Connecting Nature Regional Conference

ForestConnect team is proudly announcing project’s closing event:

Connecting Nature Regional Conference for the ForestConnect project

that will be held on 27-28.05.2026 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

As part of the ForestConnect capacity-building, transferability and dissemination activities, the conference offers a dynamic platform for researchers, practitioners, NGO representatives, protected area managers, and authorities from the Balkan–Carpathian–Dinaric region to:

• ·        share emerging results,

• ·        discuss opportunities and challenges,

• ·     exchange knowledge and practical experience on strengthening forest connectivity amid changing climate conditions.

Participants will present and contextualize the project's innovative solutions, including transnational methodologies, guidelines, an international strategic action plan, and technological applications. What sets ForestConnect apart is its unique transregional approach, extending beyond any single area to pioneer Balkan-Carpathian-Dinaric connectivity initiatives that bolster cross-border coherence in assessing climate impacts and planning adaptive management. Key highlights include:

• ·        climate-adapted habitat and connectivity modelling,

• ·        eco-connectivity strategies leveraging large carnivores as umbrella species,

• ·        upgraded biodiversity database (CCIBIS system) as a shared data hub.

The event also aims to catalyse further uptake of these results, rendering them more actionable and relevant – e.g., by refining alignments with National Nature Restoration Plans, informing policy implementation, and inspiring scalable adaptations across the region.

The conference will be held in a hybrid format to enable broader participation. As the project’s final event, it will serve as a closing forum to present key results, reflect on lessons learned, address remaining open questions, and outline opportunities for continued collaboration beyond the project’s lifetime.

Dates: 27-28 May 2026
Location: Cluj-Napoca, Romania and online!!!

Registration: Please confirm attendance by completing the registration form.

Draft Agenda

27 May 2026

09:00 – 10:30 | Introduction

Welcome and Opening Speech (10 min)
Vasile Ceuca, USAMV

ForestConnect overview: Towards a Climate-smart Forest Connectivity for Large Carnivores (15 min)
Tanya Schnell, ForestConnect project manager, WWF BG

Keynote by Dr. Tibor Hartel (35 min)
Associate Professor, Babes Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Dr. Hartel will present innovative approaches to improving coexistence between humans and large carnivores, focusing on the relationship between wildlife, society, and the environment.

Why Attitude Matters: Understanding the Dynamics of Public Perceptions Toward Large Carnivores (15 min)
Aleksandra Ugarkovic, Communications & Public relations officer, WWF Adria
Overview of baseline public attitudes toward large carnivores and how these perceptions influence stakeholder engagement.

ForestConnect climate smart ecological corridors modelling and DTM in practice: the example of Apuseni Nature Park (15 min)
Dr. Cristian Papp, WWF RO
Presentation on safe pathways for large carnivores in the context of climate-driven habitat changes.

Coffee break

11:00 – 12:20 | New tools for monitoring and mapping

ForestConnect HotSpot Viewer: GIS Database & Online Tool for Human-Bear Conflict Zones (15 min)
Dr. Zoltan Szabo, WWF RO
Presentation of GIS tools and data-driven approaches for managing human-wildlife conflicts.

CCIBIS Upgrade in ForestConnect (10–15 min)
Lubomir Filipov, Gap Consult (online)
Overview of improvements to the Carpathian Countries Integrated Biodiversity Information System.

Inside the ForestConnect Digital Twin: Methodology, Insights, and Key Takeaways (20 min)
Gabriel Retez, Humboldt University
Explanation of modelling workflows for assessing forest connectivity.

Brown Bear Presence in Western Stara Planina and Connectivity Pathways (15 min)
Case study on bear movement routes and connectivity challenges.

ForestConnect DTM in Practice: Modelling Climate-Smart Forest Connectivity in Western Stara Planina (15 min)
Alexander Dutsov, WWF BG
Vasil Vasilev, GeopolimorphicCloud, BG

Lunch break (12:20 – 13:30)

13:30 – 15:00 | Habitat management towards resilience

Keynote (tbc) (35 min)

Restoring Connectivity Through Mosaic Landscapes (20 min)
Dr. Florin Pacurar, USAMV
Guidance on climate-resilient landscape management and habitat restoration.

Creating Climate Micro-Refugia for Large Carnivores: Slovakia (15 min)
Michal Némethy, WWF SK
Marek Leskovjanský, NP Slovensky Raj

Creating Climate Micro-Refugia for Large Carnivores: Ukraine (15 min)
Taras Yamelynets, NGO RET
Focus on connectivity challenges in conflict-affected areas.

Coffee break (15:00 – 15:30)

15:30 – 17:00 | European panel on climate smart ecological connectivity

Panelists:
Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention
IUCN
Political Science Faculty from Cluj
World Bank
WWF

Participants (tbc):
Liudmyla Sirychenko
Erica Stanciu
Prof. Dr. Christian Chereji

28 May 2026

09:00 – 10:30 | Protecting connectivity

Keynote by Dr. Rok Cernej (35 min)
Slovenian Forest Service

Using Ecosystem Services to Strengthen Eco-Connectivity for Large Carnivores – Romania case (20 min)
Calin Ardelean, USAMV

Ecosystem Services and Eco-Connectivity: Montenegro Assessment (15 min)
Marija Lekić, SZIP

Strategic Action Plan with Adaptation Actions and Climate-Resilient Forest Management Practices (20 min)
Elisabeth Wiegele, CUAS

Coffee break

11:00 – 12:30 | Other challenges

Presentations on carnivore pathology (USAMV)