Le Réseau Alpin des Espaces Protégés
ALPARC’s Activity Report for 2025 is now available online. Published in all four Alpine languages, the report provides an overview of the association’s work over the past 12 months. It highlights ALPARC’s key areas of action, ranging from biodiversity and ecological connectivity to education for sustainable development and regional development and quality of life. The report also features the latest news from the network and the map of Alpine protected areas.
Discover the report here: ALPARC Activity Report 2025
From 9–11 December 2025, the first meeting of the new ALPARC CENTR’ALPS event series “Networking Nature Conservation” took place at Parc Ela in Lantsch/Lenz (Switzerland), focusing on environmental education and the ranger profession. Representatives from Switzerland, Germany and Austria took part in the meeting, covering a wide range of protected area categories.
The project “Networking Nature Conservation” is an association-funded initiative aimed at strengthening the work of protected areas, intensifying their cooperation and improving ecological connectivity. A key element of the project is exchange events for experts from protected areas, enabling them to share experiences, discuss common challenges and further develop new insights in a practice-oriented way. During the meeting, it became clear that, despite differing national frameworks, protected areas face similar challenges. At the same time, it was evident that the Alps, as a transnational natural and cultural landscape, share many common characteristics that foster close cross-border cooperation.
One thematic focus was the ranger profession. The different training paths, task profiles and organizational structures in the individual countries and protected area categories were presented. Differences already exist in terminology: for example, in the Swiss National Park, park wardens largely carry out the tasks that are performed by rangers in Germany and Austria. In addition, differences in available human and financial resources between the various protected area categories were discussed.
Another focus was on environmental education. Participants presented a wide variety of environmental education activities, whose exchange in a shared pool could promote synergies and save resources. In particular, the concept of mobile information stands, which gained importance during the COVID-19 pandemic, was discussed as a practical and flexible tool for visitor information and awareness-raising.
In addition to the expert inputs, joint ideas for future cooperation and concrete opportunities for collaboration were developed in workshop formats. The open exchange contributed significantly to mutual learning and to developing shared perspectives for further project work.
We would like to thank the committed participants as well as the hosts from Parc Ela and the Network of Swiss Parks, who made the meeting an extremely interesting and productive event in both content and organization.
The next meeting of the event series, focusing on “Digital Tools in Park Management” and “Biodiversity Monitoring”, is already scheduled for 27–29 April 2026 and will take place at the Nagelfluhkette Nature Park. The relevant information documents have already been published on our website.
The project is funded by the BfN (German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation) with funds from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUKN).
© Image: ALPARC
Vom 09.-11.12.2025 fand beim Parc Ela in Lantsch/Lenz (Schweiz) das erste Treffen der neuen ALPARC CENTR’ALPS-Veranstaltungsreihe „Naturschutz vernetzt“ zu den Themen Umweltbildung und Berufsbild Ranger statt. Am Treffen nahmen Vertreterinnen und Vertreter aus der Schweiz, Deutschland und Österreich über verschiedene Schutzgebietskategorien hinweg teil.
Das Projekt „Naturschutz vernetzt“ ist eine Verbändeförderung mit dem Ziel, die Arbeit der Schutzgebiete zu stärken, ihre Zusammenarbeit zu intensivieren und die ökologische Vernetzung zu verbessern. Ein zentrales Element des Projekts sind Austauschveranstaltungen für Expertinnen und Experten der Schutzgebiete, die es ermöglichen, Erfahrungen zu teilen, gemeinsame Herausforderungen zu diskutieren und neue Erkenntnisse praxisnah weiterzuentwickeln. Im Rahmen des Treffens zeigte sich, dass die Schutzgebiete trotz unterschiedlicher nationaler Rahmenbedingungen vor ähnlichen Herausforderungen stehen. Gleichzeitig wurde deutlich, dass die Alpen als transnationaler Natur- und Kulturraum zahlreiche Gemeinsamkeiten besitzen, die eine enge grenzüberschreitende Zusammenarbeit begünstigen.
Ein inhaltlicher Schwerpunkt lag auf dem Berufsbild der Rangerinnen und Ranger. Dabei wurden die unterschiedlichen Ausbildungen, Aufgabenprofile und organisatorischen Einbindungen in den einzelnen Ländern und Schutzgebietskategorien vorgestellt. Bereits bei den Begrifflichkeiten bestehen Unterschiede: So übernehmen bspw. im Schweizerischen Nationalpark die Parkwächter weitgehend jene Aufgaben, die in Deutschland und Österreich von Rangerinnen und Rangern wahrgenommen werden. Zudem wurden Unterschiede in den verfügbaren personellen und finanziellen Ressourcen zwischen den Schutzgebietskategorien thematisiert.
Ein weiterer Fokus lag auf der Umweltbildung. Die Teilnehmenden stellten eine große Vielfalt an Umweltbildungsangeboten vor, deren Austausch in einem gemeinsamen Pool Synergien fördern und Ressourcen sparen könnte. Insbesondere wurde das Konzept mobiler Informationsstände, das während der Corona-Pandemie an Bedeutung gewonnen hat, als praxisnahes und flexibles Instrument der Besucherinformation und -sensibilisierung diskutiert.
Neben den fachlichen Inputs wurden im Workshop-Format gemeinsame Ideen für eine zukünftige Zusammenarbeit sowie konkrete Kooperationsmöglichkeiten entwickelt. Der offene Austausch trug wesentlich dazu bei, voneinander zu lernen und gemeinsame Perspektiven für die weitere Projektarbeit zu entwickeln.
Unser Dank gilt den engagierten Teilnehmenden sowie den Gastgebern vom Parc Ela und dem Netzwerk Schweizer Pärke, die das Treffen inhaltlich wie organisatorisch zu einer äußerst interessanten und produktiven Veranstaltung gemacht haben.
Das nächste Treffen der Veranstaltungsreihe zu den Themen „Digitale Werkzeuge im Parkmanagement“ und „Biodiversitätsmonitoring“ ist bereits für den 27.–29.04.2026 terminiert und wird beim Naturpark Nagelfluhkette stattfinden. Die entsprechenden Informationsdokumente sind bereits auf unserer Webseite veröffentlicht.
Das Projekt „Naturschutz vernetzt“, wird durch das Bundesamt für Naturschutz (BfN) mit Mitteln des Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Klimaschutz, Naturschutz und nukleare Sicherheit (BMUKN) gefördert.
© Image: ALPARC
Within the framework of the EUSALP Annual Forum, ALPARC, together with EUSALP AG7, co-organized the workshop “Ecological connectivity in and around the Alps: strategic partnerships towards implementation”.
This workshop brought together participants from infrastructure, spatial planning, environment, and nature protection sectors to discuss: How ecological connectivity is being implemented within the Alps, the main challenges and future perspectives.
The session was opened by Miro Kirstan (AG7) and Katharina Zwettler (BMLUK), and provided an opportunity to present:
Overview of the milestones for ecological connectivity in the Alps and the recent progress on the project Last Corridors of the Alps by ALPARC
Practical examples from Austria highlighting the importance of cross-sectoral coordination, including contributions from: The Austrian National Coordination Platform for Habitat Corridors – Florian Danzinger | The Federal Ministry of Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI) - Elke Hahn | ASFINAG – Ulli Vielhaber | ÖBB-Infrastructure – Thomas Schuh
The workshop concluded with a panel discussion on challenges and perspectives, aligning strategic goals with local spatial planning and implementation, with the intervention of representatives from the Alpine Convention – Claire de Kermadec, AG7 – Miro Kirstan, and ALPARC – Guido Plassmann.
The Last corridors – Analysis and evaluation of the Alpine Ecological Network project is financed by the Austrian BMLUK.
© Image: ALPARC
The eleventh edition of Youth at the Top was a great success, bringing together around 370 young people at nearly thirty locations across the Alps and the Carpathians on 17 and 18 July 2025.
This year 20 events took place in the Alpine arc and 7 in the Carpathians. Altogether, the 27 local events were spread across eight different countries. Among the participating partner organisations were national parks, nature and regional parks, biosphere reserves and Alpine clubs from France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Romania and Slovakia. All these organisations are active in youth education in the Alps and Carpathians and supervised children, teenagers and young adults aged 5 to 26 within the framework of the project.
Youth at the Top was an authentic mountain experience that enabled young people to directly experience, understand and respect their natural environment. In the context of the project’s eleventh edition, the participating groups explored the transnational theme “Our Footprints in the Alps”. This theme was implemented creatively in many different ways: for example, participants collected litter during a hike and then reflected on the astonishing amount of waste left behind by people in the mountains. Other groups examined the decomposition times of different materials or visited a historic stone furnace once used for iron processing. Visits to Alpine meadows and discussions about traditional mountain farming also provided fascinating insights. In role-playing activities, conflict situations between different interest groups - such as ski lift operators and foresters - were reenacted. In the evening, campfire discussions invited reflection on the traces we leave in the mountains.
Once again, Youth at the Top offered an authentic outdoor experience, encouraging young people to discover, understand and respect their natural surroundings.
© Irene Borgna, Aree Protette delle Alpi Marittime
Youth at the Top is coordinated by ALPARC and supported by the German Ministry for the Environment (BMUKN).
In October, the ALPARC Administration Council gathered in Annecy, France, for its second annual meeting.
ALPARC President Peter Oggier opened the meeting with the words, “Never before have protected areas known each other as well as they do now”, highlighting the strong bonds and achievements resulting from 30 years of cooperation within the Alpine Network of Protected Areas.
Against the backdrop of this important anniversary, members looked back on key milestones reached over the past decades and discussed future priorities and next steps for the network. The meeting also marked the launch of the “Friends of ALPARC”, an initiative bringing together people who have been actively involved in the network and contributed to its development over the years, fostering continued exchange and connection with ALPARC.
The meeting concluded with a boat excursion on Lake Annecy and a visit to the Roc de Chère Nature Reserve, offering an inspiring example of local conservation efforts.
A warm thank you goes to Asters - Conservatoire d’espaces naturels de Haute-Savoie and ALPARC Vice-President Christian Schwoehrer for their kind hospitality and excellent organization.
© Asters
In September, during an anniversary event, the National Park Triglav, the Julian Prealps Nature Park, and the Dobratsch Nature Park formally agreed to strengthen their close cross-border cooperation. This marks the beginning of an even deeper partnership between Slovenia, Italy, and Austria, aiming to jointly implement projects in biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and environmental education.
Located in the heart of Europe, the area covered by the three parks unites not only major cultural and linguistic regions – the Slavic, Romance, and Germanic – but also significant Alpine ranges such as the Julian and Carnic Alps, the Karavanks, and the Gailtal Alps.
The Three-Country Peace Park aims to extend its impact far beyond the region itself – serving as a model for sustainable development, a bridge between cultures, and a symbol of a united Europe.
© Triglav National Park
ALPARC CENTR’ALPS hat nun die ersten beiden Info-Broschüren im Projekt „Naturschutz vernetzt“ veröffentlicht. Darin werden die Themen „Umweltbildung & Öffentlichkeitsarbeit“ und „Berufsbild Ranger & Weiterbildung“ behandelt.
Die Info-Broschüren sind nur in deutscher Sprache verfügbar und können hier gelesen oder heruntergeladen werden:
www.alparc.org/de/brochures-networking-nature-conservation
Weitere Themen werden folgen!
Die Info-Broschüren dienen als Grundlage für ein gemeinsames Verständnis von sechs zentralen Naturschutz-Themen. Dabei werden jeweils der Status Quo und die gegenwärtigen Herausforderungen genauer beleuchtet. Das Aufzeigen innovativer Lösungsansätze sowie bereits bestehender Best-Practice-Beispiele soll mögliche Wege aufzeigen, diese Herausforderungen gemeinsam anzugehen. Generelle sind die Info-Broschüren, wie folgt strukturiert:
Projektkontext & Zielsetzung
(bestehende) Programme & Projekte
Innovative Ansätze
Netzwerke und Strukturen
Fazit und Ausblick
Die Info-broschüren dienen als Basis für ein gemeinsames Verständnis der aktuellen Herausforderungen in den Schutzgebieten. Darauf aufbauend werden in den nächsten 12 Monaten gemeinsame Treffen organisiert, bei denen sich Expertinnen und Experten der alpinen Schutzgebiete zu den Themen austauschen und vernetzen können.
Die Info-Broschüren sind Teil des Projekts „Naturschutz vernetzt“ (www.alparc.org/de/networking-nature-conservation), das durch das Bundesamt für Naturschutz (BfN) mit Mitteln des Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, nukleare Sicherheit und Verbraucherschutz (BMUV) (DE) gefördert wird.
The project PlanToConnect is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Alpine Space programme, which supports cross-border cooperation projects between seven Alpine countries. ALPARC is co-founded in this project by the German Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN).
The cross-border Interreg project "Nature Park Management 2030+" between Bavaria and Austria, which ALPARC CENTR'ALPS is jointly implementing with the Ammergauer Alpen, Nagelfluhkette, Karwendel, Tiroler Lech and Weissbach Nature Parks, successfully kicked-off in March.
Through a joint socio-ecological monitoring system, the project tracks ecological changes, considers land use and monitors visitor behaviour. These insights support cross-border decision-making and pilot conservation measures, particularly for species-rich grasslands. The project also aims to make the developed tools transferable to other parks and contribute to national biodiversity goals.
Click here for more details about the project.
This project is co-funded by the European Union. ALPARC is co-funded in this project by the German Ministry for the Environment (BMUV).
© Natupark Ammergauer Alpen
For the 11th edition of Youth at the Top, taking place on 17 and 18 July 2025, protected areas and Alpine organizations are hosting a total of 31 events in various locations throughout the Alps and Carpathians.
Children and young people will have the opportunity to take part in this unique event and experience the mountains in diverse and creative ways. For example, they can explore the Berchtesgaden National Park (Germany) through skill-based and team-building challenges, join a cross-border event organized by the Aree Protette Alpi Marittime and Mercantour National Park (Italy and France), or learn more about the impact of human activity in Călimani National Park (Romania).
Under this year’s theme, “Our Footprints in the Alps,” participants are invited to reflect on and explore the effects of human actions in mountain environments — from past influences to current challenges and future responsibilities. Participants can dive into topics like the effects of outdoor activities on nature and wildlife or explore how human-induced climate change is transforming the Alps – impacting glaciers and permafrost as well as flora and fauna. There is also an opportunity to learn about the cultural landscape of the Alps, focusing on traditional pasture farming and land maintenance that have shaped the region for centuries.
Youth at the Top is coordinated by ALPARC and supported by the German Ministry for the Environment (BMUV) and the Principality of Monaco.
We are pleased to invite you to the upcoming webinar "Ecological Networks and Spatial Planning within the Alpine Space".
The purpose of the webinar is to present the main outcomes of the PlanToConnect project, with a particular focus on the Alps-wide analysis developed by ALPARC.
This event is intended for professionals, policymakers, protected area managers, and other key stakeholders engaged in spatial planning and biodiversity conservation in the Alps.
The webinar will take place online on Monday, June 30th, from 10:00 to 11:00 am.
We kindly ask you to register by May 23rd via email at info@alparc.org. The link to join the webinar will be sent a few days before the event.
Please find below the agenda for further information.
We look forward to your participation!
The project PlanToConnect is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Alpine Space programme, which supports cross-border cooperation projects between seven Alpine countries. ALPARC is co-founded in this project by the German Ministry for the Environment (BMUV).