Update #24: Sustainable reforestation network in Albania / March 6, 2025

We are very excited to announce that our proposal for the project Sustainable reforestation infrastructure network in Albania, within the Thematic Grants programme of GreenAL, was selected and we have been awarded the grant on March 6, 2025.

What does it mean?

The main goal of the project is to replicate the same sustainable reforestation model we developed during the past 5 years in Lurë-Dejës Mt. National Park in a second location in Albania, establishing a network that will reach different regions and local communities.

This time, we go south-east of the country - to Korçë!

This does not mean we are leaving Lurë, on the contrary, Lurë tree nursery will grow more tree species and expand its capacity in 2025 and work in Lurë continues in new planting areas. We are just expanding our sustainable reforestation efforts to a second location.

The project in a nutshell

• Two tree nurseries (above 1,000m above sea level) in Lurë and Korçë;
• Reforestation projects and planing activities (co-financed) in each location;
• Install intelligent monitoring systems in both nurseries and reforested areas;
• Online platform that provides detailed information about reforestation, seed collection, suitable reforestation areas, monitoring data and activities with organizations and schools;
• Regular seasonal employment through reforestation, tree nursery management and seed collection in both areas;
• Provide other organisations with the necessary infrastructure to engage in sustainable reforestation initiatives;
• Workshops with schools and open lectures with universities in partnership with AKP (Agjencia Kombëtare e Pyjeve);
• National-level assessment to identify other forest areas suitable for reforestation at high altitudes.

Duration and financing

The project starts in March 2025 and ends in July 2027 (30 months).

Its total budget is €90,000, out of which GreenAL will finance €60,000 and remaining €30,000 is co-financed by Trees for Lurë.

We are partnering for this project with AKP who is a partner without a budget as per GreenAL grant guidelines.

About GreenAL

For detailed information about GreenAL, please visit GreenAL website.

The grant we were awarded is part of the second phase of the GreenAl project “Supporting Environmental Civil Society Organizations 2024 – 2027”. GreenAL aims to further nurture and empower Albanian environmental CSOs and green initiatives to actively participate and contribute to the process of aligning legislation with the EU Acquis and negotiations, with the main focus on Chapter 27.

This project is supported by GreenAL, a project funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) with funds from the Swedish Government and implemented by Co-PLAN, Institute for Habitat Development in cooperation with VIS Albania and COSV—Cooperazione per lo Sviluppo.

Thank you!

We would like to thank GreenAL for taking our proposal into consideration, their great communication throughout the selection process and ultimately selecting our project for funding.

Even more thanks goes to everyone who contributed to the work in Lurë so far, especially the local community. Together we built a project which can be now replicated in other locations.

Our thanks goes also to AKP, our partner for this project, for their continuous support.

On behalf of the whole team,
Pavel