Le Réseau Alpin des Espaces Protégés
You will find below the presentations and documents from the ALPARC conference "Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones) in Protected Areas: Opportunities and Threats" that was held on March 27th and 28th, 2018 in Dobbiaco, Italy.
The complete conference program is available here
Le 37ème congrès des Réserves naturelles de France 2018 se tiendra du 4 au 7 avril 2018 à Ronce-les-Bains (La Tremblade), en Charente-Maritime
Thème du congrès :
« 500 Réserves naturelles en 2030 ? Quelle vision d’avenir ? Quelles clés de réussite ? Quels financements ? »
Ouverture des inscriptions début janvier 2018
Pour plus d'informations: www.reserves-naturelles.org
The aim of this ALPARC event is to provide an overview about the variety of possible uses of the new and rapidly evolving technology for different tasks in the missions of protected areas. Potential dangers of unappropriated use of UAS will also be highlighted.
The use of drones (Unmanned Aircraft Systems/UAS) has considerably increased during the last years, also in the alpine Protected Areas. This new technology has integrated the modern park management and is used for multiple purposes (monitoring, mapping, remote sensing, photography, technical interventions in inaccessible areas…), offering numerous interesting possibilities. On the other hand the use of drones by park managers but particularly also by external persons may cause important disturbances to the protected areas. 
During the conference the legal situation in the different alpine countries will be presented and an introduction to general UAS technology given. Protected areas managers and other professional drone users will present very diverse possibilities of use of drones in the day to day tasks of protected areas and discuss further potential challenges for the new technology with the participants. A demonstration of flying performances by experienced drone pilots is forseen. An overview about potential negative impacts of the flying devises and how to limit them will close the event.
The Conference will take place the 26th and 27th March 2018 in the Grand Hotel in Toblach/Dobbiaco (Italy). Registration is open !
To register for the conference, please click on the button below.
The event is organized with the logistical and financial support of :
The European Parks Academy (EPA) is a new international training format that addresses the increasing capacity needs for planning and effectively managing protected areas.
The unique cooperation between IUCN´s World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), the research institution E.C.O. and the Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt resulted in well-designed and targeted training modules hold by renown experts.
After a successful first round of the academy in 2017 (IUCN News), this year´s event will focus again on three highly relevant topics: „Branding & Communication“, „Ecological Monitoring“ and „Management of World Heritage Sites”. The summer academy takes place from 16th to 28th July 2018 in Klagenfurt/Austria.
Find the program flyer here.
Further information and registration: https://e-c-o.at/epa.html
Contact:
Andrej Sovinc, IUCN´s WCPA: wcpa.sovinc@gmail.com
Alexandra Joseph, E.C.O. Institute of Ecology: epa@e-c-o.at
In Destination Parks, the ALPARC network will collectively promote and develop sustainable, nature- and experienced-based tourism in protected areas of the Alps.
Together with protected areas and tourism organisations ALPARC will
The kick-off meeting of the project Destination Parks will take place the 21th of Febraury 2018 at the headquarters of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (OFEV), Papiermühlestrasse 172, 3063 Ittigen, Bern (CH)
For further information about Destination Parks please download the flyer below or contact Dominik Cremer- Schulte at: dominik.cremer-schulte@alparc.org
Destination Parks is supported by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (OFEV). It runs from November 2017 to December 2018.
In his welcoming speech to the rangers and protected area technical staff during this year’s Danilo Re ranger seminar, the new ALPARC president Peter Oggier put it frankly and philosophically: “You matter. You actually save a little bit of our planet, every day.” Indeed, the Danilo Re event places the rangers’ and field officers’ daily work at the centre of interest. This year’s exchange topic on the handling of booming nature sports emphasized their role as mediators between Nature and Humans, at the crossroads between experiencing nature and nature conservation.
Around 80 participants followed the presentations of rangers and technical staff from a variety of Alpine protected areas (six protected areas from six countries). All experts agreed that nature-sport conflicts are growing everywhere in the Alps. Thus, concepts, information campaigns, mediation processes and sometimes penalties are needed in order to cope with them. An exception is the Swiss National Park, where the strict protection is rather well-respected by inhabitants and visitors. The official list of severe fines made many participants chuckle.
Many examples of good practice exist regarding information and on-site action to raise awareness about the vulnerability of wildlife to snow sports. In the Gesäuse National park, rangers’ making the first tracks in fresh snow is a unique example of an inventive tool to change the behavior of ski tourers. Another focus of action is conflicts in climbing sites, but raising climbers’ awareness of their impact is often challenging. Examples of good practice in nature sports management in protected areas all grounded in the same success factors: due to a frequent lack of legislation, they have to be based on voluntary action by nature sports participants; information and early inclusion of the target groups in a participatory process are crucial. It is important to convey the desire to protect nature.
Here, two main attributes can help that are often prerequisites to become an Alpine ranger: being passionate about nature, and being an excellent mediator/communicator. The focus of the second part of the ranger seminar thus lay on the exchange on the future role and job of Alpine rangers. In six small groups, the participants had the opportunity to exchange on their professional education, practical experiences and ideas about the future of their job. Rangers today have a multi-faceted job that varies a lot across the Alps. However, everywhere they remain the principle ambassadors of protected areas as regards visitors and often the only visible representative of protected area managements. This makes them important for the future of the protected areas of the Alps.
The ALPARC operational unit used this occasion to present its work on awareness-raising about disturbance to wildlife in winter. Since 2016 ALPARC has collectively developed the international cooperation initiative “Be Part of the Mountain” involving many protected areas. A teaser introducing the initiative was shown for the first time.
The YOUrALPS challenge continues. After the start of the pilot activities in September 2017 and further scientific investigation on framework conditions for the development of the Alpine School model, the next step implies the involvement of political stakeholders in the context of the so-called infodays.
With the start of the pilot site activities since September 2017, the bottom-up development of the Alpine School model has been launched: Pilot schools and associated protected areas are aiming at integrating non-formal learning approaches in the teaching of young people either in class or outdoors. In this context the practical experience of non-formal educators enriches the nature experience and will strengthen ties between youngsters and their natural environment.
At the same time a scientific analysis on the framework conditions in all the five Alpine partner countries has been carried out. At the heart of the theoretical approach remains the UNESCO concept of education for sustainable development and its interpretation by every partner country. In this way light is shed on innovative aspects for a multifaceted and interdependent approach to learning.
Hence, in spring 2018, the time will be ripe for presenting these insights to political stakeholders over the whole Alpine territory. Infodays on the project will be held in Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and France, with the goal of mobilizing political influencers and decision takers for the aims of the YOUrALPS project. It is at the political level that willingness to cooperate has to be established and an agreement has to be found to integrate the idea of the Alpine School model into formal school curricula. It is an ambitious goal and there is still a long way to go, but the infodays will be the first step on that way, calling on political stakeholders to take notice and take action.
ALPARC is lead partner for YOUrALPS and responsible for technical and financial management and the coordination of project partners’ activities. Moreover, the network is responsible for the project’s communication activities.
YOUrALPS is an Interreg Alpine Space project and lasts from November 2016 to October 2019. It is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg Alpine Space programme.
For further information about the project, please visit the YOUrALPS website.
The new issue of the open-access journal eco.mont– Journal on Protected Mountain Areas Research and Management (January 2018) reflects on many aspects of protected areas like tourism, economic development and biodiversity and presents a review on private protected areas in Latin America.
Take a look at the journal here.
One article shows that meadows have very positive psycho-physiological effects, such as stress reduction, regardless of whether the meadows are managed or unmanaged. A study carried out in the Tatra National Park (Czech Republic and Poland) introduces the reader to profiles of visitors in two of the most heavily-used leisure destinations accessible by cable car.
Another study investigates whether the willingness of visitors to engage in physically challenging recreational and sports activities can be used as a visitor-segmentation criterion. A study carried out in the Hruby Jesenik Mountains (Czech Republic) presents a growth simulation model for future changes in forest ecosystems.
Three further articles deal with aspects of biodiversity in three very different biogeographic regions in Asia – the Himalayas, the Altiparmak Mountains and the Taurus Mountains. Another article takes the reader to Latin America and provides an overview on private protected areas in mountain regions and their role in conservation practices.
The open-access journal eco.mont 10-1 journal is available at : http://www.austriaca.at/eco.mont-10-1
The book “Erinnerungen an Pioniere des Schweizerischen Nationalparks - Memories of Pioneers of the Swiss National Park" is a contribution to the history of the Swiss National Park, in particular the research sector.
Published in autumn 2017, it presents a collection of memories of the first researchers of the Park. These people, considered as pioneers, shaped the research of the National Park; their research still constitutes the basis for further research and project development.
The book has been developed with an oral history approach. It describes the basic living conditions of the researcher throughout the years of the 20th century; it gives insights into the motivation behind the intensive study of nature, and above all shows that behind the research results there are always humans, with their particular personalities, their likes and dislikes.
The book has been published in German only.
For further information click here
Authors: Prof. Dr. Bruno Baur, Dr. Jürg Rohner, Dr. Thomas Scheurer
Publisher: Buchhandlung und Haupt Verlag AG
Edition / Volume: 107
Pages: 163
Language: German
The 23rd Memorial Danilo Re event took place at the Berchtesgaden National park from 25th to 28th January 2018, in the frame of the celebration of the park’s 40th anniversary.
A combination of excellent weather conditions and outstanding involvement by the Berchtesgaden national park staff made this event unforgettable!
Alpine rangers and staff of the protected areas from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and even Slovakia competed in four categories: mountaineering ski, giant slalom, shooting and cross-country, with a total of 46 teams: a record number of participants for the Danilo Re Memorial .
After the traditional parade of the teams, Berchtesgaden National Park Director Dr. Roland Baier, Bavarian Ministry of State for Environment and Consumer Protection, Deputy Minister Dr. Christian Barth, District Administrator of Berchtesgadener Land Georg Grabner, Ramsau Mayor Herbert Gschossmann, ALPARC President Dr. Peter Oggier and Mauro Fissore, Member of the steering committee warmly welcomed the teams and their supporters.
The overall victories for men & mixed teams went to Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso (IT) followed by Nationalpark Hohe Tauern Salzburg (AT) and Nationalpark Berchtesgaden (DE).
Regarding the ladies’ teams the first place went to Nationalpark Hohe Tauern Tirol (AT), the second to Parco Regionale dell'Adamello (IT) and the third to Nationalpark Berchtesgaden (DE).
In addition to the competition, Alpine and transnational friendship was celebrated and participants enjoyed the traditional Bavarian music and dances, Alpine food and Mauro Fissore’s band who played without let-up until 3.30am... what a performance!
Go to the Danilo Re Facebook page to see all the photos of the event
See the detailed results by downloading the document below.
The winners of the 12th international competition “Fotografare il parco” have been announced. This contest was organized by the Stelvio National Park (IT), the Gran Paradiso National Park (IT), Abruzzo, Latinum and Molise National Park (IT) and by the French Vanoise National Park in collaboration with Swarovski Optik Italia.
Once again, the contest registered the great participation of many amateurs as well as professional photographers. More than 350 participants sent about 3,000 pictures from Italy, France and other European countries.
Congratulation to all who took part!
The award ceremony of the twelfth edition will take place on Saturday 24th February at 11 am at Belvedere – Palazzo Lombardia, Piazza Città di Lombardia, Milan.
You can see the list of the winners, the photos and the prizes at: http://www.fotografareilparco.it/en