The purpose of the project was to establish a cross-border Geopark through cross-border coordination and management to promote sustainable use of geological natural resources and to contribute to their preservation, to intensify cross-border cooperation, to improve visibility and to promote sustainable development in the area in question, mainly with the help of “geotourism” and “geoeducation”. The activities carried out within the framework of the project were divided into work groups. The “Research and Development” work group, the nature conservation expert foundations and the Geopark’s management plan, the application for inclusion in the UNESCO Geopark network, the plan for animations and marking infrastructure, and a study tour of the area of the already functioning Geopark were prepared. The work package “Construction of basic supporting infrastructure” included the establishment of two information centres of the Geopark (Peca underground and Obir karst caves) and the equipment of at least eight interpretation points, as well as the construction of four stages of geological hiking trails. A joint website in four languages, a presentation film about the Geopark, publications (geology booklet for children), a promotional brochure about the Geopark and a professional-informative brochure about the Geopark were prepared as part of “Communication”– a communication plan and an integrated graphic image. A learning aid was created for teaching the students and many events were organized for different target groups. In addition to financial and content reports, the last section “Project management”, the project council and the operational council of the Geopark were established.
Project partners:
- Podzemlje Pece, d.o.o. (Leading partner)
- Obir karst caves
- Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Protection, RU Maribor
- Municipality of Črna na Koroškem
- Municipality of Mežica
- Municipality of Prevalje
- Municipality of Globasnitz
- Municipality of Sele
- The market municipality of Bistrica nad Pliberkom
- The Carinthian Provincial Museum, Ravne na Koroškem Unit
- RDA Carinthia, regional development agency for Carinthia
- Regionalmanagement Kärnten Dienstleistungs – GesmbH
Duration of the project: 1. 9. 2010–31. 8. 2013
Project value: 2.503.424,00 €, sofinanciranje EU 2.104.232,82 €
Programme: OP SI-AT 2007-2013
