Protection of forests and nature in the Tatra Mountains receives new support

Today, on 10 February 2026, the opening conference of the project SilvaTech4Trees– Close to Nature based Management Approaches and Modern Technologies – took place in Spišská Belá.

The project is implemented by the National Forest Centre in cooperation with Slovak partners Lesy Mesta Spišská Belá and Pro Silva Slovakia, and with an international partner – the Bern University of Applied Sciences. The event officially marked the launch of a project aimed at protecting biodiversity and improving the condition of forest ecosystems in the Tatra National Park and its buffer zone.

“The project has successfully brought together research, academia, the third sector and local government with the aim of supporting biodiversity through modern technologies, close-to-nature forest management and environmental education,” said Peter Balogh, Head of the Project Management Office.

During the conference, participants were introduced to the main objectives and planned activities of the project, which include close-to-nature forest management, protection of tree microhabitats, testing of innovative technologies for monitoring forest ecosystems, as well as environmental education and the involvement of local communities. The project will run until the end of 2028 and aims to increase the resilience of forest ecosystems to biodiversity loss while supporting sustainable forms of tourism in protected areas.

The project is supported under the Swiss–Slovak Cooperation Programme, which focuses on reducing economic and social disparities within the European Union, and is also co-financed from the state budget of the Slovak Republic.