Favorite Places of Croatian Farmers

We will never achieve sustainable protection of nature as long as we do not know the concerns and stories of those who cultivate and develop the natural landscapes. Normally endangered species and habitats take centre stage - this project has turned the tables and put the focus on those stakeholders, who shape and form the habitat.

The central importance of agriculture for the preservation of valuable Croatian landscapes is made known to the general public by comprehensive educational activities. This leads to an increase in the appreciation of the peasant population, which is generally not held in very high esteem. In the political sphere, awareness is created for the fact that nature-friendly agriculture needs public support.

The project Favorite Places - "My Little Piece of Land - Moj komadić zemlje" shines light on the lives and ways of thinking of Croatian farmers by means of a travelling exhibition, an accompanying brochure, TV and media reports, as well as concepts for workshops at schools. The stories of the farmers were enacted in their own personal favorite places - in those places in the landscape with which they feel a particularly deep connection for whatever reasons. Against this emotional background, the target audience is confronted with the unique connection of the individual farmer to the landscape and hopefully inspired to support the maintenance and protection of Croatia's natural resources.

One of the central concerns of the project was to involve schools in the exhibition. To this end, age-adapted teaching concepts for six to ten-year-old and eleven to fourteen-year-old students were developed and put into practice at the exhibition venues in cooperation with various schools.

The project was supported by the German Federal Environmental Foundation and implemented between 2013 and 2015 together with the German Association for Landcare.

Weitere Projektteile

The exhibition was partly translated into English and exhibited in Brussels. See "My little piece of land".