The recent MARGISTAR Extended Core Group meeting in Sofia gathered leaders from the project’s working groups to assess progress, address ongoing challenges, and outline plans for the next phase of the COST Action. Participants engaged in productive discussions, generating fresh ideas for enhancing community engagement and improving dissemination efforts. Among the key topics was the presentation of case studies and the launch of new tools to support sustainable development. A field visit to Gabrene showcased how local communities are successfully integrating cultural heritage with environmental sustainability to revitalise the region.
Crete, the largest island of Greece, is facing significant environmental challenges. Once covered in dense forests, the island's mountainous areas are today severely degraded due to overgrazing, fires, and soil erosion. However, with strategic restoration efforts, there is hope for revitalising these marginalised landscapes. Read more about the Asterousia range and the ancient village of Ethia to better understand local initiatives in Crete's mountains.
Participating in a Virtual Mobility last June with Dublin City University was a pivotal experience for MARGISTAR’s Irene Christoforidi in designing the MARGISTAR Vision Workshop. This workshop aims to engage stakeholders in marginalised mountainous communities across the EU, enabling them to imagine future possibilities and develop actionable strategies for overcoming marginalisation challenges. Read on to better understand the outputs of this collaboration between Greece and Ireland and the budding initiative for community transformation in marginalised mountain areas.
In the rural mountainous areas of Serbia, women face significant challenges due to traditional patriarchal norms. These norms have long marginalised women, limiting their participation in economic activities outside the household and excluding them from decision-making processes both at home and within their communities. Despite legal prohibitions against gender discrimination, women in these regions still face substantial barriers to achieving equality.
MARGISTAR’s Ferlanda Luna participated in a Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) at ClimLaw: Graz in Graz, Austria. The mission focused on interdisciplinary research into data practices and examining their multiple dimensions, and provided a platform for discussing legal concepts and regulatory frameworks for managing climate vulnerabilities. This experience involved comparative desk research on urban public policies and risk management across different countries, enriching Ferlanda’s research methodologies and understanding of diverse climate impacts. Continue reading to learn more about the mission and its effects on Ferlanda’s research.
In Serbia, particularly in rural and mountainous regions, mushroom collection has emerged as a crucial economic activity. Nutrient-dense mushrooms, packed with proteins, vitamins, and minerals, are harvested both for personal consumption and commercial sales. This activity bolsters local economies, preserves traditional knowledge, and enhances community bonds, proving to be a valuable pursuit for many rural residents.
Recently, MARGISTAR’s Vladimir Stojanovski had the opportunity to participate in a Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) at the Bulgarian Academy of Science’s Forest Research Institute in Sofia, Bulgaria. This STSM was linked to MARGISTAR’s tasks in that it aimed to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange on sustainable forestry and rural development. As a researcher focused on the socio-economic aspects of forestry in marginalised regions, particularly in North Macedonia and South-West Bulgaria, this mission was a pivotal experience in his academic and professional journey.
In this blog, I report my personal experience at the Futures of Natural Resources Conference and reflect on the transformative ways researchers can participate in conferences to achieve the biggest possible positive research and outreach benefits and the least possible negative social-ecological impact.
From June 5 to 7, MARGISTAR’s Anita Busljeta Tonkovic for the fourth time visited the Rural Entrepreneurship Conference at the University of Leeds, England. Although the conference location changes annually, it is host to a regular group of academics who Anita has been meeting and maintaining international scientific collaborations with for years. Read about Anita’s experiences and how these have changed since her first visit as a postdoctoral researcher in 2016.
In the period from May 13 to 17, MARGISTAR’s Tamara Jovanović and Igor Ponjiger visited the region of Lika, Croatia. They were invited by the Gospić branch of the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar and Velebit Nature Park. Over the course of five days, they achieved their scientific goals and got to know a fascinating part of Croatia that is often overlooked. Because their research and interests are closely tied and they have in the past collaborated on several papers within MARGISTAR, they decided to take the trip during the same period. Read on for more about their mission and the experiences they had.