When knowledge travels, collaboration grows
24 September 2026 | Našice, Croatia
What happens when a new approach to understanding forest biodiversity moves from the training room into the forest itself? In Našice, Croatia, participants from forestry and nature conservation came together to find out.
On 24 September, the first national Integrative Biodiversity Potential (IBP) workshop in Croatia brought together 19 experts from different organisations and backgrounds. The workshop was organised by the Croatian Forest Research Institute and Unique Forests Ltd., which represents the Croatian Satellite Demonstration Area (SDA) in TRANSFORMIT.
The workshop built directly on the IBP train-the-trainer event in Binzen, Germany, where five Croatian trainers had learned how to introduce the methodology to colleagues and stakeholders at national and local level. Now, it was time to put that knowledge into practice.
Learning to see the forest differently
The day began at the premises of Unique Forests Ltd., where participants were introduced to TRANSFORMIT and the IBP methodology. Martina Kičić from the Croatian Forest Research Institute explained the different factors used to assess the biodiversity potential of a forest.
But the real learning started when the group left the meeting room and headed into a nearby forest.
Together with trainers Martina Kičić and Karmen Vugdelija, participants worked through the IBP factors in the field, discussing what to look for and how different features of the forest contribute to its biodiversity potential. They then had the opportunity to carry out their own assessments on two selected plots.
This hands-on approach sparked lively discussions throughout the day. Participants brought perspectives from forest management, protected area management and nature conservation, creating an opportunity to explore how the methodology could be useful across different parts of the forest sector.
From a workshop to future cooperation
The workshop brought together representatives of Croatian Forests Ltd., Unique Forests Ltd., the Public Institution for the Management of Protected Areas and Other Protected Natural Values in the City of Zagreb, and the Public Institution Nature Park Žumberak–Samoborsko gorje, alongside experts from the Croatian Forest Research Institute.
This mix of perspectives was one of the workshop’s strengths. Rather than simply introducing a new assessment method, the day created space for participants to exchange experiences, ask questions and consider how IBP could be applied in the Croatian context.
It also highlighted the wider value of the TRANSFORMIT network. The collaboration between the Croatian Forest Research Institute and Unique Forests Ltd. grew through TRANSFORMIT activities and provided the foundation for bringing the IBP methodology to a wider group of Croatian stakeholders.
From training trainers to assessing forests together, the first national IBP workshop marks an important step towards making biodiversity a more integrative part of forest management in Croatia.
