At our project sites, which span mountain ranges, lowland areas and islands across the Mediterranean, we support communities to maintain cultural landscapes and revitalise traditional local practices. Our work focuses on
ensuring economic sustainability of traditional cultural practices-based economies
promoting participatory governance and land management systems
strengthening local capacities for sustainable community-based management practices
encouraging replication of successful methods across sites and beyond
Photo: © Al-Shouf Cedar Society (ACS)
The focus of our site-specific work currently includes
Three mountain/high altitude sites characterised by traditional farming, grazing, agroforestry and water management practices: the High Atlas mountains of Morocco, Shouf Biosphere Reserve, West Bekaa and Mount Lebanon in Lebanon, and the Taurus mountains in Turkey
Two sites characterised by traditional agro-silvo-pastoral systems in lowland areas: the corridor stretching from Extremadura and Córdoba, Spain, to Coruche in Santarém, Portugal, and Kroumirie Mogod, Northwestern Tunisia
Two island sites characterised by a mosaic of traditional farming, livestock breeding and water management: the islands of Lemnos, Greece and Menorca, Spain
Dehesas & Montados in the Iberian Peninsula
ANP|WWF, Trashumancia y Naturaleza and WWF Spain collaborate to protect Dehesas and Montados in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. This unique landscape is a high value system that balances biodiversity and sustainable agriculture, benefits the rural economy and continues a legacy stretching back generations.
Mandra System of Lemnos, Greece
The mandra system is a traditional agro-pastoral management system that has shaped the unique landscape of Lemnos, supporting the livelihoods of the locals and contributing to the conservation of the island’s biodiversity. Through the Terra Lemnia project, MedINA works to conserve and restore traditional farming landscapes on Lemnos.
Maintaining High Atlas Cultural Landscapes
Global Diversity Foundation works to conserve iconic cultural landscapes that harbour significant biological and cultural diversity in a project focusing on agdals (extensive highland pastures) and terraced agroecosystems.
Menorca Virtuous Mosaic
Virtuous Mosaic refers to the highly biodiverse landscape that combines agriculture, extensive stockbreeding and patches of natural areas. Through this project, GOB Menorca works to increase the value of sustainably-produced products of farmers in Menorca.
Mobile Pastoralism in Turkey
Yolda Initiative is supporting mobile pastoralist communities to maintain their lifestyles and continue moving freely through the landscapes for nature, culture and life through a collaborative and national programme.
Mobile Pastoralism in the Mediterranean
This cross-cutting project spans locations throughout the Mediterranean - Greece, Spain, Albania and the Balkans - with actions that support different dimensions of mobile pastoralism in the region.
People & Cork
WWF North Africa seeks to promote cork oak, a symbolic tree of the Kroumirie-Mogods region, through local cultural practices, in the People & Cork project.
Shouf Biosphere Reserve Cultural Landscape
In Lebanon, Al-Shouf Cedar Society aims aims at understanding and mainstreaming knowledge on links between traditional practices and biodiversity, strengthening and improving governance systems, supporting the implementation of cultural practices in cultural landscapes.
West Bekaa & Mount Lebanon Cultural Landscapes
Through a holistic approach addressing knowledge, capacities, governance mechanisms and rural economies, Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon seeks to sustain key traditional land-use practices to maintain ecosystem services, conserve biodiversity and support human wellbeing.
Explore our projects by selecting the illustrations in the map
Through cross-cutting projects that transcend geographical and political borders in the Mediterranean region, we are
Promoting the exchange of knowledge and ideas
Our cross-cutting activities on enhancing knowledge promote the exchange of methodologies and innovative ideas between the pilot sites, while providing capacity building in topics of interest to the project partners. Information from the project sites and other Mediterranean areas will be gathered to scale up the Cultural Landscapes approach and to enhance heritage learning.
Project partners: IUCN-Med and Tour du Valat
Advocating for policies that support cultural practices and cultural landscapes
We carry out policy advocacy at national level in project sites and collaborate as a partnership on international issues, carrying out joint actions to ensure long-term impact and policy changes.
Project partners: Trashumancia y Naturaleza (TyN), WWF Spain, ANP|WWF and Euronatur
Developing an effective and durable regional alliance for cultural landscapes
Our partnership is based on participatory governance and decision-making. It offers partners capacity building opportunities, develops strategic communications, mobilises funding, and broadens its network of partners, collaborators and funders.
Project partners: Yolda Initiative and ANP|WWF
Communicating for change
Through our communications initiatives we raise awareness of the importance of cultural landscapes and cultural practices for people and the environment, and disseminate the results of the Alliance’s research and practice.
Project partner: Global Diversity Foundation
By promoting sustainable land use practices and affirming the social, economic and environmental benefits of Mediterranean cultural landscapes, we are celebrating Mediterranean heritage while showing the true value of reconnecting to the lands and practices that sustain livelihoods.
Our Previous Work
Rooted Everyday
We offered big and small opportunities to get involved. Learn about our past campaigns – #MedStoryPrize and #MedFoodHeroes – and connect with us to find out how we can all support people in the Mediterranean who share our values. We want to grow our neighbourhood of change makers for future generations, with people who share our desire to create a fairer and greener world.
Rooted Everyday aims to show the value of biodiversity and traditional practices in the Mediterranean by sharing news from our project partners and through imaginative storytelling with our #MedStoryPrize and celebrating #MedFoodHeroes tasty produce, recipes and traditions from these eco-regions.
We offer big and small opportunities to get involved and show how you’re #RootedEveryday. Connect with us to find out how we can all support people in the Mediterranean who share our values. We want to grow our neighbourhood of change makers for future generations, with people who share our desire to create a fairer and greener world.
We Are What We Eat
The small choices we make in our day-to-day lives can have a positive impact on the environment and people.
Discover new Mediterranean recipes and shop with small sustainable businesses.
#RootedEveryday
#MedFoodHeroes
We Are What We Eat
The small choices we make in our day-to-day lives can have a positive impact on the environment and people.
Discover new Mediterranean recipes and shop with small sustainable businesses.
#RootedEveryday
#MedFoodHeroes
Rooted Everyday is saying ‘YES’ to caring for the earth and being fair to those whose direct livelihoods depend on it. Our story begins in the natural abundance of the Mediterranean where generations of communities have prospered while traditionally tending habitats rich in flora and fauna. When we invest in these eco-regions and support the people who live there, the environment thrives.
Through the work of our partners and with your support we can take action against the loss of biodiversity caused by habitat destruction, chemical pollution, invasive species and climate change. Our projects support local people to adopt and continue a sustainable way of life in the Mediterranean through forest protection, land restoration, and soil and water management. Together we can change the way our homes and businesses use natural resources to preserve culture, heritage, plants and animal species which are vital for food production, clean water, clean air and medicine.
Rooted Everyday is saying ‘YES’ to caring for the earth and being fair to those whose direct livelihoods depend on it. Our story begins in the natural abundance of the Mediterranean where generations of communities have prospered while traditionally tending habitats rich in flora and fauna. When we invest in these eco-regions and support the people who live there, the environment thrives.
Through the work of our partners and with your support we can take action against the loss of biodiversity caused by habitat destruction, chemical pollution, invasive species and climate change. Our projects support local people to adopt and continue a sustainable way of life in the Mediterranean through forest protection, land restoration, and soil and water management. Together we can change the way our homes and businesses use natural resources to preserve culture, heritage, plants and animal species which are vital for food production, clean water, clean air and medicine.
© Stefan Meyer
By supporting #RootedEveryday you’ll be part of a global ethical community who celebrate different cultures and supports biodiversity by showing the true value of reconnecting to the lands that sustain us.
can change the world.
#RootedEveryday #MedStoryPrize