Volunteers from around the world spent a week planting trees along the Vjosa River in Albania, a wild river national park that has recently gained protection after a campaign by the NGOs EcoAlbania and Austria‑based Riverwatch. The effort, led by Italian hydromorphologist Pietro, was part of a broader plan to restore the fragile ecosystem that has lost more than 700 km of natural river stretch since 2018. Riverwatch chief executive Ulrich Eichelmann presented data on the threats to European rivers, stressing the need for more forest cover to reduce erosion and flooding. The volunteer group, which included a London illustrator, a US geospatial analyst and an Italian eco‑tourism student, planted willow and poplar saplings in a makeshift nursery above the river. The work was carried out from the town of Tepelenë, home to EcoAlbania’s field office and the historic Lord Byron guesthouse. The project highlights international cooperation in environmental conservation and aims to strengthen the Vjosa’s status as one of Europe’s last wild rivers.

Original article can be found here.