ESC: Co-existance of civilisation & wilderness

Velebit Association Kuterevo (VUK) is a non-governmental organization located in the small village Kuterevo in the mountain of Velebit. Kuterevo is part of the Velebit Nature Park, the largest and most complex protected area in Croatia which received its protected status in 1978 and was included in UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves (Man and the Biosphere Programme – MAB). The Association is best known in Croatia and abroad for its Bear Refuge (Refugium Ursorum Kuterevo) that it has been running since 2002. Currently the Refuge cares for nine orphan bears who lost their mothers in their first year of life and were raised by humans because they had no chance of survival in the wild and can therefore no longer live freely in nature.
Since mid-1990s VUK members have been involved in community development activities, and the Association is involved in youth work in the local community, cooperating with other village civil society organisations and local authorities. Currently the main activities include the care for resident bears and the bear facilities within the Bear Refuge, running the Volunteers’ Station, and informative and educational work with visitors. Through its work with Croatian and international volunteers and visitors, the organization promotes active and experiential learning for environment, active citizenship, and solidarity and inclusion.
The main aims of the organization are preservation of natural and cultural heritage in the region and promotion of a peaceful coexistence of people and the wilderness.
Three main points within the village are the memorial house, the Volunteer station and visitors centre at the Bear refuge, and the volunteer camp at the meeting point of the village and the forest. Development of these three addresses is the main priority of the organizations for the next few years.
The Bear Refuge annually has over 20000 visitors and all Kuterevo volunteers work as guides and hosts, promoting volunteering and intercultural aspects of the project. Besides educational work with groups and visitors, the Bear refuge requires daily care and maintenance of animals and facilities.
Apart from the activities in the Bear Refuge, VUK members work on preservation of local cultural heritage, such as handicrafts, folklore, lifestyle and customs. Most activities involve international volunteers and provide plenty of opportunities for intercultural, personal and professional learning as well as improving volunteers’ skills and competences to increase their employability.
VUK is an organization with more than 40 years of experience, and through Youth in Action, Erasmus + and ESC program hosts short-term and long-term volunteers over 10 years. Since 2010, the organization has hosted over 70 long-term volunteers (EVS, Service Civique, ESC, Weltwaerts, individual volunteers) and around 9000 short-term volunteers (individuals, workcams, short-term EVS groups, scouts, German Red Cross, etc.) .
In addition to cooperation with international volunteer organizations, VUK has a diverse network of partners in Croatia as well. At the local level we cooperate with other organization, local and regional authorities, public libraries, schools and universities. We regularly host events organized by the intervention team for large carnivores or meetings related to the management of the brown bear population in Croatia. VUK cooperates with cultural organizations and institutions as well, and regularly visits events and fairs, where together with volunteers and Kuterevo craftsmen and craftswomen present the rich cultural heritage of the village.