From February 29th to March 3rd, the FPWC attended a workshop focusing on the sustainable use of natural resources, their governance and policy integration, with special focus on the management of protected areas, which was organized by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation at the island of Vilm.

The workshop has been attended by non-profit sector and governmental representatives from Central Asia, Eastern Europe and Caucasus and included showcases of success stories, conservation work done so far with special focus on endangered species, transboundary protected area management practices, as well as group discussions per regions focusing on existing challenges and offered solutions as main outcomes.

The FPWC has presented the model of Caucasus Wildlife Refuge as the first privately protected area in Armenia and South Caucasus subregion, as well as the conservation results gained within the last 5 years of field work. The overall workshop summarized the conclusions and recommendations which included the establishment of privately protected areas in countries as one of the best approaches for nature conservation and community development, which is another step forward proving the effectiveness of similar conservation models in the region as a whole.