This initiative highlights the great ecological value of the natural areas of Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura, both those that have a protection figure and those that do not. This initiative highlights the great ecological value of the natural areas of Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura, both those that have a protection figure and those that do not.

The general objective of the “Sustainable Forests” project is to promote sustainable economic growth in areas linked to forest, rural and protected natural areas, through specific awareness-raising actions, training and personalised advice. All this will make it possible to value the natural heritage of protected species and their sustainable management, so that the ecological functionality of these spaces is guaranteed over time.

The actions of the project seek the active participation of the people involved, through the creation of spaces for the exchange of information, experiences and debates.

The actions contemplated in the initiative will thus achieve:

• Create active collaborative communities among participants.
• To train the recipients for the development of activities related to the conservation of natural spaces.
• To reduce some of the main obstacles that currently hinder the creation of companies linked to the environment: lack of business knowledge, necessary financing and the weak environmental awareness and sensitivity of workers.

The recipients of the project are:

• Workers linked to sectors of activity such as the management of natural spaces, management of forest areas, environmental education and information, sustainable tourism, etc.
• Residents of rural areas and/or located in protected natural areas.
• Investors looking to develop new business ideas related to the environment in general.
• Businessmen and entrepreneurs who have a business or want to create a company, as long as it represents added value for the environment.
• Experts in various subjects related to the environment who want to share their knowledge and experiences with other people.

The initiative seeks to train 240 recipients, although the project will reach a total of 360 workers, and the increase in training related to nature conservation and biodiversity of the participants.