional landscapes and biotopes is alarming, especially in the Baltic countries and in the Republic of Karelia - but also in some parts of Nordic countries.

In Turku there was arranged an international seminar on traditional rural biotopes funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM) in 2000. One of the aims of the seminar was to identify areas of future Northern European co-operation and where input of the Nordic Council of Ministers could be fruitful. The seminar presentations and future suggestions were compiled in a TemaNord -book 2000:609 "Traditional rural biotopes in the Nordic countries, the Baltic states and the Republic of Karelia". There were also (pages 89-93) conclusions including need of future Internet networking and to promote further international co-operation in management and study issues as well as changing of attitudes.

In spring 2004 the results of the project "Traditional rural biotopes and landscapes - Management in the Nordic and Baltic countries" will be published. In publication future suggestions for all stakeholders on this field are presented as well as results of pilot studies that took place in the Nordic countries, Estonia and Lithuania. One of the project goals was to promote networking of stakeholders and this current project plan is fulfilling that goal.

The project also contributes to a goal to create future Nordic-Baltic strategy on preservation and management of cultural landscapes and traditional rural biotopes. The idea of a common Nordic strategy was discussed in a Nordic conference "The landscape as a resource - a cooperation on developing nature and cultural values in the agricultural landscape" in Ulvik, Norway.

Disseminating and exchanging know-how and scientific information created by different projects and studies is an important task, which will be continued in the future. NGOs have an important and powerful role in this exchange. Current project "MANagement and conservation of TRAditional landscapes in the Nordic and Baltic countries and in the Republic of Karelia (MANTRA)" will create a cooperation network contributing to closer ties and increased co-operation with all NGOs.

2. Goals of the MANTRA-project (shortly)

· To create network for Nordic-Baltic-Karelian NGOs that are working with the management and preservation of semi-natural grasslands / traditional rural biotopes
· To create an Internet forum and innovative higher educational eLearning courses concerning this issue
· To create preconditions for a larger educational project to continue work started in this project

3. NordPlus -themes of the MANTRA-project

1st theme: Co-operation with NGOs in the educational sector
2nd theme: eLearning courses at polytechnic and university level
3rd theme: Internet and net-based research and development

4. MANTRA-Project applicant:

Association for Traditional Rural Landscapes in Southwest Finland (NGO). During this project Internet pages in English and a forum will be developed. Training and education and arranging courses, seminars and working camps concerning management of traditional rural biotopes are the main objectives of the association. The association was established in early 2003 but has already arranged a Nordic-Baltic international seminar on the management of reedbeds (August 2003) and accomplished several basic restorations of meadows and wooded pastures. Regional level authorities of Southwest Finland are widely represented in the Board of the Association including members working in Regional Environment Centre, Economic and Development Centre, National Board of Antiquities and the Association for Nature Conservation. One of the goals of the Association for Traditional Rural Landscapes is to later establish a foundation which could promote considerably the employment in the management of cultural landscapes. The association is willing to carry out the task to establish Nordic-Baltic-Russian co-operation pages on the association's internet pages and is willing to create and maintain a long-term network that keeps up these pages after the project.

5. MANTRA -project participants (their status and contact persons):

1. Estonia:
Kihnu Strait Marine Park Foundation (NGO, Heikki Luhamaa)
Estonian Agricultural University (INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING, Kalev Sepp)

2. Finland:
Association for Traditional Rural Landscapes in Southwest Finland (NGO, Iiro Ikonen)
Häme Polytechnic Mustiala (Department of agricultural and rural industries) (INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING, Annika Michelson)

3. Karelia:
Ecos (NGO, Tatjana Kharkina)
Russian Academy of Science, Karelian Research Center, Institute of biology (INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING, Sergey Znamenskiy)

4. Lithuania:
Lithuanian Fund for Nature (NGO, Vytautas Narusevicius)

5. Latvia:
Latvian Fund for Nature (NGO, Inga Racinska and Ivars Kabucis)

6. Norway:
The Norwegian Crop Research institute: (INSTITUTION OF PLANT RESEARCH, Ann Norderhaug)
Selskap for Norges Vel (NGO, Hanne Sickel)

7. Iceland
Hvanneyri Agricultural university (Anna-Gudrun Thorhallsdottir)
http://www.hvanneyri.is/landbunadur/wglbh.nsf/key2/index.html

8. Denmark
Nordiska kulturlandskapsförbundet
(Nordic NGO, contact person 2005-2006 Soren Espersen/Denmark)

9. Sweden/ Börje Pettersson

6. MANTRA-Project activities

Project consists of 3 important functional parts:

1. Networking and seminars

Responsible person of this functional part is Iiro Ikonen, chairman of the Association for Traditional Rural Landscapes in Southwest Finland at the moment. The Association is working as project applicant and main co-ordinator and is responsible in carrying on the tasks mentioned in this application. Project coordinator will prepare meetings and seminars together with other participants. First year is reserved for starting-up activities, meetings and profound discussions concerning networking, content of the coming seminars and virtual contents. There shall be altogether a 2-days starting seminar in 2004, 4 other seminars 2004-2007(see Annex I: timetable) and the final conference in spring 2007. By that also new application based on the experiences of three year Nordic-Baltic-Karelian co-operation will be made.

 

1st academic year: Planning of future activities shall take place. There will be starting seminar in Estonia in autumn 2004 and biodiversity seminar in Karelia in June 2005. Expenses are mainly travel and lodging expenses.

2nd year: Creating network forum on Association internet pages and linking an eLearning educational part to the 2 seminars.

3rd year: 1 workshop and the final conference. Preparation of a new application.

 

2. eLearning

Responsible persons for arranging eLearning courses are mainly Annika Michelson /Häme Polytechnic Mustiala and Kalev Sepp/ Estonian Agricultural University but other organisations are also joining in this task. Annika is a fulltime eLearning teachers since the year 2000 at Häme Polytechnic Mustiala. There will be created open courses in English (via the Finnish Virtual Polytechnic portal), which are available for all interested stakeholders. Material and know-how of all NGOs and institutes participating in the project will be used. The objective is also to make independent self-education eLearning packages that include self tests at the end. These will be linked straight to the Internet forum on the internet pages of the Association for Traditional Rural Landscapes in Southwest Finland. Expert service is needed during 2nd year to accomplish that. A photo bank of traditional landscapes and biotopes will be established by the participants.

 

1st year: Planning: during starting seminar in Estonia. There is a need to negotiate teaching methods and the content of the eLearning packages. All other necessary tasks can be carried out and negotiated via e-mail.

2nd year: Creating packages in co-operation with all project participants and linking them in internet forum. Creating photo bank.

3rd year: Number of packages and photos in photo bank will be increased

 

3. New application

New application concerning how to proceed with activities that have been created by this project will be established on 3rd year. The right sector, programme and applicant will be decided together after 2 years activities and discussions.

Iiro Ikonen (MSc, ecology)
Chairman of Association for Traditional Rural Landscapes in Southwest Finland