At the invitation of the Minister of Environment and Physical Planning Kaja Shukova, representatives of the diplomatic corps in our country and representatives of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia visited the newly proclaimed protected area Malesevo today.
The women’s tour started with a visit to the Educational Center for Nature Conservation in the village of Negrevo, which has been transformed from an old school building with the support of the Nature Conservation Program into a modern facility with a range of interactive educational activities aimed at preserving nature in the Bregalnica region through education and raising public awareness and promotion of sustainable use of natural resources.
“The Educational Centre will above all help our children to understand how important nature is and how the environment is connected to other economic sectors”, Minister Shukova from Negrevo said, saying that we want to see our country economically developed, but in parallel with preserved wildlife environment and preserved natural values with which we abound.
“Switzerland has been committed for more than 10 years to the protection of the environment, ensuring local sustainable economic development and the promotion of agritourism. The greatest achievements in the Malesevo protected area were achieved due to the strong partnership between the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, the coordinator Farmachen, the Macedonian Ecological Society, the local institutions and the population, creating a common readiness for change,”said the ambassador of Switzerland Veronique Hulmann, welcoming the initiative of minister Shukova.
On the site itself, local producers were presented with their traditional products which opens up new opportunities for socio-economic development of local communities.
The event is organized in cooperation with the MOEPP and the Swiss Nature Conservation Program, in which Farmachem is the main coordinator, and the Macedonian Ecological Society is the implementing partner.
Within the event, the participants had the opportunity to visit and enjoy the beauty of Crn Dol waterfalls, after which they visited the picnic area , arranged for a safe traditional picnic that will not cause degradation of nature.
PE National Forests, Pehchevo subsidiary, Tikvesh winery and Skopje Brewery also provided support with their products, and the team of FJ-culinary consultants provided a real gourmet experience with local foods.