The network belongs to its members; do you work for or within a protected Alpine area?
Alparc is yours!
Take part in the decision-making process for the future!
During this period of transition and evolution, it is up to you to (re)appropriate this network able to connect parks, ideas and enthusiastic and captivating people.
We invite as many of you as can to come to the next General Assembly on 4th September 2012 at Val Poschiavo (CH) to take part actively in the creation of the Alparc association.
Say what you think!
In order to support Alparc in its process of evolution, present the value of this network and convince political policy-makers and new financial backers to support the protected Alpine areas, we are launching an appeal for testimonials!
A page on the ALPARC website presents the proposals of the network’s instigators: experiences, messages of support, arguments, memories, anecdotes… show what the Alpine Network of Protected Areas can provide for the staff of national parks and nature reserves in the Alps, especially with regard to their daily work: see here for the first reports .
We appeal to you: tell us of your experience with Alparc, and what the network (its meetings, its instruments and its publications…) have given you.
There are two ways to do this:
- Call one of the staff on the Alparc team on +33 (0)4 79 26 55 00 to leave a spoken account (in all languages* except Slovene)
- Send your written account (in all languages*) by email to marie.stoeckel(at)alparc.org : a few words can be enough!
THANK YOU!
* *Alparc working languages = French, German, Italian, Slovene, English
WHY ALPARC?
What does ALPARC mean to you? What does international cooperation between protected Alpine areas bring you? These are the questions we have already asked some of you.
Apart from being perceived as a means to share experience and methods, a tool for putting together and guiding shared projects, ALPARC is also seen as a network that leads to greater openness and reciprocal enrichment… and it’s also a source of ideas, of renewal and a special approach!
ALPARC is… “putting together and implementing an interesting project together, but [also] meeting colleagues from other parks, sharing experiences, making discoveries, visiting other park offices […]; we broaden our knowledge base, which benefits our daily activities, which makes it two or three times as interesting!” PS
“For me, what’s important is having contacts and exchanges with other managers of protected areas. Before Alparc, our contacts, for example, were largely limited to our own country, and 20 years ago we had few contacts even with our neighbour, the Italian national park of the Stelvio, which seems unbelievable today.” HH
ALPARC is… “the actual existence of a collective intelligence, with the pleasure of being to think all together”. CD
“ALPARC also often sets up initiatives to take steps or implement projects that parks could never realise individually. The forces and means are shared. […] The shared projects that can only be done by a group of parks makes it possible not to have to reinvent the wheel.” HH
“Together with other partners, Alparc in this regard [ecological networks laid the first decisive stone to assure a modern protection of nature in the Alps.” HH
ALPARC is a matter of meeting: “which gives us new ideas and needed energy, not to do the same, but to innovate, to process new concepts and reinvent our own projects!” CD
ALPARC offers…”exchanges and cultural references enabling us to do our work better” GM
ALPARC offers… “a broader vision of what protecting nature means […]; for me, it’s an everyday thing now to work with other Alpine parks [and] I feel myself truly Alpine.” GM
ALPARC offers… “A broadness of approach that is beneficial and a real exchange of information. In a word, I would say that ALPARC is a trigger.” GM
Within the ALPARC network, “the protected areas work and rally together for the Alps!” HH
Extracts of testimonials from:
- CD: Claude Dautrey, Director of the Reception & Communication service, National Park Ecrins, France
- HH: Heinrich Haller, Director of the Swiss National Parc.
- GM: Guido Meeus, Environmental education service, National Park Vanoise, France
- PS: Pascal Saulay, Head of “Multimedia” service, National Park Ecrins, France
whom we wish to thank most warmly! Their full testimonials can be seen by clicking on the link.