About us

“Sons and Daughters Born before Their Mother”

By the decision of Istria County (Official Gazette of Istria County 5/96) in 1996, four natural areas of the Medulin Municipality were granted protection status. Two significant landscapes were established on the Premantura Peninsula, Gornji Kamenjak (Upper Kamenjak) north of Premantura, and Donji Kamenjak i medulinski arhipelag (Lower Kamenjak and the Medulin Archipelago), still known among locals as Punta, south of Premantura. The Kašteja Forest Park in Medulin and Soline Hill near Vinkuran and Pješčana uvala were designated as protected areas of the forest park category due to their distinguishing features.

It is, however, interesting that in the period following their designation these protected areas were managed not by the Kamenjak Public Institution but by Natura Histrica, a public institution for nature protection of Istria County. However, in 2004, the Kamenjak Public Institution was established by the Decision on the establishment of the “Kamenjak” Public Institution for the Management of Protected Natural Values in the Medulin Municipality Area (Official Gazette of the Medulin Municipality, No 5/04, 6/12) and that is when our story began.

With their dedicated work, the employees of the Institution take care of the protection, conservation, maintenance, promotion and use of the protected areas to secure undisturbed natural processes. In addition, one of the key activities of the Institution is monitoring the implementation of nature protection conditions and measures to ensure that all actions in the protected areas are carried out in accordance with the principles of the sustainable use of nature.

Until 2019, the Kamenjak Public Institution managed only terrestrial habitats and did not have the opportunity to take care of marine ecosystems. However, the Regulation on the ecological network and responsibilities of public institutions for managing ecological network areas (Official Gazette 80/2019) changed this, and thus Medulin Bay, Pomer Bay and the waters of western Istria finally received well-deserved treatment, and the first step was taken towards real protection.

Starting with small steps, the Kamenjak Public Institution has been preparing the way for nature protection as an everyday lifestyle since 2004, but has really only just begun its mission. Join us on our journey, and let us write the most beautiful story of nature together!