Preserving Heritage, Protecting Nature: Dry Stone Wall Workshop Completed on Lower Kamenjak

As part of common heritage narrative activity, a diverse group of participants – including children from local kindergartens, retirees, concession holders, and local hunters – came together at the end of March 2025 for a unique workshop focused on the traditional craft of dry stone walling. The workshop took place over four days, with each group contributing on a different day of the event.

With the guidance of expert builders from the Croatian association Dragodid, participants successfully restored approximately 50 meters of existing wall and constructed an additional 30 meters of new dry stone wall. Hosted by the Public Institution Kamenjak, the workshop introduced participants to the timeless, mortar-free building technique – deeply rooted in Mediterranean cultural heritage and now recognized by UNESCO.

From lifting and fitting massive stones by hand, to learning how to stabilize a wall with nothing but gravity and geometry, the participants – both young and old – gained more than just knowledge: they became a part of a living tradition and a common heritage.

Dry stone walls are more than cultural monuments – they are vital ecological structures that support biodiversity by creating microhabitats for plants, insects, and small animals. In this way, the workshop embodied HUMANITA’s mission, highlighting how shared cultural traditions can foster deeper connections between communities and the landscapes they inhabit.

This wonderful community collaboration was filmed, and video materials are currently in preparation.