From May 12 to 15, 2025, the fifth workshop of the SELINA project and the second project meeting of all partners took place in Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel (Azores, Portugal). Organized by the University of the Azores (UAC), the workshop brought together experts from 50 partner organizations from all 27 EU member states, as well as from Norway, Switzerland, Israel, and the United Kingdom.
The workshop focused on a key theme of the SELINA project – integration: connecting knowledge, data, methods, and stakeholders with the aim of strengthening the role of information on biodiversity, ecosystem condition, and ecosystem services in decision-making processes.
The workshop and meetings covered the following topics:
- progress made at the halfway point of the project,
- lessons learned through the testing of the SELINA Framework for Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (FIEA),
- the role of integration in scientific research, decision-making practices, stakeholder engagement, and the development of guidance that will be included in the Compendium of Guidance, one of the project’s key outputs.
A particularly valuable part of the workshop was the field visit to the nature conservation center “Centro Ambiental do Priolo,” where participants learned about efforts to conserve the endemic bird species, the Azores bullfinch, and the restoration of its habitat in the Cancela do Cinzeiro forest reserve, activities linked to the project’s test site on São Miguel.
The event also included:
- a meeting of the SELINA Project Executive Board,
- a meeting of the International Advisory Board,
- a meeting of the Project Assembly,
- a dedicated program for early-career researchers.
The workshop enabled intensive knowledge exchange between researchers and practitioners, as well as coordination of the next steps in the project’s implementation. Active work was carried out on finalizing planned deliverables and scientific publications. As part of the Croatian Forest Research Institute team, Dr. Dijana Vuletić and Dr. Martina Kičić participated in the workshop and the second project meeting. SELINA continues to develop tools and guidance that will enable comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and applicable assessments of natural capital, in line with the goals of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the European Green Deal.
