Our Green Mission

All nature enthusiasts and visitors to protected areas - join our partnership with nature!! 

Join us in this significant time. Only our joint efforts and effective actions can ensure quality protection of nature and its wild biodiversity. Together for our planet's biosphere, for a life that includes Earth's surface, air, water and all living organisms on our planet - everything from 11,000 m of ocean depths to 7000 m of heavenly heights.

Nature - Biodiversity - Survival

Radical transformative changes take time, and every positive outcome along the long journey deserves recognition. That is why we share with you all the important milestones and significant steps forward on the long road toward lasting, systemic changes!

Nature, all that richness and beauty of our planet's biodiversity, needs just a little bit of our cooperation to successfully recover its many ecosystems that have long been under a lot of pressure. Protected natural areas, especially national parks, are particularly vulnerable because many of them have also become attractive tourist destinations that now face alarming effects on the protected natural heritage.

In the current report of UNEP-WCMC and IUCN (2024), protected areas of our planet cover 17.6% of terrestrial areas and terrestrial waters and only about 8.4% of marine and coastal areas. Although there has been an encouraging increase in protected area coverage, achieving the planned coverage of 30% for both areas by 2030 (UNEP-WCMC & IUCN, 2026) is a challenge, but also a necessity to ensure the survival of diverse species and ecosystems.

Our regional destination has two such precious biodiversity zones within striking distance, 2Parks, and a third one in the very near future. In 2022, long-awaited news arrived regarding the start of research and scientific data collection necessary to designate the Lička Plješivica and Ličko Pounje areas as a protected site under the appropriate legal category! You can find more about these important milestones under: Explore Local - Lička Plješivica Mountain.

Numerous protected areas around the world are facing a rise in visitor numbers, as well as challenges regarding how visitors wish to use these spaces. In addition to simply enjoying the peace and beauty, an increasing number of visitors also want to engage in their favorite sports and leisure activities - often too close to the unique and most fragile parts of these protected areas. At the same time, the many natural and cultural values in surrounding local communities remain neglected, but in return, they receive increased amounts of municipal waste and wastewater, as well as depleted natural resources.

All these circumstances have already proven to be extremely harmful in many protected areas around the world and the communities surrounding them!

Our mission has been, therefore, to approach further development in a way that will equally contribute to the preservation of the diverse natural and cultural heritage and to the well-being of the local population. The primary responsibility lies with us, but in some activities we need close cooperation with you!

Let us continue to make tourism a powerful positive force. Only by working together can we minimize all negative impacts of tourism and provide long-term support for nature, protected areas and local communities!

 Global Issue

A number of protected natural attractions around the world are forced to close to visitors. One example is the iconic red rock of Uluru in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, which has been permanently closed since October 26, 2019 (Parks Australia, n.d.). Following years of ecosystem recovery, the total ban on access to the most popular area of Thailand’s Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park was lifted. The famous Maya Bay is now closed during the monsoon season - from August 1 to September 30 (Thai National Parks, n.d.) to allow the ecosystem to recover, particularly the coral reefs that are heavily impacted by tourism.

Rainforests, coral reefs and wetlands are the most productive ecosystems on planet Earth!!

Threats to protected heritage are numerous - both direct and indirect - but the three main ones are (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), n.d.):

• numerous environmental pressures (pollution, land-use changes, extreme weather conditions, biodiversity loss, etc.)
• uncontrolled development (spatial encroachment, resource depletion, environmental degradation, infrastructure overload, etc.)
• mass tourism (direct negative impacts on the community's ecological, social, and economic environment).

Call to Action

Leading environmental and nature conservation organizations have been warning of a serious problem for years and continue to publish the latest data on the threats facing numerous ecosystems, particularly protected ones.

In the current Protected Planet Report, UNEP-WCMC and the IUCN (2024) emphasize that "success in halting and reversing the trend of biodiversity loss requires accelerating the pace and taking urgent action at national and local levels - with a call for all countries in the world to contribute in every possible way."

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee updates the "List of World Heritage in Danger" every year - currently, as many as 58 sites are at risk (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (2026 / n.d.)!

Our 2Parks are also marked by significant milestones. Current management plans emphasize conservation and research activities. Research efforts are being intensified, investments are being made in equipment and further staff training, and new strategies for managing visitor usage levels in protected areas are already being implemented. There are also important processes underway to address pressing infrastructure issues, which invariably require close cooperation among local stakeholders. Read more about our two parks under: Natural Heritage Gems.

Raising Consciousness

Tourism undoubtedly represents an important source of local income and employment, that is why it is crucial to boost awareness of the negative impacts of irresponsibly managed tourism on local natural environment as well as the long-term sustainability of local communities.

Parks are set aside for a good reason, they are our national treasures and sites of great biodiversity importance, and as such primarily oriented towards nature protection, research, and education.

National parks are without doubt accessible to all those seeking peace and recuperative break, but all those seeking serenity in parks encounter a major obstacle - thousands upon thousands of others seeking the same thing at the same time. The environmental effects are numerous, and the ones we most often witness are:

• increased traffic and air pollution
• increased accumulation of municipal waste
• increased accumulation of waste water
• lack of resources, especially drinking water
• captive wildlife – the lives of many species today depend on ecological corridors for migration.

Here, we mark a major milestone in the life of the Plitvice Lakes Municipality, which encompasses the largest share of the Plitvice Lakes National Park.

The Municipality of Plitvice Lakes is making exceptional progress in addressing pressing infrastructure issues. They reported the completion of the Waste Management Center in 2025, as well as the rehabilitation and construction of the water supply system. Furthermore, crucial works on the Plitvice Lakes Agglomeration System and works on the rehabilitation and construction of the drainage system are already underway (Općina Plitvička jezera, 2026).

Only through joint efforts can we ensure that tourism has a positive social, economic and environmental impact on host communities. The pursuit of short-term financial gains,  as well as unsustainable tourism practices and holiday wishes must never outweigh a true care for the local people and the environment.

As tourists, we can all help significantly just by carefully choosing local products and services. Choose wisely! Let's choose responsible tourism entrepreneurs who offer quality and authentic products and services that reflect and improve the community. Those who offer locally sourced food, charge fair prices, preserve natural and cultural heritage and strengthen community partnerships. Check what is hidden behind „polished ads“ - support the ones who truly care! 

We are all part of the solution because we all participate in tourism. We all impact the natural heritage, the preservation of which requires our collective efforts. We therefore invite you to learn more about why these specific areas are protected, how fragile the protected ecosystems are, and what protection challenges the parks face.

The more we know, the better we can help. 
Please see our Natural Heritage Gemsto help you become more informed visitor of protected areas!

Some Basic Knowledge

Why is biodiversity so important?
Healthy, biodiverse ecosystems provide numerous services categorized into four main groups: provisioning services (food and water, genetic resources, timber, etc.), regulating services (control of climate, disease, floods, and water quality, as well as waste decomposition, etc.), supporting services (ensuring the functioning of all ecosystems through oxygen production, nutrient cycling, soil formation, biomass creation, etc.), and cultural services (spiritual and recreational benefits, leisure, aesthetic enjoyment, etc.) (Biodiversity Information System for Europe, n.d.).

Biodiversity is the foundation for life and all key ecosystem services - our life support system!

What is the importance of wildlife?
All animals living in the wild and in various ecosystems (forests, rivers, lakes, grasslands, deserts, etc.), as well as other forms of wildlife - from microorganisms to fungi and vegetation - play an important role in maintaining the balance of nature. Each species performs a specific function - as a predator, prey, decomposer, or conservator (Elliott & Chaplin-Kramer, 2024).

Wildlife plays a crucial role in maintaining the fragile ecological balance of our planet!

Biocapacity Under Pressure

Each year, the international organization Global Footprint Network calculates the extent to which the exploitation of Earth's ecological resources and services has exceeded what our planet has managed to produce and regenerate over the course of the year!

Overshoots are calculated by dividing the planet's biocapacity (the amount of ecological resources Earth is able to generate that year) by the ecological footprint (humanity's demand for that year) and multiplying by 365 days (Global Footprint Network, n.d.). 

Until the seventies of the last century, humanity's ecological footprint was lower than our planet's biocapacity, meaning there was no overshoot or uncontrolled depletion of resources. Since that time, the date marking the overuse of natural resources has been occurring earlier and earlier (Global Footprint Network, n.d.)!

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and SEBI (Streamlining European Biodiversity Indicators) have adopted the ecological footprint as an indicator of pressure on biodiversity (Global Footprint Network, n.d.).

The biosphere is changing at an unprecedented scale and speed

This was confirmed in 2019 by the Global Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

The report was compiled by 145 experts from 50 countries (with an additional 310 authors contributing to the research). Over the course of three years, they compared and assessed changes that have occurred over the past 50 years and provided unequivocal evidence of the devastating impact economic development has on nature, which is declining globally at a rate unprecedented in human history (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), 2019).

The research findings are staggering (IPBES, 2019):

Ecosystem change and loss

• As much as 75 percent of the terrestrial environment and about 66 percent of the marine environment have been significantly altered by human activities.
• More than 85 percent of wetlands were lost between 1700 and 2000.
• Land degradation has reduced the productivity of the global land surface by 23 percent.

Threats to species

• More than a million species (about 25 percent of all assessed plant and animal groups) face extinction - many within just a few decades - a rate higher than ever before in human history.
• More than 40 percent of amphibian species face extinction.
• Nearly 33 percent of reef-building corals and more than a third of marine mammals are threatened
• At least 680 vertebrate species are facing extinction.

 Resource depletion

• About 60 billion tons of Earth's renewable and non-renewable resources are depleted annually - an increase of nearly 100 percent since 1980.
• The volume of timber harvesting has risen by 45 percent.
• More than one-third of the world's land surface and nearly 75 percent of freshwater resources are currently used for crop or livestock production.

“We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide.” IPBES Chair, Sir Robert Watson

The summary concludes with recommendations and the assertion that only fundamental, transformative changes encompassing economic, social, political, and technological factors - including old paradigms, goals, and values - can yield results (IPBES, 2019):

• comprehensive reorganization of the entire system of work and living
• prioritization of biodiversity in all key sectoral plans
• active participation of local communities and indigenous peoples in governance
• integrated management – a holistic, multi-functional management approach that considers the interconnections between the environment, people, and the economy
• cross-sectoral approach – active and equitable involvement of all stakeholders participating in biodiversity conservation, food and energy production, infrastructure development, and freshwater and coastal management
• integration of diverse value systems, interests, and worldviews into policies and activities
• reform and development of incentive structures – methods and means of encouraging or discouraging specific practices, behaviors, policies, actions, or choices
• radical shift in old paradigms and goals, as well as in belief and value systems. In our experience, this is the fundamental change but the hardest to change!

We have been officially working on this process of transformative change since April 4, 2014 and we can confirm one thing - it is a demanding and time-consuming process, but an achievable one!

The Municipality of Plitvice Lakes is making significant strides year after year in improving the entire local government system; it is deeply committed to the community's fundamental systems and environments - social, environmental, economic, and technological (Općina Plitvička jezera, n.d.). Strategic documents define and annual activity plan addresses pressing issues regarding both public and tourism infrastructure. Great efforts are being made to improve residents' quality of life, making the Municipality and its inhabitants a shining example of how a local community should function and thrive. An impressive milestone!

Acting Together

We can all contribute to the preservation of natural heritage – with ease! Below are a few simple measures we can start implementing right away:

PLAN & PREPARE - whenever life circumstances allow, plan your trip to protected areas avoiding the peak season.
REDUCE CAR USE - park your car upon arrival and enjoy active transport modes for your day trips. Active transport has numerous health benefits and helps reduce air and noise pollution.
STAY ON THE PATH - walk on durable surfaces. Avoid shortcuts – protect the vegetation.
REDUCE PACKAGING WASTE - prior to your trip remove all packaging possible or choose items in compostable packaging.
REDUCE PLASTIC USE - avoid using plastic materials whenever you can, use reusable water bottles & coffee cups, recycle as much as possible.
DON'T LITTER - find nearest garbage or recycling bins and sort everything properly.
SAVE ENERGY & WATER - turn off & unplug appliances, lights and switches when leaving your apartment, take shorter showers instead of baths, hang your towels to dry. The more frequent and prolonged dry periods in summer and excessive water demand from tourism put a serious strain on local water resources and cause shortages.
COLLECT ONLY MEMORIES - plants, rocks and artifacts are protected and should be left preserved.
RESPECT the WILDLIFE - observe wildlife from a safe and respectful distance; do not disturb or feed them.
FOLLOW the GUIDELINES - follow the instructions regarding which activities are allowed in protected areas.
SUPPORT & EXPLORE LOCAL - apply these measures to the areas surrounding parks, respect local culture, economy and environment no matter where you are. There are many equally beautiful options within close vicinity - from natural beauty to diverse and interesting events. Enjoy various products, services or gastronomy in local restaurants with fresh, seasonal foods - support the survival and progress of rural areas. 

There is one more important environmental measure - listen to nature! Help preserve natural sounds in national parks!

The natural soundscape of many national parks is increasingly affected by human-caused noise pollution - by preserving natural sounds we help the wildlife and improve the overall tourist experience!

Together we can achieve a lot, if not everything!

Welcome to GWT2P destination!

 References

1. Biodiversity Information System for Europe. (n.d.). Ecosystems and their services. Europe's Biodiversity. Retrieved September 19, 2026, from <https://biodiversity.europa.eu/europes-biodiversity/ecosystems>
2. Elliott, W., i Chaplin-Kramer, B. (18. listopada 2024.). Why saving wild species is critical to our own survival. WWF. <https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/stories/why-saving-wild-species-is-critical-to-our-own-survival/>
3. Global Footprint Network. (n.d.). Earth Overshoot Day. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from ‹https://overshoot.footprintnetwork.org/›
4. Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). (May 6, 2019). Media release: Nature's dangerous decline 'unprecedented'; species extinction rates 'accelerating' [Press release]. IPBES News. <https://www.ipbes.net/news/Media-Release-Global-Assessment>
5. Općina Plitvička jezera. (2026). Godišnje izvješće o provedbi Provedbenog programa Općine Plitvička jezera. [PDF file]. <https://plitvicka-jezera.hr/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Godisnje-izvjesce-o-provedbi-Provedbenog-programa-Opcine-Plitvicka-Jezera-za-2025.-godinu.pdf>
6. Općina Plitvička jezera. (n.d.). Strategija Općine. <https://plitvicka-jezera.hr/strategija-opcine/>
7. Parks Australia. (n.d.). Uluṟu climb closure. Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. Retrieved September 16, 2026, from <https://uluru.gov.au/discover/history/uluru-climb-closure/>
8. Thai National Parks. (n.d.). Phi Phi islands. Retrieved September 16, 2026, from <https://www.thainationalparks.com/hat-noppharat-thara-mu-ko-phi-phi-national-park>
9. UNEP-WCMC, & IUCN. (2024). Protected Planet Report 2024. United Nations Environment Programme; International Union for Conservation of Nature. <https://digitalreport.protectedplanet.net/>
10. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (n.d.). World Heritage in danger. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved September 17, 2026, from <https://whc.unesco.org/en/danger/>
11. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (n.d.). List of World Heritage in Danger. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved September 16, 2026, from <https://whc.unesco.org/en/danger-list/>