As part of the project “Strengthening Local and Cross-Border Cooperation for Biodiversity Protection in the Prespa-Ohrid Region,” the “Une Gruaja” Association …
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTORS
On the night of the 11th of July 2026, the Ohrid Red Cross Mountain Rescue Service was called to assist in …
Understanding mountain settlements, requires more than just observing the houses or the current landscape. It is also essential to recognise how …
By blending traditional cuisine, sustainable farming, and digital skills, the women of Prespa are creating economic opportunities while safeguarding their region’s …
As climate change continues to emerge as one of the most significant threats to biodiversity worldwide, mountain ecosystems are among the …
In protected areas, small, well-thought-out infrastructure can have a much bigger impact than it seems at first glance. A cleared path, …
In 2023, EcoAlbania embarked on a multi-year initiative to address a complex environmental challenge: the preservation of the Polis-Valamarë-Rungajë-Moravë-Gramoz ecological corridor. …
A few days ago, Adela, one of the girls from the AlbNatyra youth group, showed us her memory book. Between pages …
A major scientific breakthrough focusing on the tortoise population of Golem Grad in Prespa was reached in January 2026 with the …
The year 2025 marked a turning point in conservation efforts in the Prespa region, as the initiatives of the Macedonian Ecological …
PONT and the SPP have been working together for nature in Greek Prespa since PONT’s establishment a decade ago. Read on …
Throughout 2025, conservation work in the Prespa–Ohrid–Shebenik Ecoregion showed how scientific research, community involvement, and regional cooperation can jointly support the …
From 2022 to 2025, the project “Sustainable Use of Natural Resources for Transboundary Socio-Economic Development”, funded by the Prespa Ohrid Nature …
Protecting shared mountain ecosystems requires more than formal borders and institutional mandates. It requires cooperation, trust, and practical mechanisms that bring …
A new scientific study by ARCTUROS, based on 22 years of official compensation data (1999–2020), offers important insights into human–wildlife coexistence …
The third Scientific Prespa Lakes Symposium, entitled “Shared Waters, Shared Challenges: Building Climate Resilience in the Prespa Lakes through Science and …
On the 20th of January 2026, the town of Peshkopi, Albania, hosted the closing conference for the project “Protection and Sustainable …
The project “Local and Cross-Border Actors Work Together in the Environmental Protection of the Prespa–Ohrid Region”, led by Unë, Gruaja, has …
In September 2025, a transformative three-year initiative, funded by PONT, successfully concluded, marking a significant milestone in conservation. Led by the …
Over the summer, from 19th to 29th August, Shebenik National Park hosted the International Small Mammals Research Camp, a living laboratory …
During the second phase of the “Adventure Zone in Galicica National Park”, a project funded by PONT, several key activities were …
The aim of PONT Connect is to “improve the conservation of ecosystem connectivity and the sustainable co-management of ecological corridors thereby …
Over the past century, the Mountaineering Club “Ljuboten” – Tetovo has carried out a wide range of activities aimed at the …
The PONT board members had a memorable experience visiting the Shar Mountain National Park in North Macedonia. The visit started with …
The summer of 2025 has once again placed Albania at the centre of a wildfire emergency. By the end of July, …
For the sixth consecutive year, the Macedonian Ecological Society (MES) has successfully coordinated the seasonal mowing of wet meadows in the …
“The documentary film titled Harmony Between People and Nature – Monument of Nature Vevchani Springs (2025) explores the profound and inseparable …
2024 has marked another significant chapter in the ongoing efforts to protect and preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the …
In a significant step toward strengthening cross-border conservation efforts, the first joint patrol mission was carried out on June 30, 2025, …
“Nature is not simply a resource for human use, but a community to which we belong.” The “Unë, Gruaja” Association organised …
Remzie Noka, a member of the rural women’s group in Kukes, has benefited from a grant dedicated to the cultivation of …
For thousands of years humans have domesticated animals, first the dog, then later – sheep, cows, goats, pigs, horses, amongst others—raising …
PPNEA has, since 2015, established a long-standing bilateral collaboration with the Fishery Management Organisation (FMO) of Prespa National Park, grounded in …
The Shar Korab Massif is more than just a breathtaking natural landscape; it is a vital resource for local communities that …
PONT and the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) have steadfastly worked together for nature in Greek Prespa since PONT’s …
“Theth as the Ecotourism Hub of the Albanian Alps National Park” is a project being implemented by the Aarhus Information Centre …
The main goal of the project “Understanding anthropogenic pressures on Lake Prespa” was to determine the water quality of the tributaries …
On the 5th of August 2024, during a summer marked by heat waves and prolonged dry conditions, a wildfire broke out …
The identity of communities in the Korab-Koritnik Nature Park and Shebenik National Park have been shaped significantly by nature and the …
A two-day regional conference on the sustainable use of natural resources took place in Mavrovo on November 14-15, 2024. The event …
On July 12th 2024, the Pogradec Youth Centre organised an enlightening initiative called “Interpretation of Nature in the National Park of …
Prespa National Park has set a historic milestone by becoming the first park in Albania to map all its main habitats—forests, …
Reflecting on another year as PONT grantees, we realise that our journey in Shebenik National Park has been both challenging and …
Eko-svest has launched an exciting initiative to foster a connection between children and nature from an early age, through the creation …
The Hellenic Ornithological Society/ Birdlife Greece and the Eco Museum Zagori have been implementing, since September 2023, different conservation, and awareness …
“We are strong in our differences” perfectly captures the spirit of the fourth meeting of the national PONT grantees, held on …
The Prespa Transboundary Summer School 2024 brought together 21 students from Albania, North Macedonia, and Greece for an immersive experience in …
CNVP Albania, is seeking to promote and pilot new approaches and practices in biodiversity protection, nature-based tourism and NTFPs management in …
About a year and a half ago the Boulouki team designed the objectives of the “Connectivity Conservation Initiative for Fresh Drinking …
On July 7th, 2024, the local office of Eko-svest in Vevcani, in collaboration with Rupicapra MTB Adventure, organised the mountain bike …
In a groundbreaking initiative, World Vision Albania, with support from the Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust (PONT), is bridging the gap between …
The Sharr-Korab mountain massif is one of the most thrilling regions in the Balkans, boasting incredible potential for regional and transboundary …
On June 7 and 8, CNVP / PONT sub-grantees participated in a study visit to Prespa, North Macedonia. The visit targeted …
On May 24th 2024, the European Day of Parks, the Albanian Center for Environmental Governance (ACEG) organised the closing meeting for …
On May 30th, the CNVP North Macedonia team, along with the PONT team, visited part of the PONT sub-grantees who are …
Two years after the “Albanian Alps” were proclaimed as a National Park, a significant milestone has been achieved through the installation …
Eko-svest, in collaboration with the Municipality of Vevchani, has officially opened the Permanent Nature Exhibition titled “Journey through the Natural Treasures …
2023 was the first year of a new five-year PONT grant to the SPP, supporting their work for biodiversity conservation in …
The PrespaNet network in the past three years implemented the project “Prespa: conservation of biological diversity in across the Prespa border”, …
Last week, PPNEA hosted a workshop on wildlife crimes in Albania which brought together many key stakeholders. Mrs. Almira Xhembulla, Vice …
February 2024 marks the start of two “3-year follow-up” grants from PONT in the Wider Prespa Ohrid Area (including Shebenik National Park). …
Today is #InternationalEnvironmentalEducationDay. The goal is simple: improve how people connect with nature and find solutions to local environmental issues. This …
As the festive spirit engulfs the streets of Tirana, and as the end-of-year holidays loom, a group of dedicated individuals made up …
CNVP North Macedonia awards 13 grants providing direct assistance to local communities in the National Park Shar Mountains and National Park …
In collaboration with the staff of Galicica National Park, our team embarked on an exciting journey, generously supported by PONT. Our …
In a significant step towards promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable practices in protected areas, a follow-up grant agreement was signed yesterday …
In a world swept up by the tide of urbanisation and modernisation, the NGO Albanian Center for Environmental Governance in Prespa …
Meeting by boat in the middle of Lake Prespa marked the start of the 10-year PrespaNet celebration. It is already 10 …
Since September of last year, the association “Une, Gruaja” has been actively implementing the project “Local & cross-border actors work together …
Did you know that caves represent unique ecosystems in which the cave fauna adapts to live in complete darkness, high air …
Long-term monitoring of living organisms provides valuable insights into large-scale ecological processes. These processes, which have been influenced by human actions, …
PONT and the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Eko-svest, based in Skopje, signed a Grant Agreement related to the protection of selected river …
The role of shepherds in maintaining the biodiversity of protected areas cannot be overstated, playing a crucial role in preserving the …
The agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and Target 22 of the recently adopted Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework recognises the vital role …
At the heart of the Shebenik National Park, lies a village surrounded by mountains, providing it with a natural seclusion which …
Financial resources are essential for nature conservation today because they enable conservation organisations and governments to fund important conservation initiatives and …
Following on from the Call for Proposals in September 2022, PONT is pleased to announce it has awarded grants to 5 National-Level …
Have you heard about monitoring of aquatic ecosystems based on the benthic macroinvertebrate organisms that live in lakes or rivers? I …
On the 9th of November 2022, the PONT Executive Director and the Executive Director of Eko-svest ceremonially signed the new Grant …
The region of Ohrid and Prespa has a high concentration of natural values. The protection, conservation and management of these values …
Five years ago, in the early days of PONT and CNVP’s cooperation in the Prespa area, a group of women was …
For the last four years, PONT and Connecting Natural Values and People (CNVP) have successfully cooperated in the areas of Non-Timber …
Over the summer four of PONT’s partners successfully closed their grants and applied for follow-up grants. We are delighted to announce …
Developing educational resources for cave and bat protection in Galicica National Park. “I am really happy that for the first time …
Shebenik National Park is one of the largest parks in Albania, about 34’000 ha, which means it requires a great number …
Implemented by Eko-svest in the period between November 2021 and June 2022 Eko-svest in partnership with Natura MK initiated a project …
The “Bushtrica River” is an important natural ecosystem of the Shebenik National Park. This river has special ecological values, the microclimate …
Living in Pogradec, pampered by Nature, you can become a poet or an environmentalist, or both! Living in Pogradec, gazing at …
Estimating the abundance of brown bears in the wild is a daunting task. It’s virtually impossible to directly observe the bears …
We are pleased to announce the successful NGOs in Albania from our first call for grant proposals launched back in March …
“How do we unearth the stories that want to be told? What makes us remember a story? How do we balance …
The week of 23rd to the 25th May saw the PONT board visit Albania. We kicked off the visit with an …
Following the expansion of the grant activities to the Korab-Sharra-Albanian Alps areas in Albania and North Macedonia, PONT is exploring the …
The new revenue generation model of the Public Institution Galicica National Park (PIGNP), excluding direct use of natural resources, has paved …
With the additional capital contribution donated by the German Government at the end of 2021, the PONT Focus Region has further …
A public consultation on PONT’s Strategic Framework is taking place in Albania and North Macedonia! Following on from the extensive public …
Prespa National Park is a treasure trove of biological diversity. Recent research conducted by the Iliria Association has revealed very valuable …
The PrespaNet partners strengthened cross-border co-operation by working together to map and assess wetland habitats in Prespa, producing a transboundary plan …
In implementing PONT Supervisory Board’s decision to extend its conservation programme to the Wider Ohrid area, and complementing the support provided …
School children from Bitola visited Pelister National Park on 25 October to celebrate the Day of Climate Action. A recent temperature …
What started as a joint call for proposals for small grants for the Wider Prespa Area has evolved over the past …
In June 2020, PONT and CEPF awarded a grant to the Balkan Foundation for Sustainable Development in North Macedonia concerning the …
The Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust (PONT) and Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) combine their efforts in the Wider Prespa-Ohrid Area for …
Following the formal approval of the new Management Plan for Pelister National Park (2021-2030) in November 2020, developed with support from …
In May 2020, PONT and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) awarded a grant to Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Art …
The recent dramatic water level decrease of Lake Prespa, in combination with the continued and unabated human pressures (water abstraction, pollution, …
The sustainable use of Non-Timber Forest Products holds the potential to improve livelihoods of local communities in Prespa while contributing to …
Nature-based tourism in protected areas in the Wider Prespa Area holds a great potential to contribute to the local economy, reduce …
National and local stakeholders, representing central and local government, Protected Area staff, CSOs, local communities and the private sector in Prespa, …
Following the easing of the border restrictions, the PONT team visited some of its beneficiaries in North Macedonia. The trip started …
The transboundary network of NGOs in Prespa – PrespaNet, recently published the results of the “Preliminary assessment of Human-Large Carnivore Conflicts …
Elaine Chen and Charlotte Walter’s creative adventure into raising awareness of at-risk species and their campaign #OurVulnerableEarth2021 came to an end …
As soon as most of the snow melted on the mountains of Prespa National Park in Albania, the PONT Executive Director …
In early April, the Albanian Centre for Environmental Governance (ACEG) invited donors and tour operators to enjoy the beauty of Prespa …
The most important event of this two-year grant funding provided by PONT and the Aage V. Jensen Charity Foundation was the …
Conserving Prespa is impossible without transboundary collaboration at all levels of governance. The project ‘Working towards transboundary conservation of the Prespa region …
Complementing the recently approved three-year grants for the Protected Area Authorities in the Wider Prespa Area in North Macedonia and Albania, …
The Macedonian Ecological Society (MES) and Resen Municipality, managing Ezerani Nature Park and Lake Prespa Monument of Nature, have recently embarked …
On 19 October certificates were awarded to 18 participants of the Youth Academy on nature-based tourism in Prespa. In June the …
In 2007 a team from the Macedonian Ecological Society (MES), in cooperation with Serbian and French scientists (herpetologists and ecologists) commenced …
In January 2020, PONT signed a grant agreement with the Association “Sport for all – All for sport” – a non-governmental …
The challenge A Biodiversity Monitoring Scheme (BMS) is a long-term array of complementary surveys, censuses, surveillance and monitoring referring to a well-defined …
PONT and CEPF awarded two complementary grants to the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Art (MASA) and ILIRIA – Protection and …
In 2006, the Public Institution Galicica National Park, in cooperation with the Macedonian Ecological Society, organized a workshop to address a …
In June the Albanian Centre of Environmental Governance (ACEG) published a call for applications for Prespa community members to participate in …
A large amount of data, information and knowledge is needed for the conservation and sustainable management of biological diversity, natural processes …
PONT and CEPF have recently awarded two complementary grants that address Strategic Direction 4 – the conservation of plants, under the …
In January 2020, PONT and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) published a joint Call for Proposals for grants inviting eligible …
Building upon the 2016 Review of Conservation Efforts in the Transboundary Prespa area, conducted by the PrespaNet NGO network, and in …
Through the ongoing grant from PONT, the Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA) has recently completed the first …
A year after the opening of its local office, MES and PrespaNet continue to work alongside regional stakeholders for the protection …
Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA) recently opened a local satellite office in Albania. The country’s oldest environmental …
PONT grantees actively participated in the 54th count season of the annual International Waterbird Census that took place on the second weekend …
The Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust (PONT) and Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) recently agreed to combine their efforts in the Wider Prespa …
PONT recently commissioned a report, which recommended supporting communities and entrepreneurs in Prespa to focus on developing and delivering nature-based tourism …
Water quality monitoring scientists from the three sides of the Prespa basin met in Stenje, in October 2019, to build on …
PONT has identified two areas among its funding priorities that are not being addressed adequately by its current grants or actions …
PONT recently engaged the Connecting Natural Values and People Foundation (CNVP) to investigate the modest outcomes of past initiatives concerning ecotourism …
From 8-12 July many stakeholders joined forces in the Wider Prespa Area to work on the implementation of Natura 2000. PONTs …
Collaboration between governmental, scientific and civil society organizations is of critical importance for improving the quality and efficiency of natural resource …
Sustainable nature-based tourism in the Wider Prespa Area is increasingly seen as a source of income to cover the cost of …
concerning sustainable, nature-based tourism in the Wider Prespa Area in Albania and North Macedonia PONT has identified two topics among its …
On 24 May 2019, the European Day of Parks, the Prespa National Park in Albania offered a guided tour for the …
Germany’s Lower Saxon State Government has provided funds to the Alfred Toepfer Academy for Nature Conservation for a project that aims …
PONT recently engaged the Connecting Natural Values and People Foundation (CNVP) to prepare a report that assesses the opportunities and challenges …
On behalf of PONT, the Connecting Natural Values and People Foundation conducted an assessment of the opportunities, and associated challenges, for …
2018 was an interesting year for Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA) and PrespaNet, with many activities focused …
The importance of wetland habitats Wetlands are one of the most important environmental assets in Prespa, home to many plant and …
Learn more about PONT, the Pathfinder Award, Panorama Solutions and financing conservation projects. share share share share
The German Government, through its Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the KfW Development Bank (KfW), has contributed …
Experts from the Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment (PPNEA), in cooperation with RAPA Korce, have just completed the first assessment of …
A Grant Agreement between PONT and the Public Scientific Institution Hydrobiological Institute Ohrid (HIO) was signed in Ohrid on 13 August …
The official opening of the Macedonian Ecological Society’s (MES) new office in Resen took place on 9 July. Of great local …
Following an initiative of the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (MoEPP), a meeting was held on 28 June 2018 in …
https://youtu.be/RfobeHkYB50 share share share share
The Dutch Ambassador to Albania, Dewi van de Weerd, visited Greater Prespa Lake on 19 May 2018, where she enjoyed a …
The Supervisory Board of PONT recently conducted a tour of the Prespa-Ohrid ecoregion. This was a fantastic opportunity to further develop …
A ceremony was held on 14th of May in Skopje to mark the launching of PONT’s grants programmes in the Former …
In 2018, PONT has granted the NGO, Macedonian Ecological Society in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MES) (www.mes.org.mk), an initial …
Integrated landscape approaches provide a basic framework for balancing competing demands and integrating policies for multiple land uses within a given …
In 2018, PONT granted the NGO, Protection and Preservation of Nature Environment in Albania (PPNEA) (www.ppnea.org), an initial one-year grant. The …
The Wider Prespa Region covers parts of Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Greece. The transboundary area houses five …
As part of the development and establishment of PONT’s grant programme, PONT has conducted a conflict assessment. The study followed a …
Summer is nearly here and I’m so proud of all that we have achieved over the last few months. Since arriving …
04 January 2017, Frankfurt am Main Prespa-Ohrid Nature Trust (PONT) is pleased to announce that Mirjam de Koning has been named as …
The Prespa Ohrid Nature Fund (PONT) and Caucasus Nature Fund (CNF) have embarked upon a combined services partnership which represents a …
01.May.2016 The PONT Board of Directors is pleased to announce David Morrison as Interim Executive Director of PONT. With David’s in-depth …
Announcing the establishment of the Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust (PONT) With 11€ million in funding from the MAVA Foundation and KfW Development …