Mreža zavarovanih območij v Alpah
On the 24th of May 2016 come to discover a park close to your place and taste local and traditional products!
Over 250 activities ongoing from May to June 2016 in 22 countries across Europe.
The initiative is organised by EUROPARC Federation to understand the link between protected areas and sustainable agriculture, and its importance.
For more information : http://www.europarc.org/library/europarc-events-and-programmes/european-day-of-parks/
Every year European Day of Parks takes place on and around 24th of May. It aims to bring people closer to nature and raise public awareness on the importance of the natural beauty preserved in Protected Areas and the importance of conservation and sustainable management of those places.
The European Day of Parks 2016 is under the frame " A Taste of Nature".
The European Day of Parks 2015 edition was under the frame "that Nature is our Business".
Further informations: http://www.europarc.org/nature/edop/
Do you work at a natural or cultural heritage site, at a museum, zoo, or botanical garden? Do you like to encourage people to search for a deeper meaning behind heritage, inspiring them to take ownership as citizens? If so, then our conference ‘Heritage interpretation – for the future of Europe’ is a good place to go.
Heritage interpretation is a well-tested way of connecting people and places. At the conference of Interpret Europe, organised by Herita, we want to stimulate thinking on how heritage interpretation can help to experience and take action on important European subjects such as sustainability, lifelong learning, human rights, active citizenship and peace.
Information & Registration : http://www.interpreteuropeconference.net/
Fedenatur and EUROPARC Federation have reach an agreement to create an organisation, representing parks from the city to the sea and from the metropolitan to the mountain tops. EUROPARC network will grow by 10%.
The combined Protected Area network will cover 40% of Natura 2000 sites (marine and terrestrial).
For more information:
http://fedenatur.org/en/news/news-detail/joining-forces-for-nature
Many results have been achieved. The Alpine Convention has opened out to young people, spurred on notably by CIPRA. However, solutions to other issues are more urgent than ever. An example of this is climate change, which calls into question current economic and tourism models. Answers could be provided through, among others, the Alpine Convention, which has at its disposal multiple contacts and areas of expertise thanks to its network of international cooperation. For a quarter of a century it has been behind numerous activities and initiatives (...)
Download the 2015 annual report of CIPRA International
The printed version can be ordered free of charge in German, French, Italian and Slovene from CIPRA International, Tel. +423 237 5353, international@cipra.org.
Read also the article : Opinion : 25 Years of the Alpine Convention are not Enough
Christophe Clivaz has co-authored a book about the future of ski areas and the impending change to the paradigm of Alpine tourism.
“Switzerland is warming up… and this is having multiple impacts on tourism, especially on winter tourism which is an economic sector made particularly vulnerable by its dependence on climate.
If there indeed seems to be the will to act, the results are still very mixed as far as coherence and coordination of measures of adaptation to the effects of climate change are concerned.”
In the film “People, Books and Mountains, The Quest for alpine literature”, produced by the Alpine Convention, authors from across the Alps describe where they find inspiration for writing and what their link to the Alps is. The film shows the author’s discussion on « What is Alpine literature” and “What are its characteristics” which was one of the events organized as to celebrate the International Mountain Day 2015 in the scope of the “Reading mountains” initiative launched by the Alpine Convention.
Furthemore the film features the almost 100 events that took place across the Alps in the scope of the initiative.
Due to the great succes of the «Reading mountains » initiative 2015, the General Secretary of the Alpine Convention asserts that they keep the initiative going also in 2016 and he is already looking forward to this year’s events.
More informations at : http://www.alpconv.org/en/organization/presidency/DE2015/IMD/default.html
Summer 2016 will provide the opportunity to take stock of the actions, initiatives and achievements of the 8 Pilot Regions for Ecological Connectivity since they were appointed in 2011 by the Alpine Convention. In fact, the process of appointing the Pilot Regions schedules regular assessment of their activities. An on-site visit and interviews are scheduled as part of this scheme and will make it possible to identify the strengths of the Pilot Regions and any specific future needs.
During the 14th Alpine Conference, which will be held in the week of 10th to 14th October in Grassau (Germany), in the framework of the Alpine Week, the Pilot Regions will have the opportunity to present their activities not only to the members of the Ecological Network Platform of the Alpine Convention, but also to the general public, at a session specially devoted to the subject in the Alpine Week programme. This event will also give the actors in the Pilot Regions the chance to share their experiences and know-how and to develop common perspectives for the future.
The Alpine Conference will also witness the presentation of a new publication especially devoted to the Alpine experience of creating an Alpine ecological network. In it the twelve years of experiences in this matter will be presented and analysed by a wide range of Alpine experts in the field in a large number of feature articles.
After its general assembly in January ALPARC has also organised a reunion of the “Groupe de Suivi National” (National steering group), where over 10 French participants came together (park directors and financiers). The goal was to discuss the strategy of ALPARC, the orientations of the working program and especially the needs and demands of the French members. At the end this day resulted in a discussion of the French seats in the administrative council of ALPARC with regard to the reappointment of the seats in 2017. Following the French example, the other countries could also form national steering groups in the ALPARC network.
A second key activity of the last few weeks was the international workshop “Wildlife and winter sport activities” which was held March 3 and 4 2016 in Lescheraines, in the French regional natural park Massif des Bauges. You can find the full article under this link.
More recently the 1st assembly of the administrative council of ALPARC in 2016 took place 7 to 8 April in Monaco. A video is available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/380cPyroqm0
Concerning our members, we want to welcome the Austrian Nature park Ötztal who has become a member at the beginning of the year. You can find the map and the complete list of members of the association under this link.
As for activities, ALPARC is following its work program and has recently submitted 4 project proposals to the Alpine space program. The results of the first round of selection will be published at the beginning of June.
In other news: this month, ALPARC welcomes a new Management assistant who will replace Marion. An Italian and an Austrian intern have also joined our team for the next 6 months: Welcome to Mathilde, Sara and Berti!
Current challenges like shortage of resources, urban sprawl, demographic change and climate change call for the development of regional solutions. As ‘future labs’ of sustainability protected areas have gained increasing attention in addressing those regional and global challenges. Today nature protection represents only one of their tasks and regional development has become one of their main fields of action. Regional nature parks, national parks, UNESCO biosphere reserves and world heritage sites have become key players in leading regions towards a sustainable development.
Therefore, an international group of university professors have edited a collective volume, giving different authors from all over Europe the possibility to share expertise and experience about tasks and objectives of protected areas. Selected case studies, theoretical discussions as well as analysis of innovative approaches, projects and forms of governance and management are presented. Thereby the book manages to give a comprehensive overview on the current situation of parks in Europe, their possibilities but also their limitations in tackling change, their future tasks and their role in promoting sustainability.
Source
Hammer, T., I. Mose, D. Siegrist & N. Weixlbaumer (Eds.) (2016): Parks of the Future. Protected Areas in Europe Challenging Regional and Global Change. Munich: oekom.
On July 12th 2016, groups of young people will meet in several protected areas and natural sites throughout the Alps in order to share a physical, human, cultural and artistic collective experience in the mountains.
Out in the Mountains !
All over the Alps people are disturbed by young people’s lack of interest in mountains. Is it a growing phenomenon?
Little by little people are beginning to realise that our children and young people are missing something … nature. Has contact with nature become a waste of time?
Omnipresent screens, hectic lifestyles, no more room to simply… go out. Yes, out, in the fresh air, into the woods or to the river. Sit in a meadow, listen, smell, observe. And then walk, climb, up the slope and maybe even reach the summit?
From France to Slovenia, the Alpine protected areas and mountain education actors are very keen to recreate or strengthen the link between mountain nature and young people from there and elsewhere
Because living in the Alps does not necessarily mean knowing the region and roaming about in it. Because “mountain experience is an educational experience”. Because the young people of our areas are also our discussion partners and tomorrow’s key players, and also because it is quite simply vital for every human being to have regular contact with nature.
A Unique Moment in Symbolic Places
So, amongst many other activities and projects, we have created an original way to take young people of the Alps to experience the mountains, spend a night up there, to rediscover the power of being a group and the values of citizenship and solidarity. A collective activity rich in symbolism: Youth at the Top!
What in Youth at the Top?
It is a project led by ALPARC*, in partnership with Educ’alpes, which mobilises groups of young people from 6 countries at a common annual date, in an active, civic process, with a symbolic and imaginative approach.
The project has a collective setting but at the same time leaves plenty of room for local initiatives.
*with in particular the financial support of the German Ministry for the Environment.
For the first test edition in 2015 around thirty events were organised simultaneously, near a summit or a refuge, including various activities: rock painting, land art, writing, wood carving, light painting, tales, treasure hunting, stargazing, climbing peaks, solidarity actions, meetings with mountain players, etc.
"I really liked being with mates, sleeping outside and also moving around in the mountains during the holidays! We saw an 8,000-year-old rock shelter and I really liked the history"
“I didn’t think I’d be able to do that… it’s a long time since I went mountaineering!”
For the 2016 edition: More than 50 simultaneous events have already been planned!
They will be run by the Alpine protected areas, youth workers, associations, refuges, communities, etc., with the participation of local professionals. The evening of 12th July will be a highlight of the operation, bringing the young people together around a collective artistic action on the theme of light.
In 8 Countries
This international collective action will be organised at the same time in six countries of the Alpine arc (France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and
Slovenia), which will make it possible to connect the different countries and symbolically overcome administrative and language barriers by taking the Alps as one sole great mountain region. This year for the first time, the Carpathians will also participate with 4 events (Romania and Slovakia).
So this will be a day that will mobilise several Alpine actors around a unifying, original action. Above all it will be a collective project to allow young people to “share an experience”, with the aim of making them aware of the value and importance of these mountain territories and developing (or rediscovering) a feeling of belonging there.
“Youth at the Top” in a Nutshell
Across borders: an international event concerning the Alps as a whole
Symbol: “Youth at the Top” mobilises groups of young people for mountains around one single date. For one summer night it lights up the fires of the highest and simplest solidarity throughout the Alps
Celebration: Offering a festive occasion based on the happiness of being in the mountains, the pleasure of roaming around there and at the same time doing something useful for the mountains and showing respect.
Together: Preparing an outing in the mountains together, directed to a summit, a pass, a mountain meadow, a historic site, a shelter, a refuge, a pastoral hut, a bivouac etc.
Mountain: Rediscovering a bond with mountains through feelings, observation, play, encounter, imagination, dreams and self-expression.
Experience: Going off in search of adventure, taking time to live and discover the mountains, savoring the little paths and the wide-open landscapes, the sky and the stars...
Sharing: Living as a group in the mountains and making new friends
Citizenship: Taking part in a solidarity action with mountain professionals: shepherds, refuge keepers, mountain leaders, players in nature and heritage…
Inter-cultural: Sharing thoughts with other mountain generations and other young people from the Alps
Self-expression: Creating small works of art and other forms of self-expression by photo documentaries or videos and publishing them, using the image as the universal language of the Alps.
Night: For a real personal night experience in the mountains and creating beautiful personal memories.
2016 Edition Organising Partners
The international jury designated the winners of the nature photo contest " Fotografare il parco" 11th edition out of more than 300 contestant. The contest is organized by Italian National Parks of Stelvio, Gran Paradiso and Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise and in the French National Park de la Vanoise.
More informations and the awarded pictures are available on the website: http://www.fotografareilparco.it/en