The Alpine Network of Protected Areas
The Alpine Convention, signed in 1991 and implemented in 1995, is an international treaty for the long-term protection of the Alpine region and its ecosystems. It commits the contracting parties to working on common mountain problems such as sustainable development, climate change and biodiversity loss. The treaty transcends borders and recognizes the specificities of the Alpine region such as its biodiversity, landscapes, and diverse culture and heritage.
The Alpine Convention was ratified by the European Union and the 8 Alpine Countries – Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Liechtenstein and Monaco.
The Alpine Conference is the decision-making body of the Alpine Convention. It is made up of the ministers of the Contracting Parties. The Conference meets twice a year in the current Member State holding the presidency of the Alpine Convention. The presidency lasts for two years. At the moment, Slovenia holds the presidency of the Convention. It will pass on to Italy in January 2025.
The Permanent Committee is the executive body of the Alpine Conference that ensures all decisions, principles and objectives are upheld and put into action. The Permanent Committee meets twice a year.
The Permanent Secretariat, established in 2003, provides support to the decision-making bodies of the Convention. Furthermore, it facilitates the exchange of expertise and knowledge in the Alpine region and oversees the Convention’s public relations. The Permanent Secretariat’s main office operates outside of Innsbruck, Austria whereas its branch office is in Bolzano/Bozen, Italy.
ALPARC’s activities are firmly rooted in the Alpine Convention and it protocols. Specifically, one of the ALPARC’s aims is the implementation of Article 12 of the protocol “Nature protection and landscape conservation”.
Article 12: “The contracting parties take adequate measures to establish a network of existing national and transboundary protected areas, of biotopes and other protected elements or those to be protected. They commit themselves to harmonize the objectives and applicable measures in transboundary protected areas.”
The main goal of Article 12 is to strengthen environmental protection with an emphasis on species, biotopes and landscapes. This requires a harmonization of conservation efforts within the entire Alpine region.
ALPARC contributes to this protocol by working closely with the Convention’s Permanent Secretariat on several topics in particular: biodiversity conservation and ecological connectivity, soil protection, climate change and environmental education. Concretely, ALPARC acts as an intermediary between protected areas and actors in the Alpine region to assist in the implementation of the Convention.
As an official observer of the Alpine Convention, ALPARC has consultative voice in the Alpine Convention. On February 28th, 2013, the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention and the President of the ALPARC signed a Memorandum of Cooperation which provides a sustainable basis for cooperation between signatories.
Moreover, from 2007 to April 2019, ALPARC participated closely in the work of the “Ecological Network” Platform of the Alpine Convention and contributed to the activity coordination of this Platform during this period. The main aim of the Platform was to create an Alpine cross-boundary spatial network of protected areas and to connect elements with the support of experts, policy-makers and other relevant groups. Through the Platform, Alpine countries shared, compared and revised crucial information on measures and methodologies.
Since April 2019, ALPARC contributes to the Biodiversity Board of the Alpine Convention and is part of the Alpine Convention’s Soil Protection Working Group.
Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso (IT) seeks help from nature lovers or people interested in biodiversity researches.
All people interested in taking part in the research “Monitoring alpine animal biodiversity” will acquire basic monitoring and data collection techniques which will be applied on the Piedmont and Aosta valley sides. All the instruments required are: a camera, a GPS or a smartphone.
All the tourists, nature lovers or hikers are encouraged to take part in this data collection project. They are called to register and localize several invertebrate species, 6 butterflies and a snail. All people interested in becoming a researcher just for one day will find the supplementary worksheets provided to identify the species and a survey on the website: www.pngp.it/citizen-science .
All the information and pictures collected have to be sent at citizenscience@pngp.it
Don’t miss the opportunity to become a researcher or a scientist just for one day!
Are you available in the second half of August and interested in vultures? Don't miss the opportunity to participate in the Census of summering Griffons in the western Alps ( France)!
This year the survey will take place the 20th of August 2016 and is being coordinated by Envergures Alpines, a new NGO recently established.
Further information available at:
We are very happy of the great success of Youth at the Top!
Bravo to all our young participants (more than 500!) and to the ca.150 accompanying adults, who took part in the 41 events which finally took place. The bad weather was not an obstacle to their enthousiasm and they managed to reach the top!
53 events were initially scheduled, but the weather forced some of our partners to report the event and unfortunately few decided to cancel it.
We are all very satisfied and we thank each young participant and all Youth at the Top partners for their cooperation and energy.
To have a look at the Youth at the top 2016 events follow us on the Facebook page devoted to this project.
On our official web site, on each event's page, you will find the best pictures and videos.
Have a look also at our Youtube channel.
We can't wait now for the best-of video, coming soon in October!
On Saturday 16th July in Ronco Canavese (Piedmont-IT) took place the photo contest’s “Fotografare il Parco” grand finale.
Many inhabitants of the village dressed up with typical costumes participated in the award ceremony, together with the major, delegates of Gran Paradiso, Stelvio and Vanoise National Parks and the competition’s chairman. Many people were awarded: the absolute winners and by category.
The award ceremony was the starting point of the photo exhibition which will take place all around the center of the village until end September.
Discover all the winners of the contest, and have a look at the photos of the award ceremony at :
http://www.fotografareilparco.it/
The 2nd edition of "Youth at the Top" will take place on Tuesday the 12th of July 2016 in the Alps and also in the Carpathians!
If your are interested in organizing an event in your area, don't hesitate to contact us for more information: info [at] alparc.org
The Festival of the Alps will take place on 18th and 19th of June through all the seven Italian alpine regions. The aim of this project is to promote the Alps, their culture and the tourism related not only to winter sports.
Montagna Italia Association in partnership with CAI – Regione Lombardia are the main promoters of this event, for this reason a National Conference related to Festival of the Alps will be held on the 18th of June In Bergamo at the “Palamonti”.
Vers un nouveau tourisme écovolontaire
Le Centre de Recherches sur les Écosystèmes d’Altitude (CREA Mont-Blanc) lance les Séjours Sciences, des missions d’écovolontariat scientifique de découverte alternative du massif Mont-Blanc. Les écovolontaires des Séjours Sciences contribuent directement à l’objectif de recherche du CREA Mont-Blanc : faire du Mont-Blanc un site de référence du suivi de la planète face au changement climatique.
De l’expédition de terrain aux questions de recherche en passant par l’analyse des données, les Séjours Sciences du CREA Mont-Blanc offrent une immersion totale dans le quotidien des chercheurs.
Source (Crea Mont-Blanc)
Pour en savoir plus: Crea Mont-Blanc
Ils organisent aussi:
EUROPARK annual conference will take place in the Vallée de Joux in the Parc Jura vaudois from the 18th to the 22th of October 2016. Under the theme “We are Parks”, the conference will deal with the governance issue. At the center of the debate : Switzerland parks model which gives to the local population a major role in the actual and future development of their parks.
http://www.parcjuravaudois.ch/europarc/index.php?lang=en
The German presidency of the Alpine Convention welcomes you to participate in the International Conference :
"Sustainable Tourism in the Alps: a challenge (without alternative)"
that will be held in the Hotel Allgäu Stern in Sonthofen (Germany) on the 8th June 2016.
More information, the programm and the registration form here
La Comunità Montana di Valle Camonica - Parco dell’Adamello, unitamente alle aree protette di “Rete Natura di Valle Camonica” e con la collaborazione del Distretto Culturale di Valle Camonica e di Sapori di Valle Camonica, promuove la 5^ edizione della:
FIERA DELLA SOSTENIBILITA’ NELLA NATURA ALPINA
si terrà in varie località della Valle Camonica durante l’intero mese di giugno 2016.
L'edizione 2016 avrà per titolo:
“CAMMINIAMO CANTANDO!”
Che le nostre lotte e la nostra preoccupazione per questo pianeta non ci tolgano la gioia della speranza.
Il programma dettagliato degli eventi é disponibile sul sito: http://fierasostenibilita.parcoadamello.it/pages/home.asp
Since 2016, the Swiss Parks Network, ATE Switzerland and the Graubünden Birdlife association together with the Rhaetian Railway and the PostBus have come together under the „Fahrtziel Natur“ cooperation to promote sustainable mobility and slow tourism in the Graubünden parks.
For further information : http://fahrtziel-natur.paerke.ch/
