On April 27–29, the fourth consortium meeting of the international Horizon Europe project “BIOdiversity and Transformative Change for Plural and Nature-Positive Societies – BIOTraCes” was held at Mykolas Romeris University (MRU), organized by MRU researchers – Dr. Goda Kaniušonytė, Dr. Aistė Bakaitytė-Bagdonė and the Environmental Psychology Research Center (APTC). The event also brought together the partners from the Netherlands, Sweden, Portugal, Hungary, Spain, Italy, Romania and Germany. BIOTraCes aims to develop knowledge, methods and practical solutions that help to achieve  inclusive and nature-friendly societal transformations in the field of biodiversity.

During the meeting, the consortium partners visited Anykščiai, where the Lithuanian case analized by MRU “The problems of the Šventoji River and the Anykščiai Dam" was presented. This case study explores how to reconcile the goals of river ecological restoration, biodiversity protection, local community experiences, cultural memory and different perspectives on the future of the river.

The consortium meeting included discussions on the progress of the project, lessons learned from different country cases, opportunities for adaptation of impacts and results, development of the BIOTraCes theory of transformative change, team reflection and next steps for the project. The meeting also included a hybrid session with project members, advisory board representatives, partners and other participants.