Tirana, Albania | 25–26 February 2026
27 February – Study visit to Shebenik National Park
The International Large Carnivores Habitat Management Conference will bring together experts, researchers, protected area managers, policymakers, and key stakeholders from the Adriatic–Ionian Region to discuss innovative approaches to habitat management, ecological connectivity, and human–carnivore coexistence, with a focus on lynx, bear, wolf, and jackal populations.
The conference is organized within the framework of the 4PETHABECO Project – Strengthening cooperation to address socio-environmental challenges of EUSAIR flagship PET HAB ECO, supported by the Interreg IPA ADRION Programme (European Regional Development Fund and IPA). The project aims to test solutions for protecting and restoring terrestrial habitats and large carnivore populations across the region.
The event will be co-hosted alongside the 7th Meeting of the Dinaric-Balkan-Pindos (DiBaPi) Platform.
Participants may register for the full conference or select specific days and workshops of interest.
Thematic Workshops
Workshop 1: Cultural Dimensions of Habitat Suitability and Connectivity for Large Carnivores in the Adriatic-Ionian Region
Workshop leaders: Liliana Vižintin & Bernarda Bele – Science and research centre, Koper, Mediterranean Institute for Environmental Studies, Koper – Slovenia.
You are warmly invited to join a collaborative workshop dedicated to the cultural dimensions of large carnivores’ habitat suitability and connectivity in the Adriatic-Ionian Region. During the session, participants will work with a set of specially designed facilitator cards that support reflection, dialogue, and co‑creation across diverse stakeholder perspectives. Through rotating small‑group activities, you will engage with themes such as cultural narratives, ecosystem services, governance, and communication practices. The workshop aims to generate shared insights, strengthen participatory learning, and contribute to developing practical tools for decision‑making in real landscapes. Your experience, knowledge, and viewpoints will play an essential role in shaping the outcomes of this process.
Workshop 2: Environmental Variables for Habitat Suitability and Connectivity – Practical VIF Analysis in Google Earth Engine
Workshop leaders: Bruno Ćaleta & Tea Teskera- Oikon Ltd., Institute of Applied Ecology – Croatia
You are invited to participate in a hands-on workshop focused on the foundations of modeling habitat suitability and connectivity for large carnivores.
In this session, we will demystify what habitat suitability models (HSM) are and the methodology behind their creation. Participants will be guided through the two critical stages of selecting environmental predictors:
- Ecological Reasoning: Selecting variables based on expert knowledge of species ecology.
- Statistical Rigor: Using the Variance Inflation Factor (VIF)—a premier tool for identifying and removing highly correlated variables to ensure model integrity.
- No prior programming skills are required; we will provide all necessary code snippets.
- Please bring your own laptop.
- Ensure you have a Google accountready for use with Google Earth Engine.
Workshop 3: The Role of the Protected Areas for the Future of Large Carnivores
Workshop leader: Cristina Comuzzo – Julian Prealps Natural Park – Italy
Join this workshop for an engaging discussion on one of Europe’s greatest conservation success stories and its most pressing challenges. The return of iconic species such as the wolf, brown bear, and lynx marks a remarkable achievement, yet their coexistence with human activities in heavily modified landscapes demands innovative and collaborative solutions. Protected areas are vital not only as safe refuges providing habitat and food resources, but also as hubs for education, research, and practical strategies that foster coexistence. This workshop will explore how parks, Natura 2000 sites, and the Emerald Network can function as interconnected nodes within a broader ecological network, promoting structural and functional connectivity, genetic exchange, and cross-border cooperation. Through case studies from EU and non-EU countries, participants will share best practices, address human–carnivore conflicts, and work toward common guidelines for effective, network-based conservation.
Registration & Agenda
Full agenda: AGENDA LINK]
4PetHabEco Conference Survey
Online Participation – Zoom Link
Zoom Link Attendee Form
We look forward to welcoming you to this important regional dialogue on the future of large carnivore conservation and habitat connectivity in the Adriatic–Ionian Region.
