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The second workshop within the STECCI project—Stone Monument Ensembles and Climate Change Impact—took place from October 29^th to 31^st, 2024, as part of the work package titled “Community-based Impact Strategies for a Sustainable Stecci Ecosystem” (WP5). Researchers from the University of Donja Gorica and the Center for Social Innovation (Zentrum für Soziale Innovation - ZSI) organized three innovative activities during the workshop: Mission to Mars, Mapping Walk, and Storytelling. These activities enabled participants to explore new ways of preserving, promoting, and sustainably valorizing stecci, with a focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement.

The first activity, Mission to Mars, combined cultural heritage with space exploration, allowing students from various disciplines to develop new narratives about stecci preservation through creativity and teamwork. Presenting stecci in the context of Mars exploration opened new perspectives, inspiring participants to think innovatively about their preservation and promotion. The exchange of ideas and experiences demonstrated how interdisciplinary approaches can motivate young people and raise awareness about the importance of cultural heritage.

The second activity, Mapping Walk, focused on mapping the Zugica Bare necropolis in Zabljak. It brought together students, community representatives, researchers, academics, and local institutions. Together, they identified key challenges, such as ecological degradation and accessibility, and developed innovative solutions for preserving and promoting the necropolis. Community involvement significantly enriched the discussions, providing authentic insights and proposals for sustainably integrating the necropolis into the region’s cultural and tourist development.

The third activity, Storytelling, highlighted the importance of stecci through a series of interviews with experts and local leaders. Vanja Krgovic-Saranovic, a community representative, emphasized the critical role of local involvement in preserving stecci. Meanwhile, Dusan Medin, an academic representative, and Goran Pajovic, an archaeologist, stressed the urgency of restoring and protecting these monuments from the impacts of climate change. These conversations demonstrated how collaboration between academia, professionals, and local stakeholders can lead to sustainable preservation strategies for stecci.

This workshop confirmed the value of innovative methods and multidisciplinary approaches in preserving cultural heritage. Stecci are not just symbols of the past but bridges connecting generations through shared stories and values. Engaging young people, involving local communities, and creating new narratives about stecci offer a chance not only to preserve this cultural heritage but also to present it creatively to future generations.