Fundació Emys

Fundació Emys is a non profit organisation born in Riudarenes, Girona in 1987 with the name of ADEPAR as a result of a group of young volunteers from the town concerned for nature preservation. The emergency status of the European pond terrapin conservation status inspired them to start the movement with the aim to preserve this species and its habitats. During more than 20 years volunteers from the organisation have developed and implemented different conservation tasks and goals concerning specially wetlands and helping mainly to its biodiversity conservation and social awareness in relation to this matter. In 2003 the organisation is formally constituted as Fundació Emys with the main objective to professionalise the task developed since 1987, focused in natural heritage knowledge, preservation and awareness. Thanks to different scientific studies in collaboration with different scientific groups and universities, the organisation discovers that the main conservation danger if this species is the loss and degradation of its main habitats, specially wetlands, a EU conservation priority habitat. Also a strong relation is shown between farming areas, forest areas and wetlands, where a good and holistic project in contact with society is capable of helping into long term biodiversity targets. Nowadays the organisation works in 4 main areas: Nature conservation: focused into increase knowledge specially in practical local applications, of those processes and actions in favour of biodiversity conservation and local sustainable development. We also promote conservation through practical actions such as bio-diverse meadows restoration, water points or structures to favour biodiversity in-situ. Sustainable land management and land stewardship: the organisation manages 1300 hectares of high natural value spaces focused to a sustainable forest and agricultural areas as well as wetlands preservation and other areas of natural interest. We mainly act in these areas through assessments to land owners and managers, actions in favour of nature preservation. Education, awareness and volunteering on sustainability: the organisation develops formal and non-formal educative actions to all age groups and promotes nature and sustainable management knowledge and treasure. Nowadays more than 3000 citizens take part from our learning, teaching and training activities with more than 200 volunteers participate to our volunteer actions. In the field of formal adult education we organise training activities and workshops in organic high natural value farming since 2010. In the field of formal education to children and youth, we have workshops and educative activities since 2003 with more than 5000 persons attended. We also work with volunteering programs with more than 300 participants in our long term program since its foundation. Green economy: focused on offering practical examples as economical catalysts in social and environmental sustainable development. Nowadays Fundació Emys has an organic jam and sauces production plant to elaborate products from our organic local farmers and to give job opportunities to disfavoured collectives from the area by working in what hey like www.canmoragues.org. We also manage a shop and a restaurant with the same principles. The organisation highlights for its innovative implementation of land stewardship strategies as well as for its capacity to mobilise bottom up volunteering processes, reason why was 2014 award-winning of the catalan enviornmental prize and has constantly collaborated with Fundación Biodiversidad Ministerio de Transición Ecológica. Fundació Emys es una organización sin ánimo de lucro nacida en Riudarenes, Girona en 1987 con el nombre ADEPAR por la motivación de un grupo de jóvenes voluntarios del municipio que se unieron, alarmados por el estado de conservación del galápago europeo, con el objetivo principal de ayudar a su conservación. Durante más de 20 años los voluntarios de la organización h