NatureTalks project officially began with a kick-off meeting held on 1–2 December 2025 in Rzeszów, Poland. The meeting was hosted by the project coordinator, Association for the Development and Promotion of Podkarpacie “Pro Carpathia”, and brought together all project partners from Greece, Italy, Slovenia and Serbia.The kick-off meeting was a key time for getting everyone on the same page about the project’s vision, goals, and first steps.
After welcoming words by the host and coordinator, the first session was focused on heritage interpretation and how it improves visitor experience. This was presented by Đorđije Vasiljević from MindsEurope Institute (Serbia). This session was followed by a presentation from Gregor Koželj (Idrija Tourism Board, Slovenia), who shared practical experience in heritage interpretation from the Idrija region, offering concrete examples of interpretation in action and lessons learned from long-term practice.
A central part of the meeting was dedicated to Task 2.1: Development of the NatureTalks Manifesto of Interdisciplinary Skills, facilitated by Carmen Granito (The Story Behind, Italy). Through a participatory session, partners jointly explored existing gaps and needs, defined a shared vision, and discussed key skills, training approaches, and the expected impact of the NatureTalks training programme.
The consortium also discussed about Task 5.1 – Dissemination Strategy and Task 5.4 – Project Website, outlining initial communication and visibility plans for the project.
Next was presentation by George Bekiaridis from ATTIKO Vocational Training Centre (Greece) who discussed about Task 2.2 – Mapping competence gaps and co-designing the NatureTalks training offer with a focus on involving end users and tailoring the training to real needs in the field.
An open discussion allowed partners to reflect on synergies between tasks, clarify responsibilities, and agree on next steps.
The afternoon program linked the project to its regional and professional setting. A member of the Podkarpackie Regional Tourism Organisation talked about current tourism trends and gave examples from the Podkarpackie region. Karolina Kiwior, a professional tourist guide, talked about how to protect nature and train guides in Poland. She stressed how important it is to have well-trained interpreters in protected and natural areas.
At the end of the meeting, there was a guided tour of the Rzeszów Cellars, which gave everyone a real-life example of how to present and interpret heritage.
