At the Green Destinations conference, held from 28 to 30 September 2025 in the French city of Montpellier, Plitvice Lakes National Park was listed in the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories of sustainable tourism.
Each year, the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories competition collects stories from destinations around the world in the categories of management, environment and climate, culture and tradition, thriving communities, and business and marketing. The stories should be related to or contribute to sustainable tourism, and explain the detected problem, the proposed solution, and the benefits created for the local community, the environment, and tourists. Stories about good practices in sustainable tourism inspire destinations, tourism operators and tourists to behave and develop tourism responsibly.
Plitvice Lakes National Park joined the 2025 competition with the story titled “Feel the pulse of the forest – biomonitoring of forest growth and carbon storage”. Our story was also featured on a poster displayed at the conference in the main atrium where participants gathered, which was also an excellent opportunity to promote the natural values and sustainability of our protected area. A summary of the story is provided below.
STORY SUMMARY
In the battle against climate change, forests serve as nature’s most powerful carbon sinks, with just a single hectare absorbing up to 12 tons of CO₂. Implementing biomonitoring of forest ecosystems involves setting up sustainable meteorological stations, devices for measuring tree growth, and devices for measuring water movement from roots to leaves. From November 2024 to 2028, ten biomonitoring stations will be active in the Plitvice Lakes National Park. Visitors can scan QR codes at every station to view live meteorological data, track tree growth, and carbon sequestration in real time. Several of these stations are located along visitor routes to promote sustainable tourism, while additional insights are shared through informative display panels. The Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology of the University of Zagreb processes the collected data and publishes them in annual reports, while the equipment has been supplied in partnership with ENSOLX ENERGIJA Ltd. This innovative approach to biomonitoring is adaptable to forest ecosystems around the globe, and a similar network of stations is already in place across the Czech Republic. Biomonitoring offers a powerful tool for smarter management of protected areas, a deeper understanding of climate change, and a renewed appreciation of forests as the “lungs” of our planet.
Special thanks for the realization of the story on biomonitoring of forest ecosystems go to the General Manager of Plitvice Lakes National Park, Mr. Tomislav Kovačević; Scientific Director, Dr. Kazimir Miculinić; Head of the Department for the Protection of Forest Ecological Systems, Mr. Nikola Magdić; as well as to the dedicated staff of the Department who conduct the monitoring activities. Sincere thanks also go to Associate Professor Dr. Stjepan Mikac from the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, who, together with his team, designed and implemented this research.
