Le Réseau Alpin des Espaces Protégés
Mountain Wilderness has recently launched the contest "Changer d'approche". The aim of the contest is to promote soft mobility among mountain visitors.
The participants are invited to realize an outing in the mountains without a car and using soft mobility means of transportation. Every kind of outing is allowed, no matter of the level of difficulty. The participants are also asked to report about their experience with pictures, video and practical information.
The deadline to apply for the contest and submitting all the materials documenting the outing is 30th September 2017.
A panel will then evaluate the different stories of the outings realized by the participants and the best ones will be awarded with a prize.
For further info visit the website of the contest here.
The GaYA project aims to increase the quality of democratic processes in the Alpine space by enhancing the inclusion of young people. The first stage of the project focused on an analysis of the situation of participatory democracy and youth participation in the Alpine regions and municipalities. With the support of all the partners, the Institute of Federalism at EURAC carried out a comparative study, including a questionnaire addressed to the Alpine regions (42 out of 48 regions answered) and interviews with 31 cities, towns and rural municipalities.
A report with the results of this analysis will be presented in a conclusive workshop of the first stage in Bolzano (Italy) on 29th June. During the workshop it will be possible to discuss youth participation, its challenges and good practices in different policy fields with practitioners from different horizons. Please find the programme and the GaYA poster below.
If you are interested in participating in the conference, please contact EURAC at gaya@eurac.edu before June 20.
Following the conference, the comparative report will be published and will be available in all Alpine languages by Autumn 2017.
Please, note that we are still searching for official observers who would like to follow more closely the work on the project, notably the upcoming pilot stage. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us at: info@alparc.org
A sunny day somewhere in the Swiss Engadin valley. Cries and laughter come from a group of usually stressed managers in a medium-sized Swiss company handling unusual tools for them: motor saws, brush cutters, and forks. The group is participating in a “nature day” event, a team building session where they participate in nature protection activities under the supervision of local farmers and biologists. Their activities of clearing meadows from bushes and trees contribute to safeguarding important habitats for specific plants and animals and improving ecological connectivity. The farmers involved in the project benefit from important additional work power and they get paid for hosting and overseeing the activities of the group.
This example is one of the numerous measures carried out to improve the functional links between habitats by the Alpine Pilot Regions for Ecological connectivity that were presented during the 2 Workshops that took place in the Eastern and Western Alps in March 2017.
The project partners of the GreenConnect project will now analyse in more detail the possible positive socio-economic effects of such activities in the concerned regions. The project should allow a widening of the approach to the topic of ecological connectivity by adding a social and economic dimension to the dialogue and provide additional arguments for the exchanges with the (local) stakeholders.
The results of this analysis will be presented at the project’s final conference in autumn 2017.
By the end of the year, the Bavarian Parliament will express its opinion on the adjustments to the Regional Development Programme (Landesentwicklungsprogramm, LEP) and notably on the modification of the Alpine Plan (Alpenplan) that is an integral part of it.
Last autumn the issue of the modification of the Alpine Plan was raised by another consultation. On that occasion, two municipalities expressed their favor of such a modification in order to allow the construction of a connection between two ski resorts in the area of the Riedberger Horn.
Before proceeding with the modification, the Bavarian Parliament has called for two public consultations. The first one took place on 27th April and mostly involved experts. Land use, infrastructures, the relationship between urban and rural areas and the extent of autonomy for the local authorities are among the main topics discussed during the consultations. The second public hearing the Bavarian Parliament has called for is scheduled on 22nd June and will consult minorities.
ALPARC takes a very critical view of the modification and the “softening” of the Bavarian Alpine Plan which has been for several decades one of the most serious management and spatial planning tools in the entire Alps.
Further information concerning the topic can be found here, on the website of the Bavarian Parliament.
Further reads
Job, H., Mayer, M., & Kraus, F. (2014). The best idea Bavaria has ever had: the alpenplan. Land use planning of vision/Die beste idee, die bayern je hatte: der alpenplan. Raumplanung mit Weitblick. GAIA-Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 23(4), 335-345.
The registration for the 12th edition of the international photo contest “Fotografare il Parco” is open. The contest is organized by the Stelvio, the Gran Paradiso, the Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise and the Vanoise National Parks.
The four protected areas are glad to welcome all those visitors passionate about photography and nature who would like to take pictures of the biodiversity heritage of the national parks and who want to show their work to the large public.
The winners will be awarded high level instruments for nature observation and photography, printing discounts, weekends in the parks and subscriptions to magazines.
The participation is free of charge and the registration is open until 30th of September 2017.
For further information about the contest and its rules, visit the website here.
The contest is organized with the financial support of Swarovski Optik Italia and the support of Alparc and Federparchi.
On July 11th 2017, several groups of young people will gather in different places all over the Alps and the Carpathians to share a collective experience in the mountains
Back to Nature in the Mountains
When was the last time you watched the stars in an unpolluted sky, lying on the grass of a mountain valley or summit, with the sound of the wind blowing through the trees and of a river flowing?
A lot of young people may have no answer to this question, because they have never had such an experience. Nowadays, young people are overwhelmed by the need for technologies in a fast-paced society and they hardly ever have the chance to live an authentic experience in a natural environment. Their relationship with nature and the mountains, which is important for their personal growth and fulfilment, is being weakened. The mountains need young people to be preserved as much as young people need the mountains to rebuild or strengthen that connection with nature.
The international project Youth at the Top aims at improving the connection between young people and nature by bringing them to the mountains to spend a day together and sleep there overnight. For this reason, Youth at the Top is a unique opportunity for young people to experience close contact with the mountain environment, rediscover the power of being a group and the values of active citizenship and solidarity on a common annual date. Youth at the Top is a collective activity with a strong symbolic and imaginative approach.
Youth at the Top 2017
The 3rd edition of Youth at the Top will be held on Tuesday 11th July 2017 – Wednesday 12th July 2017. We have received registration forms for more than 50 events that will take place simultaneously in different locations. These local events will be set up by protected areas, youth workers, associations, refuges, communities and other mountain actors with the participation of local professionals.
Transnational, cross-border and unifying
The events planned will take place in 6 countries in the Alps (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland) and 3 countries in the Carpathians (Poland, Romania, Slovakia) in a common framework that still leaves plenty of room for local partners to develop their own initiative and creativity. The simultaneity of the events and the common framework will help to create in the young participants not only a sense of belonging to the mountains, but also a sense of being part of a large community with no borders.
Innovation: The Alps in my backpack
As we are constantly looking for innovation this year all the partners involved in the initiative will receive the “The Alps in my backpack” teaching tool. The tool has been designed and developed by the ALPARC Educational Working group on “Mountain-Oriented Education”. For the educators it will be a powerful tool to further promote the international approach of the initiative, foster the sense of community and raise awareness of the natural and cultural Alpine heritage.
Continuity with Youth at the Top 2016
In 2016 many young people experienced authentic contact with nature by taking part in the 2nd edition of “Youth at the Top”. For the occasion protected areas, associations, mountain actors and other organizations set up more than 40 events in 8 different countries in the Alps and the Carpathians. Their effort in the field of education and in engaging young generations was rewarded with the participation of more than 500 young people who enjoyed different activities in the mountains such as fauna & flora observation, rock painting, land art, writing, wood carving, light painting, storytelling, treasure hunting, stargazing, climbing, solidarity actions and meetings with mountain players.
Young participants from Youth at the Top 2016 are the best testimonials to prove that striking up or renewing the relationship of youngsters with nature is not just necessary and possible, but it is also great fun!
For this reason, we invite you to check out the video of YAT 2016 to have a taste of what the previous edition was for them!
Have a look at the postcards collection to have an overview of their impressions.
YOUTH AT THE TOP is a project led by ALPARC, in partnership with Educ’Alpes for France. For this activity ALPARC has the financial support of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment and the Principality of Monaco.
Comunità Montana di Valle Camonica and Parco dell’Adamello, together with the protected areas of the “Rete Natura di Valle Camonica” (“Nature Network of Valle Camonica”) and in collaboration with the Cultural District of Valle Camonica are organizing the 6th edition of “Fiera della Sostenibilità della Natura Alpina” (“Exhibition of Sustainability of the Alpine Nature”).
The event will take place in different locations in Valle Camonica during the month of June 2017.
In line with the previous editions of the exhibition, sustainability is going to be the keyword of the events that will explore the concept and its three components: environment, society, economy.
The 6th edition of the Exhibition will be focused on two main specific topics:
The Exhibition is about culture, celebration, games, sports, hobbies. All these elements are crucial to promote in our societies values such as friendship, cooperation, solidarity and achieve a sustainable future.
For further information about the programme visit the website of the exhibition here (it).
The 6th edition of the International Symposium for Research in Protected Areas will take place in Salzburg, Austria on 2nd – 3rd November 2017. Registrations are open now!
Protected areas are the backbone of the Alpine Region and play an important role regarding the regional development of the territory. More than 100 key stakeholders from more than 20 countries will discuss protection aims, protected area management as well as respective impacts on society and regional economy in times of transition and change.
Following the idea of transdisciplinary research, academics and representatives from governments, business, NGOs and the general public will come together in order to discuss relevant topics and concepts regarding the future development of protected areas from the Alps to the Danube Delta. Hence, Specific thematic issues are related to biodiversity protection, water and resource management, sustainable agriculture and the role of long-term monitoring in protected areas.
The symposium is an excellent opportunity for sharing views and findings as well as fostering the dialogue between scientific expertise and practical insights in the field of protected areas on an international scale in the Alps and the Danube.
Find out more about the program at the website of the conference. Registrations are open until October, 4th.
The 6th International Symposium for Research in Protected Areas is organized by
The national conference in Pontresina will focus on the situation of the Alpine tourism sector, taking into account the trends and the transformation that are currently influencing it. The conference will outline what are the future perspectives for Regions and localities with a fully developed tourism sector and whose economies rely and depend on it.
Different actors from politics, research and academia, public administration and the tourism job market will take part in the discussions focusing on the development of tourist centres, the future of the sector and the issue of second-home ownership.
The conference is supposed to target experts in different fields such as tourism, economy, culture, politics and regional development, but it is also thought for the general public and the second-home owners.
On the following morning, the participants can take part in one of the three possible guided excursions that have been planned:
The deadline for registration to the event is 19th June 2017.
For further information on the event visit the website of UNIMONT here.
We are pleased to announce that the registration is now open for the international Conference and Exhibition: "The Wolf in the Alpine cultural landscape - chances and challenges".
The conference will take place from the 16th to the 18th of May 2017 in Sölk, Sölktäler Nature Park (Styria – Austria).
Please fill in the registration form attached and send it back to: kontakt@naturparkakademie.at before the 2nd May 2017.
For further information on the Conference, please find attached the programme and practical information.
This event is co-organised by SÖLKTÄLER NATURE PARK with ALPARC.
With the financial support of:
The Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention is organizing the “We are Alps “ journalist tour: an annual event for a group of journalists who will be crossing the Alps in a week-long excursion.
The upcoming edition will take place from the 25th June to the 2nd July 2017 and will be focused on the topic of WATER IN THE ALPS.
Interested journalists are invited to apply by the deadline on the 30th of April 2017.
The small group of journalists taking part in the event will be using sustainable means of transport (trains, buses, boats, bicycles) on a route from Vienna to Monaco.
During the excursion, the group will have the chance to be involved in different activities related to the topic of this year, notably meeting actors of flagship projects for innovative water management and many other people from the alps (experts, representatives of the civil society, of different economic sectors and different administrative levels, business people, workers, farmers and politicians). The event is an occasion to raise awareness on the challenges and opportunities of the Alpine area with a specific focus on water.
For further information about the event, the selection procedure and other details, please visit the following link: http://www.alpconv.org/en/activities/wearealps/WeareAlps2017/default.html
The Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention is organizing the “We are Alps “ journalist tour: an annual event for a group of journalists who will be crossing the Alps in a week-long excursion. The upcoming edition will take place from the 25th June to the 2nd July 2017 and will be focused on the topic of WATER IN THE ALPS. The application for potential journalist participants is currently open!
Interested journalists are invited to apply by the deadline on the 30th of April 2017. Selected candidates will be notified by mid-May.
The small group of journalists taking part in the event will be using sustainable means of transport (trains, buses, boats, bicycles) on a route from Vienna to Monaco.
During the excursion, the group will have the chance to be involved in different activities related to the topic of this year, notably meeting actors of flagship projects for innovative water management and many other people from the alps (experts, representatives of the civil society, of different economic sectors and different administrative levels, business people, workers, farmers and politicians). The event is an occasion to raise awareness on the challenges and opportunities of the Alpine area with a specific focus on water.
For further information about the event, the selection procedure and other details, please visit the following link: http://www.alpconv.org/en/activities/wearealps/WeareAlps2017/default.html