Vibrant private conservation stewardship community

Today, a large number of landowners and people living in the countryside feel that the Nature Conservation Act, the European Biodiversity Strategy, and therefore the green reformation, dealing with climate change and environmental stewardship, is something that needs to be fought. This has created a defiance of both state governance, climate change mitigation measures and restrictions on activities. According to research (Miljand et al), the target group is sceptical and distrustful of organisations involved in nature conservation. They trust organisations that are closer to them and friendly to landowners, and are willing to listen to them on issues such as climate change, greening, species protection and environmental conservation. However, private land is also needed for nature conservation, species protection and environmental protection.

The Nature Fund has been set up to address environmental conservation and climate change issues and supports the European Green Pact principle of "No one is left behind". We are a conservation organisation of landowners (including and among others members of the Farmers' Union, the Private Forestry Union, the Estonian Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce).

We support the European Green Deal, the Biodiversity Strategy and the Nature Restoration Plan, through voluntary nature conservation on private land, so that the involved farming sector does not feel left behind and is therefore more resilient and tolerant in its decisions concerning society and nature.
We empower the values that are important to the target group - freedom, volunteering, property rights and civic responsibility.

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We empower community action in nature conservation through the values that are important to the target group - freedom, volunteering, property rights and citizenship. Achieving this objective will simultaneously contribute to increasing the positive societal impact on environmental protection and nature conservation, adaptation to climate change, as well as strengthening the conservation activities carried out in rural communities.
We will alleviate the antagonism between public and non-governmental environmental organisations due to differences in world views, and help to avoid and prevent the use of SSS (shoot, shovel and shut up) and scorched earth tactics (preventing the arrival of protected species on private land through various measures) or the loss of permission to stay on private land.

1. We will continue to build on existing networks between organisations and individuals involved in conservation on private land to create permanent collaborative structures for private land conservation in Estonia.

2. Engage in outreach and synergies (with international networks and initiatives) on nature conservation on private land, environmental stewardship and cultural and environmental protection. We offer activities, clear guidelines and fresh initiatives to get involved in, while also explaining the principles of nature conservation from each landowner's perspective and opportunities.

3. We will create and develop 'tools' for private nature conservation, to keep track of the system and monitor KPIs specific to results-based nature conservation.