The Third General Meeting and Conference of the COST Action EU-PoTaRCh, coordinated by the Poznań University of Life Sciences (PULS), took place on February 17–19, 2026, at Transylvania University in Brașov, Romania. The event brought together 70 members of the Action from 22 European countries, who spent three days discussing cultural heritage, particularly in the context of the production of wood tar, charcoal, resin, and potash.

On the first day of the meeting and conference, keynote lectures were delivered by distinguished experts from the scientific community: Tănase Dobre from the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest (Romania) and Meinrad Pohl from the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences in Bergen (Norway). Stakeholders were represented by Antonio Martin Chicote from Cabaña Real de Carreteros in Burgos (Spain) – a cultural and educational association that combines rich historical heritage with a practical approach to the use of natural resources.

During the sessions, oral presentations and posters addressed, among others:

· innovative tourism concepts aligned with forest heritage preservation,

· the development of a European educational trail,

· the preparation of a white paper for policymakers and international organizations on PoTaRCh,

· a catalogue of production maps, archives, photographs, and other materials related to human and non-human actors and socio-ecological systems.

On the second day, Working Group meetings were held, during which participants continued work on the key objectives of the Action, focusing on the development of joint outputs, materials, and international initiatives. The programme also included a session dedicated to haiku written by participants of the EU-PoTaRCh Action.

Three days of meetings and intensive discussions brought participants closer to achieving the ambitious goals of the Action and provided an excellent opportunity for the exchange of knowledge and experience among representatives of various countries and sectors.

The next General Meeting of the COST Action EU-PoTaRCh will take place in May 2027 in Athens, Greece. More information about the EU-PoTaRCh Action can be found at https://potarch.eu/.