+34 722 25 83 70 info@selvans.ONG

Sèlvans Association is formed by a group of people who work non-profit with the main aim of conserving the most unique and high conservation value forests, what could be considered the “old quarter” of the forests. For Catalonia, we are working for it to cover at least a 5% of its forest area, including its best forests.

To achieve this, we us mechanisms of co-responsibility and engagement of society, especially land stewardship. We also work to give value to the ecosystem services provided by these forests, including those related to health and wellbeing of people. The birth of the association consolidates the deployment of the Sèlvans program, born in 2007 in the framework of the Girona Provincial Council.

According to Etruscan mythology, Selvans was the god that protected the woodlands. Later on, Roman mythology called him Silvanus, a name that shares its origin with Latin-based words like ‘selva’, ‘sylva’ and ‘silviculture’.

The calligraphy used in our logo is faithfully inspired by real Etruscan stone inscriptions.

Our values are:

Passion and action for nature

We dedicate ourselves actively to nature conservation, and want to transmit our passion to people and organitzations, so they join a collective effort.

Multidisciplinarity

Necessary in a project that unites dimensions like nature, rural development, and the promotion of health and wellbeing.

Consensus and flexibility

Dialogue and consensus are our spearheads, in a project that needs and wants to integrate the forest owner’s interests with the objective of nature conservation, within a framework of rural sustainable development.

Professionality and integrity

We try hard each day to achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness, working transparently, honestly and in coherency.

Results of 10 years of Sèlvans:

forest areas identified as of high natural value

Forest reserves created

Protected hectares

History of “Sèlvans”

SUMMARY - The origins of the Sèlvans project

The Sèlvans project was created in 2007 by the Girona  Provincial Council in order to set up a network of forest micro-reserves in natural areas throughout the province of Girona, with the purpose of developing sustainable forest management.

By compensating landowners’ 25-year felling rights, Sèlvans managed to assign a total of 713.26 hectares of high conservation value woodland to its natural dynamics: 30 local authority-owned community forests and 28 privately-owned properties.

In 2011 Sèlvans became part of the University of Girona’s Environmental Institute and extended its scope of action to the Pyrenees bioregion.

In 2013, Sèlvans joined the Natura Foundation (“Acciónatura”). After two years’ work, with visits to over 600 forests and contacts made with over 100 forest land owners, Sèlvans identified an initial 28,000 hectares of high conservation value forests throughout Catalonia. This accounted for 2.25% of its woodland surface area, distributed in 1,199 units (or “stands”, in forestry terminology). As of 2014, Sèlvans started work on creating a network of therapeutic forests.

In March 2017, Sèlvans was launched as an association, in its own legal right, and implemented a first pilot network of 7 therapeutic forests in the province of Girona, which it is extending progressively to the rest of Catalonia.

The association also reinforces networking and international cooperation in the preservation of high conservation value forests and the promotion of forest therapy, with the aim of spreading and reproducing Sèlvans’ method elsewhere.

The association’s governing board and tecnical staff:

Jaume Hidalgo i Colomé

Jaume Hidalgo i Colomé

President and General Coordinator

Fundador i impulsor del programa Sèlvans. Enginyer de monts i doctorat per l’Universitat Politècnica de Madrid, amb especialitat en silvopascicultura.

David Merino i Parcet

David Merino i Parcet

Vicepresident

Responsable de concertació amb actors locals de la xarxa de boscos terapèutics. Filòsof. Formador en temes mediambientals, sostenibilitat i energies netes. Assessor a la Diputació de Girona.

Carles Sunyer i Salvà

Carles Sunyer i Salvà

GIS technician, and implementation of therapeutical forest tracks. Secretary

Grau en Geografia, Ordenació del Territori i Gestió del Medi Ambient per la Universitat de Girona. Des de 2015 treballant pel programa Sèlvans, també com a tècnic de custòdia.

Stefan Esser

Stefan Esser

Global Change and Innovation

Responsable de la iniciativa Compensanatura. Captació de fons, xarxes socials, i pàgina web. Máster en Estudis Internacionals i Cooperació al Desenvolupament. Llicenciat en Educació Física.

Sílvia Gili i Olmeda

Sílvia Gili i Olmeda

Training and public use

Biòloga. Responsable ús públic i activitats formatives.Màster en naturopatia i medicina alternativa, i en alimentació i nutrició. Formació en fitoteràpia, aromateràpia científica, mindfulness, coaching, guiatge, interpretació del patrimoni.

Montserrat Moya i Cardona

Montserrat Moya i Cardona

Coordinator of the forest bathing guides

Geògrafa. Formadora i assessora en temes ambientals. Educadora ambiental i practicant de tai-xí des de fa molts anys.

Diana Martínez Forns

Diana Martínez Forns

Environmental volunteering program

Llicenciada en Ciències ambientals, Màster en Conservació de la Natura i Gestió dels Recursos Naturals i Màster en Gestió Sostenible dels Sistemes Costaners i Marins. Consultora ambiental durant 16 anys.