Eco-corridors and democracy in Belarus

[RebelFarmer]

Hi there,

Last year RebelFarmer organised a bicycling campaign to promote GREENWAYS through the eco-corridors in Belarus. This cycling/canoeing expedition of 1500 km went from the Polish border to the Russian one.

Eco-corridors have been defined by the Institute of Zoology in Minsk, Belarus. Although there are not officially recognised by the Belarus State, they are absolutely indispensable for the conservation of the internationally important biodiversity of the country.
This expedition is meant to protect the eco-corridors by means of sustainable tourism, organic agriculture and nature-friendly forestry. Typical flora and fauna of those eco-corridors are promoted towards the population and tourists. Stories related to this rich fauna are collected among old people in little picturesque villages in order to ensure the transmission of this heritage.
We are mainly speaking here about: Wolves, Brown bear, Lynx, Bever, Uhu, Raven, Eagles and Cranes.
A Dutch philosopher, Ton Lemaire, has identified that stories and images about those animals strongly represent our relationship with nature and landscape.

The multi-functional heritage trails developed along natural corridors, rivers, historical trade routes and railways (GREENWAYS) are developed under the UN flag of Local Agenda 21.
A first attempt to introduce local democracy in Belarus !

A new Solidarity Expedition is organized in August 2008.
To know more, drop me a line or two at rebelfarmer (at) hotmail.com