La Rete delle Aree Protette Alpine
From September 2023, a cross-border project between Italy and Slovenia - E-NAT2CARE - has been launched with the main objective of conserving and restoring a high level of biodiversity and ecosystem richness, from the Alps to the karst landscape. The project will last 24 months. The involved partners are the Slovenian National Institute of Biology, the Škocjanske Jame Park, the University of Primorska on the Slovenian side and the Prealpi Giulie Nature Park and the University of Udine on the Italian side.
The E-NAT2CARE project builds on the excellent results of the NAT2CARE project from the previous Interreg Italia-Slovenia 2014-2020 programming period, which showed that cross-border areas need coordinated management to halt the decline in biodiversity and the deterioration of habitats and species. Forests, which consist of old trees with stunted trunks and contain large amounts of dead wood, are among the most diverse ecosystems. They harbour many animal and plant species, have an important economic value, an educational and aesthetic function and help to mitigate climate change. These forests are severely threatened by deforestation, climate change and unpredictable and violent natural events such as fires and floods, including in the Alps and karst. This also threatens many species that need such forests to survive. The general objective of the project is to support the protection and development of biodiversity in PA through the implementation of 2 pilot actions at cross-border level to monitor species defined as "bio-indicators": Rosalia Alpina and Strix Uralensis in the protected areas Biosphere Reserve of the Julian Alps and the Slovenian Karst (pilot area the Park Škocjanske jame), Trieste and Gorizia. On the other hand, there is a growing need for sustainable management of water resources. The project will thus also focus on developing a methodology for mapping ecosystem services and involving the population and local businesses in activities for active protection and collective responsibility towards this resource, which also has an economic value.
The common challenge of PA is to protect and actively conserve of the high level and widespread biodiversity that extends from the Alps to the sea through the Karst region. The E-NAT2CARE project pursues the objectives of implementation, transfer, and communication in order to use the results of the NAT2CARE project.
The idea of a cooperation platform emerged at an ALPARC CENTR'ALPS workshop as part of the considerations for a joint measure by protected areas. The basic idea: protected areas support each other with expertise and (wo)manpower.
This type of cooperation was initially to be trialled on a small scale using a pilot project so that experience could then be used as a basis for expansion. The Tyrolean Lech Nature Park and the Swiss National Park were involved in the pilot project. Initially, the need for support, support options, important topics for the exchange and the rough format were defined with them. Then two exchange visits of two respectively three days took place, where staff members of both parcs discussed the selected key topics (visitor guidance, process dynamics, monitoring) in the field.
An important realisation was that process protection and dynamics are not only possible in core zones of large national parks or wilderness areas, but also in nature parks - even if not in all aspects, but often only on a small scale or temporarily. Due to the differences between the two protected areas (in terms of protection category, age, size, staffing), the exchange was perceived as very enriching by the participants. The fact that this format enables a very intensive exchange was also rated very positively.
© J. Eich, Naturpark Tiroler Lech
The prestigious "Management of Conservation Areas (MCA)" master degree program starts again in September 2024 at Carinthia University of Applied Science.
Conservation areas, such as national parks, heritage sites and biosphere reserves, represent Earth's most beautiful and valuable landscapes. In this international master degree program, students learn to effectively plan and manage such areas, harmonizing biodiversity protection with local interests.
Tailored to the needs of international professionals, the program blends intensive on-site courses, including visits to various conservation areas, with flexible online elements. Further information about the program and registration can be found on the webpage www.cuas.at/mca .
© FH Kärnten
For many years now, the annual Danilo Re Meet has provided a major opportunity for all those working in Alpine Protected Areas to get acquainted with one another, in particular those in the field, carrying out surveillance, facilitation and fact-finding missions. The event comprises a sports competition (known as “The Danilo Re Trophy”), a theme-based seminar and a range of other activities for all participants to enjoy together. The 28th edition will take place from January 18th to January 21th 2023, within the Kalkalpen National Park in Austria.
ALPARC CENTR’ALPS: Online Workshop “Biodiversity protection in and around small watercourses - measures and options for action in protected area management”
Organised by ALPARC CENTR'ALPS, this workshop is part of the "Biodiversity Protection in Times of Climate Change" project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection.
The importance of addressing the dynamics and continuity of small rivers in connection with neobiota and process dynamics has been recognized by protected areas, presenting both significance and challenges in their line of work. ALPARC CENTR'ALPS has undertaken a focused effort to identify pertinent challenges, gather examples of effective measures through a brief survey, leverage external expertise, and navigate the intricate web of actors and responsibilities, all while considering the often constrained capacity for action within protected areas.
Some protected areas have successfully implemented measures in response to these challenges. This workshop discuss the outcomes of this work aiming to equip participants with tools and inspiration for collaborative activities and measures within protected areas.
The workshop will be conducted in German, targeting stakeholders in the central German-speaking Alpine region who are currently active or interested in engaging in these specific areas of work.
The event will be held online via Zoom on the 12th of December, 2023, at 15:00 (CEST, Paris)
Please register by the 8th of December 2023 by e-mailing centralps@alparc.org to attend.
This video clip available in all the Alpine languages (DE, FR, IT, SL) and in English, conveys the essential messages of the project Alpine Parks 2030.
See our dedicated site to get further information about the project's outputs.
The AlpPlan network and the Interreg Alpine Space project PlanToConnect are jointly organising the upcoming workshop "Ecological connectivity and spatial planning: From concepts to implementation" on 27-28 November 2023 in Ljubljana (SI).
The workshop is combined with the annual general assembly of the AlpPlan network. It is the first public event of the new format “AlpPlan/PlanToConnect Expert Platform on Green Infrastructure, Ecological Connectivity and Spatial Planning”.
Click here for more information.
The 37th edition of the Sondrio Festival (IT) took place from the 16 to the 26 November 2023!
Click here for more information.
The 2023 Youth at the Top event was a great success! A video contest was held for the very first time, and with around 30 member parks participating in the fun, a wonderful collection of videos was gathered. This year's theme: Forest - The Almighty! allowed youngsters to explore the importance of caring for our Alpine woodlands through various fun activities, and document their fun in a video montage. Follow the link to see the best of this year's video selection: clips by our top entries, and of course our winners - Naturpark Nagelfluhkette!
See our YAT website to read more.
The Renewable Energies in Alpine Protected Areas report is ready for download in the section below.
The Youth at the Top Video Contest is over!
Here are the results... Around 30 of our member nature parks gathered children from across the Alps to take part in adventures to explore the mountainous wilderness - it was a great success!
Following our theme 'Forest - The Almighty!', videos were sent from our participants, showing the activities that youngsters took part in while learning about the importance of Alpine woodlands, and how to protect our trees and forests. Choosing our winners was no easy feat, as there were so many great entries - but we would like to announce our video contest winner:
All their young participants did an excellent job in portraying the values of Youth at the Top, and showing their activities in learning about Alpine forests! Take a look at their winning video HERE. They will soon be awarded with a special prize for their winning video.
To read more, and to see which parks were awarded as runners up, take a look at the full article on the Youth at the Top website.
Take a look at all the winning entries by clicking HERE!