The first meeting of the Romanian SELINA Community of Practice (CoP) took place on 22 January 2024 in Bucharest at the University of Bucharest Platform for Research on Systemic Biology and Ecology. This in-person event was attended by 13 professionals in ecology and environmental protection, including representatives from academia, research, NGOs, private businesses, and government administration.

The meeting began with a general presentation of the SELINA project and an introduction to the “Seeds of Change” concept, transformative change, and the Community of Practice. This was followed by a dialogue and exchange of work-related experiences and knowledge regarding the relationships between ecosystem services and biodiversity protection. Participants had the opportunity to present and discuss their selected projects for the SELINA “Seeds of Change” questionnaire.

At the end of the meeting, participants expressed interest in further cooperation and information exchange to support ecosystem services research and to better integrate these services into biodiversity conservation policies in Romania.