Non-government organisation/Civil Society

The "Ciobarciu wetland" project resulted in the creation of a wetland area of ​​about 224 hectares near the city of Iasi (30 Km distance). The area of ​​nature thus became in spring and autumn a significant resting place for migratory birds, and the specific types of natural vegetation are growing again, constituting a natural habitat for the locales specific to these places. The project was developed by the National Administration of the Romanian Waters alongside the Dutch Government in order to restore the area and to include it in the ecosystem of the place (1)

The NBS is a socio-ecological initiative to create an urban garden that would serve as an outdoor space for creative endeavours in the Cracow's district Podgórze. The project was implemented by an association of cultural institutions, NGOs, artists' groups, landscape architects, social activists, cultural animators and artisans, who also activated a group of volunteers from among the residents. The initiative involves several activities including greenery planting, horticulture/vegetable garden, ecological education and art workshops. Space is rented from the municipality as an act of protection of naturalistic landscape from over investment and new residential buildings in the area. It is surrounded by modern developments [1,3,4].
The social garden was established in 2013 and it is still functioning with its original purpose [3].

Zollverein is an abandoned colliery and coking plant near the center of Essen in Germany (Ref. 6). Since 1993 the mining here stopped, and the site was turned into a derelict area, so nature could win back its territory. Most of the railway tracks and the smaller industrial leftovers are now covered with moss, grass, and weeds (Ref. 4). After the site was recognized as a World Heritage Site in 2001, it started being developed as a multifunctional cultural, tourist and recreational center keeping and developing biotopes that emerged over time (Ref. 11).

The restoration of Highfields Park was completed in Summer 2018 with path repairs and tree works to be carried out in winter 2018 to 2019. The five-year development journey of returning Highfields park to its former glory has included two rounds of public consultation. The views of park users and project partners such as the University of Nottingham, the UK's Environment Agency and the Highfields Park User Group identified a strong desire to see the park restored and improved (ref. 1), including improvements on heritage features such as historic walls, bridges and the old Boating Lake Ticket Office (ref. 2). In total, this project aimed to repair unused structures of the park including walled gardens, gardener’s cottages and historic halls and houses, converting them into volunteer and training centers, event spaces and community facilities (ref. 3). Highfields Park also provides valuable scrub and woodland habitat for breeding birds such as robin, sparrow and blue tit. The additional diversity of habitats provides important foraging and breeding opportunities for invertebrates and mammals. (Ref 4)

"The Conservatoire des Restanques is dedicated to preserving biodiversity (conservation orchard, forgotten vegetable garden, Mediterranean garden with the typical plant species of low limestone Provence) and to be a showcase of the current considerations of Sustainable Development (energy, waste management, water resources management, etc.). The development of the site and the different elements of the landscape make it possible to develop educational programs on the themes of flora diversity, wildlife, heritage conservation, food, consumption and health, eco-construction and energy management" (Ref. 3).

The scheme was designed to manage surface water runoff from a 1 in 30 year event and to always intercept and treat the, often more polluted, first flush of highway runoff (ref. 1). A total of 21 linear rain gardens (total of 148m2) were constructed within the grass verge, allowing for the constraints of access, below-ground services, street furniture and trees. The rain gardens utilise a combination of clean stone aggregate and proprietary units to create void space beneath a planted topsoil layer. They were designed to capture runoff from 5500 m2 of highway from a total surface area of 7100 m2 (ref. 1).

The Chirita dam is the drinking water reserve of Iasi. The lake is protected by law, with bathing or fishing prohibited. In 2013 it was cleaned and sanitized since it became an area where many people used to dump their house residues. As such a national campaign sponsored by an NGO having social responsibility claims implemented this NBS, which meant cleaning the shores of the lake (1).

Located in the backyard of a memorial house, this NBS was created with 2 purposes in mind: to offer a green oasis to the inhabitants of Iasi but also to educate them since the garden itself relies on volunteers primarily who have the opportunity to come and work in the garden, assist in the process of growing food and learn how to lead a healthy life. In a way, this garden is seen as an escape from city life and it combines education with practical skills and community cohesion (1)

Due to human interventions into the natural river flow with dykes, drainage of agricultural and grassland or cutting off its water bodies, the wetland Elster-Luppe had lost its groundwater base which decreased its biodiversity. With the support of the regional biodiversity fund and building on previous efforts, the city of Leipzig, together with partners such as the NABU Sachsen and research institutions, has revitalized, renaturalized and connected the water bodies of Leipzig's North-Western wetlands to one continuous watercourse since 2012. Its objective is restoring its ecosystem functions and increasing awareness for the importance of wetlands (4, 5).

In 2010, rehabilitation works on the Huveaune riverbanks, in the city of Marseille, were carried out by volunteers from three associations: Rives & Cultures, Planète Sciences Méditerranée, and Hunamar. Work included clearing, revegetation, and maintenance of riverbanks (Ref. 1). Since this initiative took place, the l'Huveaune Watershed Union has been formed and taken steps to formalize the rehabilitation of the Huveaune riverbanks (Ref. 2, 3, and 4).