Conservation Collective Global Gathering in Corfu

Last week we had the great pleasure of participating in the second Global Gathering of the Conservation Collective (CC), organised by the Conservation Collective with the support of the Ionian Environment Foundation.

The Conservation Collective, for those who don’t know it yet, is the collective of non-profit foundations located in different parts of the world of which we are very proud to be a part. It was born in 2008 when Ben Goldsmith, a nature lover, created Ibiza Preservation (IP) with some friends who shared a love for the beautiful island and a concern for its unsustainable growth patterns. This group of people created a club of donors willing to make an annual donation to provide funds to local groups dedicated to protecting and restoring nature.

To date, there are 18 foundations located in different parts of the world (Barbados, Turkey, Italy, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, UK, Greece, Cyprus…) that work daily with many local organisations to promote and develop environmental projects in their natural environments.

One of CC’s key roles is to serve as a platform from which to provide support and opportunities for its foundations and, since last year, it organises an annual gathering through which network members learn new tools and strategies focused on fundraising and CC’s theory of change, fostering collective knowledge and the creation of new synergies between member foundations.

During the Global Gathering, part of the Menorca Preservation team had the opportunity to talk with the other members of the network about the challenges we face from our territories, learn more about their most outstanding projects and visit environmental projects in Corfu supported by the Ionian Enviornment Foundation, such as the SIN PRAXI community waste management plant implemented by some formidable volunteers who are true local heroes. For our part, we shared the key concepts of our MENORCA PRESERVADA training programme, which generated a lot of interest among the other members of the network because of the possibilities of being replicated in many of their regions.

The event took place at the spectacular Kontakali Resort & Spa, an establishment with a strong commitment to sustainability that uses solar panels to heat the water in its swimming pools, prioritises the consumption of local produce while fighting against food waste and supporting the local economy with a permanent staff made up mainly of residents.

Finally, we closed a wonderful week celebrating the CC Awards, in which the best projects in 6 different categories were awarded through the CC network. Menorca Preservation won the first prize for MENORCA PRESERVADA in the category of “Slowing down and adapting to climate change”, and also a second prize for the posidonia marine research projects carried out by OBSAM in the category of “Preserving, protecting and regenerating natural habitats”. We are extremely happy! We couldn’t be prouder of all the organisations and local heroes who have contributed their talent and commitment to these and the other projects we support, and getting this recognition gives us the energy to continue working for the Menorca we love so much.