About us

The Environmental Organization «Krka» Knin

was founded on 15 December 2004 with the aim of environmental preservation and protection in the area of the Town of Knin. The fundamental scope of its activity is the promotion of natural specific qualities of the Town of Knin and its surroundings, as well as the source and course of the Krka River. The activities include environmental actions, proposals for the protection of existing green areas put forward to the competent bodies, care for the protection of natural beauties of Knin landscapes from harmful and irrational interventions in space, organizing consultations, lectures, seminars and other expert meetings on environmental protection, eco-agriculture and eco-tourism, giving instructions to its members and the public on the preservation of natural heritage and cultural and traditional values of the Knin area. 

The “Krka” Organization has been active since 2004 and its projects have made a contribution in creating a positive image by public, civil and private sectors and media. The Organization has become an equal partner in decision making in relation to the environmental protection and sustainable development. 

One of the major advantages of “Krka” is the fact that the Knin authorities have recognized the importance of its activity and have therefore gave us the premises in which we can work (the office premises at the address of 7. gardijske brigade no. 13, and the premises for the “Eco-Info Center” at the address of Drniška bb). The premises for implementation of the project Eco-Info Center are located on the river bank of Krka.

Objective and scope of the Organization:

1. Environmental preservation and protection in the area of the Town of Knin in accordance to micro and macro natural surrounding and environmental standards,
2. promotion and preservation of natural and other specific qualities of the Town of Knin and its surroundings,
3. encouragement of environmental and cultural awareness among the inhabitants, and especially among youth and children,
4. encouragement of eco-agriculture as well as rural and eco-tourism.

For the purpose of realization of its objectives, the Organization is performing the following activities:
1. Promotion of natural specific qualities of the Town of Knin and its surroundings as well as the source and course of the Krka River,
2. Organizing environmental and cultural activities in the sphere of action,
3. Care for maintenance of green areas, its arrangement and aesthetic formation,
4. Putting forward to the competent bodies of proposal for the protection of the existing and creation of new green areas,
5. Care for protection of natural beauties of Knin landscape from harmful and irrational interventions in space,
6. Putting forward the project proposals related to environmental protection and development of rural and eco-tourism,
7. Organizing consultation, lectures, seminars and other expert meetings on environmental protection, eco-agriculture and eco-tourism,
8. Education of its members for the purpose of realization of its objectives as defined by the Statute
9. Giving instructions to its members and the public on the preservation of natural heritage and cultural and traditional values of the Knin area,
10. Cooperation and exchange of experiences with other similar organizations, as well as cooperation with all organizations and institutions supporting its work
and it performs other activities that contribute the realization of its objectives as defined by the Statute.

The Mission
The promotions and environmental protection as well as the protection of natural and other specific qualities of the community with the aim of improving the living conditions of inhabitants and of the tourism development; expert assistance to individuals and groups and networking; the activity of the Organization contributes to the development of the economic state integrated into the EU.

The activities:
• Media campaigns and volunteer activities for the purpose of raising awareness among the public on the importance of environmental preservation and protection
• Cleaning activities
• Networking (the Organization is a member of the Green Forum, Coordination of Organizations Zvona Zagore).
• The cooperation with public and business sector on behalf of the Forum of the Organization of the Šibenik-Knin County (a task of the Organization’s Secretary),
• Support to citizens in relation to the application to tenders for allocation of grants

The projects of the Organization:
- The Festival of Rural Culture (Festival ruralne kulture – FRK) – the promotion of Biskupija Municipality (FRK 1) and the Town of Knin (FRK 2, 3, 4 and 5) in terms of the rural tourism development, encouragement of volunteerism, inter-sector cooperation and self-employment of youth for the purpose of prevention the emigration of the area.

- - The Hoću Kući Organization granted as the resources for the project entitled the “Eco-Ranger – we preserve the nature by riding bicycles”.

- In partnership with the Visual Arts Organization from Knin, we were granted the resources from the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Urban Planning and Construction for the project entitled “Let’s preserve the town lying on seven rivers”.

- the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Urban Planning and Construction has granted us this year the resources for the project entitled “Little Eco-Rangers – raising awareness among the children and youth on the importance on environmental preservation and waste management, preservation of rivers and lakes in the area of the Town of Knin.

- In partnership with the local utility company Komunalno poduzeće d.o.o. Knin /LLC/, we are in the phase of implementation of the project entitled “Green Islands of Knin”. Its goal is to contribute to the solution of the key problem of environmental protection and waste management in the area of the Town of Knin and we work on raising awareness among youth on the importance of environmental protection and waste management in the area of the town of Knin. We have set up the green islands, card boxes, printed the promotional and educative brochures, organized youth education, set up the Green Phone, organized the cleaning and paper-collecting activities and in such a way we have promoted the importance on environmental preservation, and encouraged the Knin youth to participate more actively in the environmental protection and in accordance to the Croatian and EU legislation we have enabled the Knin inhabitants to collect the waste separately.

- By implementing the project entitled “Let’s compost now for a better tomorrow”, the Environmental Organization “Krka” in cooperation with the Knin Authorities have been significantly contributing to the solution of the key problem of environmental collection, waste management and bio-waste management, and to raising awareness among the inhabitants on the importance of environmental protection, composting and waste management. We have organized educative workshops, procured and distributed “composters” for the inhabitants, published promotional and educative brochures, organized student and citizen education as well as project media coverage, worked with clients on daily basis, opened a compost phone, visited the clients in the field and in such way we have promoted the importance of environmental preservation and composting. We have thereby encouraged the Knin inhabitants to participate more actively in the environmental protection in accordance with the Croatian and EU legislation and enabled the Knin inhabitants to collect the waste separately and to join the processes of environmental preservation, acquisition of knowledge and skills on the oldest and most natural recycling methods – composting, which is a way of useful waste management.

The most important project continually implemented by the Organization is the Green Phone for the entire area of the Šibenik-Knin County. We have taken this project from the Organization Eko Zadar, which is our partner in solving the problem of environmental protection. The Green Phone has also resulted with a positive image of the Organization not only in the Town of Knin, but also in the Šibenik-Knin County.
The Organization's initiatives
The Organizations has launched the initiative „We do not want mines, we want the tap water“. Namely, the destruction of explosive devices on the Suhopolje plateau near Knin has endangered the underground/source waters in the protection zone of Šimića vrelo near Knin. The imitative was successful.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT Eco – information center Knin

By reconstruction and equipping the Eco-Information Center in Knin that is located on the bank of the Krka River, we want to promote and protect the protection of natural and cultural-historical values of the Town of Knin, to create interesting and useful program for Knin inhabitants with an emphasis on children. We intend to organize various educative workshops as well as sport and cultural events for Knin inhabitants.

According to the strategic plan of the Organization, the Eco-Information Center will be a venue for various workshops where various services will be available that are intended for the preservation of tradition, heritage and environment.

• Workshops of old crafts (manufacture of barrels, traditional wooden jugs, objects of clay, traditional Knin peasant footwear, coil baskets…)
• Workshops on floriculture, vegetable-growing and wine-growing (we will plant a garden and flower garden in the yard of the premises of the Eco-Info Center)
• Fundamentals of wine-growing
• Workshops on making cheese that is prepared in a sheepskin…,
• Foreign languages workshop (French, Italian)
• Basic computer workshop
• Workshop on writing proposals
• Expert lectures on ecology
• Assistance to beneficiaries on finding the market, advertising their products and services,
• Creative environmental workshops for children
• Visual arts colonies (in cooperation with the Visual Arts Organization from Knin)
• Exhibition of souvenirs and photographs
• Humanitarian concerts…

We also plan to organize various sport activities:
- Kayaking and canoeing down the Krka River (during which we will organize the activity of cleaning the source and course of Krka River)
- Bicycling
- Use of trampoline