Le Réseau Alpin des Espaces Protégés
It was confirmed on August 7 by videos trapping installed by rangers of the regional park Lessinia, which attest the presence of 2 cubs of about 4 months.
This reproduction was expected for months by the global scientific community, since these two strains of population had not been in contact for 150 years.
left: the two cubs drinking
right: the path done by Slavc to find Giulietta!
Further information here : http://www.ferus.fr/actualite/loup-premiere-reproduction-italo-slovene-dans-les-alpes-orientales
For many scientists dealing with nature protection and ecology, biodiversity, glacier research, the global change, sustainable development or long-term research in regions largely unaffected by humans, the 5th “International Symposium for Research in Protected Areas” of the Hohe Tauern National Park and the National Parks Austria was a must:
79 speakers and more than 100 posters set the scene for the conference programme under the theme “Dynamics and conservation in protected areas - challenges for research and management”, organised in parallel in numerous themed sessions.
This international scientific and protected area conference has been held every four years since 1996 and is now highly regarded within the scientific community. The interest has therefore been great to join in with an own contribution.
Around 300 delegates from over 20 nations used the opportunity to exchange ideas and network about current research results, hypotheses and project ideas directly related to protected areas in an intense and productive atmosphere of this three-day event in the Mittersill National Park centre.
Hence the symposium once again acted as a successful trans-regional platform beyond the boundaries of different expert areas, research tasks and protected areas.
A public evening event formed the closure of this year’s expert conference with the first-time presentation of the results of the research project “100 years National Park Idea in the Hohe Tauern”, and the announcement of the winners of the National Parks Austria Science Award 2013.
Situated between the high Maurienne and Tarentaise valleys, the Vanoise National Park is home to high mountains, rising to more than 3, 000 m, on which many glaciers remain. There are also valleys which open onto wide, easily accessible passes.
The variety of its rocks (calcareous, gypsum, sandstone, quartzite, shale, mica schist, gneiss…), linked to a very complex geological structure, the altitudinal range, its position at the intersection of different climates, contributes to the remarkable wealth of geology, flora and fauna of the massif.
Natural wealth
The Vanoise massif is a unique habitat not only for ibex, chamois and eagle, but also for many other animal and plant species, whether in the heart of the park or in its optimal partnership zone.
For example, among the flowering plants, certain French species grow only in the Vanoise National Park. (One example is the Gentiana utriculosa).
The protection of species and their habitats begins by the acquisition of knowledge and the implementation of plans of action. Not only does the park ranger make a great number of observations during his rounds, he is also at the origin of numerous inventory and monitoring programmes, the protocols of which he works out with the scientific council or in conjunction with the other national parks.
Thousands of data have been collected during these programmes, which also help to better understand developments.
Beyond this natural wealth, the National Park also has a rich culture, especially through the built and religious heritage (particularly chapels in high altitude pasture) and the “Road of salt and cheese” between Pralognan-la-Vanoise and Termignon.
The park is involved in the restoration and valuation of the built heritage (implementation of knowledge and use of traditional materials).
Vanoise also has a dynamic pastoral activity, driven by the Beaufort cheese, which is typical of the National Park's character. The support for this activity is in the centre of the actions of the Park.
The Vanoise National Park offers many opportunities for walks and long hikes with a network of almost 500 km of marked paths and “discovery trails” of the natural environment, some of which are accessible to those with motor disabilities. The Park also offers hikes adapted to the motor and visually impaired.
It was the first French park (created in 1963) and so this year celebrates its 50th birthday . In this special year and in addition to the celebration of this birthday, the Park also organized and hosted the Danilo Re trophy and saw the creation of the .Alparc association
It constitutes, with its neighbour the Gran Paradiso national park, one of the largest protected areas in Western Europe, with 1, 250 km2.The two parks have been twinned since 1972 and in 2012 they were given the joint renewal of the European Diploma delivered by the Council of Europe which establishes the quality of management of the protected areas.
The site http://www.parcnational-vanoise.fr gives the references of all the specialized publications and a complete description of the protected area.
|
Fact Sheet |
|
|
Name of the protected area |
Vanoise National Park |
|
Name of administrative body (if different) |
|
|
Country |
France |
|
Surface area (ha) |
53,500 ha (Peripheral zone 145,000 ha) |
|
Year of creation |
1963 |
|
IUCN Category (-ies) |
II in heart zone and V in PZ |
|
Legal status |
Public institution |
|
Region(s) covered |
Rhône Alpes |
|
Number of communes |
28 |
|
Lowest point (altitude) in m 1, 000 |
1,280m in heart zone |
|
Highest point (altitude) in m |
3,855m - (la Grande Casse) |
|
Inhabited/uninhabited (if so, population) |
no |
|
Surface area in forest |
5 km² in heart zone |
|
Surface area in glaciers |
53 km² in heart zone |
|
Surface area in pastures (including alpine pastures) |
325 km² in heart zone |
|
Main types of landscape |
Pastures, rocks and glaciers (high mountains) |
|
Emblematic fauna |
Ibex, chamois, bearded vulture, golden eagle, black grouse, rock ptarmigan (125 species of nesting birds) |
|
Emblematic flora |
alpine flora and also some oriental , southern and arctic-alpine species, androsaces, alpine columbine, various members of the carex family of which the carex bicolor, cortusa matthioli, thistle, linnaea borealis (the only resort in France where this is found ), alpine primrose and saxifraga |
|
Major tourist attraction |
In the heart area: hiking, walking, mountaineering, ski touring (spring, winter) |
|
Visitor centre(s) (number, names, themes) |
Visitor centre Champagny-en-Vanoise (theme of road salt and cheese) |
|
Internet Site |
|
|
Staff |
84 |
|
Access |
For the Maurienne, motorway A 43 then D1006 (1st access at La Praz for L’Orgère), then D902, from Val-Cenis - Lanslebourg to the Iseran Pass, |
|
for the Tarentaise, N90 to Bourg-Saint-Maurice or Moûtiers then valleys of Méribel-les-Allues, Pralognan-la-Vanoise, Champagny-en-Vanoise, Peisey-Nancroix, D902 to Val d’Isère. |
|
The journal “eco.mont - Journal of Protected Mountain Areas Research and Management” has been listed in the Thomson Reuters Science Citation Index Expanded since 2012 and received an Impact Factor for the first time in 2013.
This Impact Factor indicates the average number of quotations from an article in a particular journal over a period of two years. For eco.mont this means an important step to increasing the journal’s visibility especially in the world of research.
He replaces Marco ONIDA who had held the post since 2007.
45 years of age, a lawyer, diplomat and fine connoisseur of the Alps, Markus Reiterer is the first Austrian to take this position.
Brief overview of his professional career:
After his studies of law, he worked at the Institute of International Law and International Relationships of the University of Vienna. He joined the Austrian Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he became the Head of Environmental Law in 2002.
In 2005 he took the position of Deputy Permanent Representative of Austria to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. At the end of 2008, he was entrusted with heading up the political department of the Austrian embassy in Washington. From December 2011, he worked at the cabinet of the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).
"It is important to me to contribute on the comprehension and valorisation of nature and culture, life and economy in the Alps and to the sustainable development of the Alps," Reiterer says. The designated Secretary-General wants to enhance "team - building", cooperation and solidarity between the Permanent Secretariat, the Alpine states and the observer organisations. (cf Alpmedia ).
Nous lui souhaitons du succès pour ce nouveau challenge !
The workshop " Regional Development and Quality of Life” took place last 15 and 16 July 2013 in the brand new house of the mountains in Berchtesgaden.
During a day and a half, participants had the opportunity to exchange all together on the content of a future project concerning regional development in alpine rural areas (and in protected areas too), taking into account concepts like "sobriety", "degrowth" and "post-fossil society".
This workshop, co-organized by CIPRA and ALPARC prepares the 2014’s work of the Alpine Network of Protected Areas on this thematic priority
ALPARC has shown a number of possibilities how municipalities can pro-actively participate in the implementation of ecological networks in a brochure published in parallel to the movie “For hermits and fire salamanders – How municipalities connect habitats in the Alps” within the Ecological Continuum initiative.
The 16-page brochure "Step by Step to ecological connectivity " gives an overview of different activities for municipalities in the Alpine region illustrating how they can improve the ecological connectivity on their municipal ground through simple concrete actions.
|
The focus lies on individual areas, such as municipal spatial and land use planning, management of green areas or municipal lighting, as well as on individual stakeholder groups (agriculture, hunters, citizens …). The brochure offers a number of arguments to councillors and staff explaining the significance of these actions in simple terms, not only for the environment but also for the quality of life of all members of the community. The actions presented in the brochure have been selected from the collection of the catalogue of measures, and were partly tested in the pilot regions of the ECONNECT project. |
The brochure is available in 4 languages (German, French, Italian, English).
Link to the movie: http://www.alpine-ecological-network.org/information-services/film-for-municipalities/film-for-municipalities?set_language=en
Link to download the brochure: http://www.alpine-ecological-network.org/information-services/publications/5172?set_language=en
With the project "Walking through the clouds" the National Park Gran Paradiso promotes soft mobility through the regulation of motorized traffic on the road to the Nivolet in the summer and encourages walking, cycling and shuttle use.
On the weekends from 7 July to 25 August 2013, the road from the village SERRU to the pass is closed for private car transport. An opportunity to bike, walk or take the shuttle bus to explore a part of this paradise.
The Nivolet is a wonderful plateau of bogs and wetlands at 2,500 meters above sea level, drawn by the meanders of the Dora. It is the habitat of the ibex, chamois, marmots, ermines, foxes, migratory and resident birds and rare plant species.
As a popular destination for cyclists and hikers to enjoy the Nivolet, it changed - especially in the summer Sundays - more and more into a huge car park at high altitude. In the aim to create an alternative to this alienation, incompatible with the objectives of a national park, this project, which also includes the revitalization of the entire area with high-quality tourist services, was launched in 2003.
Turn off the engine and listen to the mountains - The program 2013
“L’acqua è la vera ricchezza di una terra …. e se si riesce a controllare l’acqua si controlla la terra che da essa dipende”.
Wallace Stegner - “Beyond the Hundredth Meridian”
La seconda edizione della
avrà luego nel Parco dell'Adamello da 27 al 30 giugno 2013.
Troverete il programma è piu informazione in questo link
“Nature parks strengthen rural territories: such is the paradigm widely heard with regard to nature parks and regional development. The present report “Nature Parks and Regional Sustainable Development” seeks to identify further the factors which enable nature parks to contribute to regional development while equally taking into account aspects of society, the protection of nature and the landscapes.
Thus 32 experts from different countries (Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Hungary and Switzerland) have looked into these questions. Thanks to a scientific analysis it is possible to define the effects of nature parks on local economies and identify the results obtained by the implementation of different actions.
26 projects stemming from nature parks in Austria and other countries present examples of successful regional development in nature parks. The themes under scrutiny range from the enhancement of landscapes through local produce, sustainable mobility and visitor management to environmental education and other innovative concepts and projects.
Source: Federation of Austrian Nature Parks (VNÖ)
Link to download the report (in German)
We have already talked about it last autumn ; the film “Bearded vulture and men” makes its way. It won the first price at the “Festival de l’insolite Vendée Nature 2013” in the wildlife documentary film category.
It’s the fifth reward for this film since the beginning after Albert in Somme (Fr), Rabat (Maroc),Ya’an (China) and Matsalu (Finland). The film is still currently broadcasted on Montagne TV in France and in many other countries (Canada, Austria, Korea…). Numerous projections are still organized for the public through Tourist offices, regional and national parks and film festivals. The next ones will be “Silences du Ventoux” 17th July and Natural history museum of Geneva in autumn.
Since 28th May 2013, the Alps have had a new trans-border biosphere reserve: the Italian and French territories situated on each side of Mont Viso now constitute two biosphere reserves totalling 294,000 hectares and including 4 sites already listed as Unesco World Heritage Sites.
About twenty communes are concerned on the French side and 88 on the Italian side.
This classification is thanks to the collaboration between the Pô Cuneese and Queyras regional parks, which made a joint application to obtain the international UNESCO “Man and Biosphere” recognition on a national and trans-border level.