The Young Academics Award is an initiative led by the Alpine Convention in collaboration with ISCAR that seeks every year to reward the best master theses of students from different universities from across the Alps, who deal with relevant Alpine topics.

The 4th edition of the Award is entitled “Sustainable water management in the Alps”. The particular problems the contest will be focusing on are: conflicting water uses among different sectors, abundance and scarcity of water and efficient water use.

The deadline for applications is May 31st 2018.

For durther details about the Award, consult our news or visit the website of the Alpine Convention here.

The Reading Mountains Festival is an opportunity for different partners around the Alps to organize events to celebrate Alpine literature, languages and cultures under a joint umbrella.

On International Mountain Day, 11th December 2017 and the days leading to it partners are invited to organize their own event highlighting Alpine literature in different ways: by organizing a reading by a local author, having a presentation of a book set in the region or in any other innovative way. Every event will emphasize the economic, environmental, social and cultural dimensions of life in the Alps. 

For further information, have a look at news here.

Mountainous areas are known to be centers of biodiversity and biodiversity conservation. In Europe this is true for the Alps which extend to 8 countries. Together with the impacts of climate change, the ever rising quest for development by population and economy leads to the urgent need of taking action on a transnational level. Hence, articles in this publication ask for the specific challenges and possible solutions regarding the protection of this special habitat. 

ALPARC has contributed with two articles to this magazine. The article “Protected areas in the Alpine Arc and their gaps” illustrates the current situation of protected areas in the Alps, their geographical distribution and the type of protection they provide. Although an important part of the alpine territory is covered by some type of protected area, shortcomings with regard to certain habitats (forests, near-nature rivers, lower altitudinal levels) can be observed. A lack of standardized terminology and harmonized objectives is also an obstacle to cross-border comparison. These and further aspects are critically analyzed and discussed by recognized alpine experts.

The article “The contribution of ecological connectivity to a Green Economy in the Alps” presents potential socio-economic dimensions of activities aiming to improve ecological connectivity in alpine areas. Pilot Regions for Ecological Connectivity of the Alpine Convention implement measures to conserve and restore ecological connectivity at a local level. These activities not only have positive ecological effects but also contribute to a certain extent to the economic development of the regions. By highlighting functional chains, a selection of good practice examples illustrates the contribution of these actions to a Green Economy in the Alpine area and showcases the potential for planning and implementing ecological connectivity measures for the development of new and innovative regional offers.

Whenever legendary figures are scrambling out of book pages, folk songs are springing to life, you are savouring your grandmother’s favourite recipes, travel reports are enticing you to go on a walking tour, forests get to dance, rocks are trembling in the face of a mystery story, classical or contemporary literature get communicated -  then, the mountains are reading! On International Mountain Day - 11 December - the cultural diversity of the Alps is celebrated!

The Reading Mountains Festival is an opportunity for partners around the Alps to organize events to celebrate Alpine literature, languages and cultures under a joint umbrella. On International Mountain Day, (11 December) and the days leading to it partners (stakeholders, schools, libraries, interested individuals, restaurants and other interested organisations) are invited to organize their/your own event highlighting Alpine literature. There are different ways to do so: by organizing a reading by a local author, having a presentation of a book set in the region or in any other innovative way. It is all about being part of a project promoting the values of the Alpine Convention: protection of the Alps, its sustainable development and its diversity. Hence, every event emphasizes the economic, environmental, social and cultural dimensions of life in the Alps. 

The Reading Mountains Festival goes beyond each of the events itself – it is also a way to connect people despite their being physically apart. In the last edition book lovers and authors, mountaineers and artists throughout the Alps (and beyond) discussed similar issues and assessed the meaning, impact and purpose of Alpine literature. Some of these discussions are captured in the film “People, Books and Mountains - The Quest for Alpine literature” that was produced as a follow up.

Organisations interested in the 2017 edition are invited to register here and receive promotional materials (posters, bookmarks andstickers) from the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention.

A short video to illustrate the importance of cooperation between the Alps and the Carpathians via the flat Danube river plains

Curious to know what happened to our friends the ibex, the bearded vulture and the fish? Want to learn more about the challenge of the red deer in the flat Danube river plains? A fourth short and humorous video clip about the importance of ecological connectivity in a specific geographical context is now being added to the existing series. 

The short video clip that was developed in the frame of the cooperation between the networks of protected areas in the Alps (ALPARC) and the Carpathians (CNPA) and the Danube Protected Areas Network (Danube Parks) illustrates how landscape fragmentation may be a problem for wildlife in the intersection between these three European regions. Will we be able to see another happy ending? Take 2 minutes off and follow our red deer in their quest for love. The video is available on the ALPARC YouTube channel.

The Berchtesgaden National Park will be hosting the 23rd Danilo Re Memorial in 2018!

From January 25th to 28th 2018, the event will take place in the “Haus der Berge”, Berchtesgaden, Germany.

What exactly is the Danilo Re Memorial? 

It is an event which gathers the staff of the Alpine, and since 2017, the Carpathian protected areas.  There are 3 main parts: a thematic seminar, a sports competition (mountaineering ski, slalom, Nordic skiing and shooting) and the ALPARC General Assembly.

On this occasion, teams essentially composed of rangers meet and exchange on scientific monitoring, awareness-raising and knowledge dissemination in a context of international friendship and camaraderie.

Who can participate? 

The teams from the parks essentially composed of rangers, and the Alpine Convention; that is to say 200 people on average, coming from Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and France. 

The Berchtesgaden National park

Please find below a few words from the park: 

“In 2018 Berchtesgaden National Park celebrates its 40th anniversary. Consequently, the protected area around the world-famous destinations Watzmann and Königssee is the second oldest national park in Germany and at the same time the only German national park in the Alps. 

The international “Memorial Danilo Re” ranger meeting is the solemn start in a year full of events, activities and programs around the anniversary of the founding of the national park. Berchtesgarden is really looking forward to hosting “Danilo Re” for the second time, after 2006. Welcome back and see you soon in the Berchtesgaden National Park!"

For any additional information, please consult the website.

Registration are now open, please click here !

The 2017 edition of the Alpine Convention photo contest is focused on Water that was identified as one of the Alpine Convention’s main topics and fields of work.

Either in lakes, rivers, glaciers, snow or rain, water is visible across the Alps and represents a crucial resource that the Alps provide to an area that stretches well beyond the perimeter of the territory defined by the Alpine Convention itself.

The participants are asked to submit pictures representing Water in the Alps, emphasizing how it is related to life, as well as other aspects such as the different uses of water, its consumption or preservation.

The best pictures will be included in 2018 calendar of the Alpine Convention. Photos can be submitted until 3rd September 2017.

For further information, please visit the website.

The Alpine Day of Tourism and Mobility is a two-day conference focusing on innovative and sustainable mobility in touristic regions.

The conference will take place on 18th-19th October 2017 in Werfenweng, Austria.

The participants will have the chance to experience soft mobility solutions in Werfenweng and to attend panel discussions concerning the future of touristic mobility as well as concrete projects implemented in six Alpine countries.

To register to the event, fill in the form available below and send it to tourismusmobilitaet[@]bmwfw.gv.at by 4th October 2017.

For further information, please find the announcement attached.

The Alpine Day of Tourism and Mobility is organized by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management.

Hundreds of young people met across the Alps and the Carpathians, all engaging in a great adventure spending one day and one night in the mountains.

The third edition of “Youth at the Top” took place on July 11th and July 12th in six Alpine countries and three countries of the Carpathians.

This time, the international youth event hosted 48 events which involved numerous different day and night activities.

Hence, more than 500 enthusiastic young people from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland, Poland, Romania and Slovakia set out on a great adventure to discover the treasures of the mountain environment.

Have a look at the first pictures from the events and find out more in the press release below.

 Visit the website www.youth-at-the-top.org or follow us on facebook and find more pictures and information about all the events!

For the project "Youth at the Top" ALPARC has the financial support of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment and the Principality of Monaco.

The International Conference on the Future of Mountain Agriculture in the Alps will take place on 13th-14th September 2017 in St. Johann im Pongau, Salzburg.

The conference will be an occasion to discuss about the perspectives of mountain agriculture within the framework defined by the future developments of CAP 2020. The participants will have the chance to discuss the future challenges and opportunities for farms and forestry enterprises in the Alps.

Further details of the agenda and practical information are available here.

The registration is open until 22nd August 2017 through the form here.

German, French, Italian and Slovenian are the conference languages. Simultaneous translation will be provided.

For further information please contact landwirtschaftimalpenraum[@]zukunftsraumland.at

The conference is organized by BMLFUW, the Austrian Chamber of Agriculture and the Austrian Rural Network under the Austrian Presidency of the Alpine Convention.

On 10th-12th October 2017 the high level representatives from the seven countries of the Carpathian Convention will gather in Lillafüred, Hungary and meet many stakeholders from the region, as well as from the European and international levels.

The Conference of the Parties is the main decision-making body of the Carpathian Convention. The Fifth Meeting (COP5) will address different issues and topics such as the adoption of a new Protocol on Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development, the inclusion of a new Article 12bis on “Climate Change” and a high-level panel discussion on the future of the Carpathian region.

The Conference will also host the meetings concerning the implementation of the thematic protocols already adopted in the framework of the Carpathians Convention (i.e. the Protocol on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological and Landscape Diversity, the Protocol on Sustainable Forest Management and the Protocol on Sustainable Tourism).

The event is going to be a relevant step to further strengthen sustainable development and ensure the protection of biological, landscape and cultural diversity in the Carpathian region.

The registration is currently open through the form available here.

For further practical information and the agenda, visit the website of the conference here.

The photo exhibition “Luci della Montagna” is opening on Friday 23rd June. Around 40 works by Luca Gino printed in high quality and on large format represent the mountains in the surrounding of Cuneo, from Marguareis to Monviso with unique and fascinating light conditions at sunrise or sunset. Every work is commented by texts from writers, journalist, alpinist and scholars. 

The exhibition is organized by Aree protette delle Alpi Marittime in collaboration with the photo lab Imprimere-Stampa Fine Art di Boves and with the support of the cultural association Il Cuneo - Eventi, Arte, Cultura.

It will be open for visits on June 25, during July and August and until September 17 at the Visitors and information centre of Parco naturale delle Alpi Marittime in Vernante (CN).