We would like to share with you information about a new international project!
The Secretariat for Youth of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship has joined an international cooperation project in the field of nature and tourism education, called “SB MANTA – South Baltic natural and cultural heritage assets management as tourist attractions”.
We are implementing the SB MANTA project on behalf of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. In the project, we will try not so much to influence the number of tourists visiting the most valuable natural attractions of the southern Baltic coast, but above all to change the approach of tourists and residents to nature conservation in our regions.
Part of the project is international, regional and local workshops, foreign study trips to Danish and Swedish protected areas, joint development of plans and concepts for implementing new attractions for visitors, various scientific and social studies. However, the project also assumes the creation of multifunctional educational platforms, located in important points of parks in Lithuania and Poland, which will be available since the second half of 2026.
In addition to them, the project will deliver a cross-border offer of active leisure time in valuable natural areas in the South Baltic region, for people of all ages who want to help maintain the beauty and values of our unique nature.
We will regularly inform you about the project activities and invite you to participate, and even to interesting trips!
The MANTA project will be implemented until June 30, 2027.
The total budget of the project is 1.66 million Euro, including 158,000 Euro from the budget of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. The project is 80% co-financed by the European Union, under the Interreg South Baltic Programme 2021-2027.
Project background – why did we start working on it?
The natural richness of the region proves its attractiveness and is undoubtedly a common natural heritage for all generations. The most valuable natural areas often struggle with the rapid development of tourism, but after all, they are protected due to their natural value and attractiveness, which in itself is a magnet for visitors.
People want to see unique and beautiful places, they want to relax in a healthy environment, they want to have nice photos and boast that they have been to famous places. School trips, aimed at education and integration, also visit areas with valuable natural features. Young people, including students, couples, groups, and finally also the inhabitants of the regions themselves – all look for places where they can truly regenerate and relax in the bosom of nature.
Tourist services are developing around parks, reserves and Natura 2000 areas. Local business is developing. More and more tourists are coming, and finally the natural environment is under increasing pressure. So the question arises whether and how it can be better protected. Restrictions, prohibitions, rigid rules for using protected areas seem to bother some people: visitors cannot enter everywhere, and here a garbage can would be useful, or maybe another hotel would be useful, but it is not allowed to build here… Residents, on the other hand, would prefer that their towns be visited by people who appreciate the nature that surrounds them and that they take better care of their surroundings, do not litter, do not destroy. Europe needs solutions that can reconcile tourism and nature protection.
It turns out that this can be remedied through cooperation between institutions and people involved in nature conservation with residents and local tourism businesses. It is possible to propose ways of spending free time that will contribute to the development of sustainable, resilient tourism, will still allow residents and local businesses to earn money, but will also attract visitors who care about the state of the environment and the preservation of nature – more aware and caring.
This provided the basis for implementing the idea of the project “SB MANTA – South Baltic natural and cultural heritage assets management as tourist attractions”. The acronym MANTA refers to the word “maintain” – to maintain, preserve, keep in good condition. The aim of the project is to transform nature protection and conservation activities into volunteer and educational activities and into new pro-ecological attractions, based on regional nature, culture and traditions, constituting the basis for improving the quality of life of the region’s inhabitants and enriching the region’s offer. This means that as part of spending holidays, weekends or even a short visit to the parks, it will be possible to get involved in the conservation and maintenance of nature and leave a positive mark in the form of simple work done independently or together with park employees.
The aspect of education and raising awareness – why is it important for young people?
Young people living in the South Baltic area live in a region that is extremely attractive in terms of nature, very valuable and dynamically changing. Today, they enjoy the nature of national and landscape parks, go on trips, want to spend time in beautiful, well-known places where you can relax, take a great photo and share it online. Soon they will work, maybe run their own businesses – for some of them this natural heritage will become the basis for earning money. Soon, because time flies, they will create their own families here and even if they do not think about it today, they will want their children to have beautiful surroundings and for nature not to be just a monument.
What is needed here? Constant, systemic awareness of why it is worth protecting natural and cultural values and encouraging them to get involved in their protection from a young age. Environmental education targeting young people is a key aspect of influencing the ecological awareness of European societies. And what is the best way to learn about nature? By acting!
Project partnership
MANTA project partnership involves partners from Lithuania, Poland and Germany, as well as associated partners from Sweden and Denmark. The lead partner is the Directorate of Protected Areas of Lithuania Minor (Mažosios Lietuvos saugomų teritorijų direkcija). Their headquarters are located in the picturesque Seaside Regional Park, just a few kilometres east of Klaipėda. Other Lithuanian project partners include the Curonian Spit National Park based in Klaipėda, the European Coastal Union EUCC – Baltic Office based in Klaipėda. The project partners also include the German European Coastal Union EUCC – The Coastal Union Germany based in Rostock. The Polish partners, apart from the West Pomeranian Voivodeship represented by the Youth Secretariat, are the well-known Polish coastal parks: Słowiński National Park and Woliński National Park.
The project is characterised by a high level of involvement of associated partners, among whom scientific institutions, non-governmental organisations, national parks and local governments from Poland, Lithuania, Denmark, Sweden and Germany have declared their active participation in the implementation of tasks and goals.
What will the Secretariat for Youth offer to young residents of West Pomerania, by implementing the MANTA project?
As part of the project, the task of The Secretariat for Youth of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship will be to increase the participation of young people in active activities, to improve the state of the environment and to engage young people in the social movement for natural and cultural heritage and sustainable development of the region.
- We will organize international youth exchanges with Lithuania, Germany, Sweden. –
- We will conduct workshops, lectures and ecological competitions for young people, independently and in cooperation with experts, national parks, landscape and regional parks in partner countries.
- We will invite young people to participate in research on modern tools for introducing to the market and promoting new ecological tourist attractions. This research will be conducted by research centers in Poland and Lithuania – in countries with a high rate of digitalization and service innovation.
- We will organize tours and pilot excursions, during which we will engage with young people in nature protection and test new attractions.
- The offer of project activities will include various regional and international pro-ecological events and initiatives, including those invented by young people.
All this will contribute to increased participation of the age group 13-35 in the implementation of the ecological policy of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship.
Stay tuned 🙂
