About Us
Promo
Carpathians
We are a non-governmental agency that promotes the Carpathian National Nature Park and its surrounding municipalities. Through elevating Yaremche and neighboring villages as a prime destination for ecotourism and sustainable economic development, we can help ensure that our region’s pristine natural resources will remain intact for future generations of local inhabitants and visitors. To accomplish our goal, we unify the efforts of local businesses, local government, local community members, and international stakeholders.
We abide by the following set of principles:
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Using our resources effectively and ethically;
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Collaborate with the local community through responsible partnerships;
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Ensuring financial sustainability by properly managing finances and seeking mutually beneficial funding opportunities with businesses, private donors, and organizations who share our mission;
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Building trust by maintaining accurate records of our resources and their use
Maryana Stovban
Founder & Chairperson
Maryana coordinates efforts to achieve the dual goals of conserving the Carpathians and supporting the recreational and economic development of the region. Day-to-day, Maryana identifies ways to make the Yaremche region more accessible to tourists, improving its image abroad, as well as writing grants aimed at eco-tourism development and natural resources conservation. On a more strategic level, Maryana identifies potential areas of collaboration between the national park, local government, foreign entities, private businesses, and other stakeholders.
For the past six years, she has been cooperating with the U.S. Peace Corps program in Ukraine within the Community Development project. Together with local community and Peace Corps Volunteers, Maryana has implemented nature conservation and sustainable tourism development projects.
Maryana is native to the Ivano-Frankivsk region. After graduating with a degree in International Relations from Ivan Franko National University in Lviv, Maryana worked as a public servant in various Ukrainian state agencies. Since 2014, Maryana has been living in Yaremche.
Crystal Kotowski-Edmunds
Research Assistant
Crystal is responsible for compiling and maintaining the set of environmental issues and policies that impact the health of the Ukrainian Carpathians and country overall.
Crystal considers Crested Butte, Colorado home, moving there from Denver, Colorado to work for the town’s watershed coalition in remediating abandoned mines. She's worked for Smart Environment Khmelnytskyi. Crystal graduated with a dual master’s in environmental policy and international development from the University of Denver and has since been working with different environmental organizations in the United States and abroad.
Karl Donus Sakas
Project Volunteer
Karl handles the implementation of the Discover Your Carpathians web and print tourism campaign.
Karl grew up in the Washington, DC area. He served as a software consultant at the World Bank’s Office of Corporate Procurement and more recently as a technical delivery manager at an international quality assurance firm.
Carpathian National
Nature Park
Carpathian National Nature Park was founded in 1980 as Ukraine’s first national park to preserve the Chornohory and Horgany mountain ranges given their significant environmental, historical, and recreational value. However, a portion of the park’s conservation status can be traced back to 1853 under the Austrian empire’s “Statue of Forests” document. Today, CNNP protects the natural systems and historic sites within almost 200 square miles, thanks to the tireless work of 240 park staff, 12 departments, and an annual budget of $1.1M USD.
CNNP’s main objectives are to:
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Conserve valuable natural systems and sites of the park;
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Conduct research on the study of natural systems and their changes in the context of recreational use to develop scientific advice on environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources;
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Create conditions for organized tourism, recreation and other outdoor activities in harmony with its natural systems and sites;
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Promote environmental and educational work
Special Thanks
We could not have possibly put together this comprehensive guide without the help of so many wonderful public and private sector contributors. Below is a list of just a few people we owe a great deal of gratitude and heartfelt thanks.
Carpathian National Nature Park
Volodymyr Slobodian, Oleksandr Kyseliuk, Andrii Sorokhmaniuk, Ihor Kupchak, Mykola Panchuk, Oksana Torous, Oksana Marchuk, Olha Petrashchuk, Uliana Yuriichuk, Yaroslav Rymaruk, Andrii Yatsko, Andrii Tomiuk, Ivan Topolnytskii, Lesia Haiduk, Natalia Hnatiuk, Oksana Tymchuk, Yaroslav Tymchuk, Ivanna Kasianchuk, Roman Lazarovych, Vasyl Marchuk, Nadiia Khromianchuk
Denise Capelli, John Capelli, Donielle Goldinger, Roman Oleksenko, Michael Ketover
MAMA-86 NGO
Marta Korchemliuk
"Eco-Play" NGO:
Lidia Hotsul
“Center for Social and Business Initiatives” NGO:
Ivan Zinoviev
All the Countless Contributing Photographers (Please refer to the attribution page)