In the context of the ALPARC “Mountain Environmental Education” Working Group, Alpine Protected Areas (APA) Education project leaders met in Mallnitz in the Hohe Tauern National Park from 17th to 19th October 2012. This second international meeting was organised by ALPARC in partnership with the REEMA and the host park.

This second international meeting was organised by ALPARC in partnership with the REEMA and the host park. It was an opportunity to exchange ideas on different perceptions of mountains and the Alps, to enhance practices and to consolidate ties.

Several leads for common projects throughout the Alpine arc emerged from this workshop which showed once again the complementary nature of the partnership between the REEMA and ALPARC.  

“In Austria you immediately feel richer ………..in mountain culture”

"Hans Keuschnig and Birgit Wirnsberger, from the Hohe Tauern National Park, gave us a very warm welcome in their magnificent Centre de visiteurs BIOS (Besucherzentrum BIOS) in Mallnitz. Common goals and the first lines of collective action in this field were defined thanks to presentations of experiences concerning young people and mountains, a forum about tools to help them to find out about the alpine heritage and collective thinking around the relationship between young people and mountains today.
But how can we not mention the discovery of local products from each park taking part, the magnificent visit to the “BIOS” National Park Centre, the beautiful excursion in the Seebachtal during which Michael Knollseisen, a park ranger, let us observe a couple of bearded vultures……. in short, everything that makes the meetings of the alpine protected areas in Europe so rewarding.
As always, Isabelle Roux for the REEMA and Marie Stoeckel and Guido Plassmann for ALPARC together led this three-day workshop in masterly fashion, combining depth of collective thinking and human warmth during this precious time spent together. German, Italian, French and Slovene resounded in unison with help from English , of course, but beautifully united and whose fruits you will discover in the information about the 2013/2014 programme which will be proposed to the administrators of the Alpine protected areas.
To close, a visit to Mitterstill allowed all the education project leaders to discover a new way of going over passes with cars on goods wagons and, above all, a fantastic second Visitor Centre in the National Park , as recent, ambitious and spectacular as it is educational.
A magnificent synthesis of our work, these two visitor centres combine the most modern technology and supports to put across the cultural, natural and landscape heritage of the Alps. What a lesson!"

Claude Dautrey - Parc national des Ecrins, participant

Join the “Mountain Environmental Education” Working Group

If you are in charge of environmental education in an alpine protected area and are interested in the work of this group open to all, do not hesitate to contact Marie Stoeckel so that your name can be added to the list of group members and you can access the shared documents and results of these meetings.

Link(s) :

• Nationalpark Hohe Tauern
• REEMA Alpine Network for Mountain Environmental Education (France)