The Kozjansko Regional Park receives the UNESCO-Greece Melina Mercouri International Prize

The UNESCO-Greece Melina Mercouri International Prize was established in 1995 under the auspices of a partnership between UNESCO World Heritage and the Greek Government. It is awarded for outstanding work in the field of protection and management of world cultural landscapes. It is named after Melina Mercoura, a former Greek culture minister and a strong proponent of an integrated protection policy.

UNESCO announces a call for a nomination for the award every two years, and this spring the Kozjansko Regional Park also submitted the application. According to the director of the park, Mojca Kunst, they also wanted to remind of the 40th anniversary of the Kozjansko Regional Park and their responsible attitude towards natural and cultural values, as well as weaving important threads with residents and institutions within the park. Landscape architect Vesna Zakonjšek and geographer Barbara Ploštajner oversaw the application for the competition. "We perceive the award as a recognition for our activities and actions over the past 40 years, which were also noticed in Paris at the UNESCO headquarters," says Vesna Zakonjšek, adding that they worked closely with conservator Andreja Mihelčič Koželj from Regional units of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia Celje.

This year, the UNESCO-Greece Melina Mercouri International Prize is awarded for the eighth time. The Kozjansko Regional Park has been selected from more than 47 nominations for the Cultural Landscape Award and will receive $ 30,000 for further work. According to the award committee, Kozjansko Park manages an exceptional area in Slovenia, which includes a total of 314 units of immovable cultural heritage and 66 natural values. The varied landscape is characterized by pre-alpine wooded hills, which then turn into a fertile plain along the river Sotla. The most important elements of this cultural landscape are meadows and orchards, which make an important contribution to the exceptional biodiversity of the area.

The high level of biodiversity ranks the Kozjansko Regional Park among the most important nature protection areas in Slovenia and Europe, as most of the park belongs to NATURA 2000. The custodians of this unique cultural landscape are primarily its inhabitants, local communities, cultural events and festivals, which make an important contribution to its preservation.

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