Conference 2010
Living together. Biodiversity and Human Activites: A Challenge for the Future of Protected Areas
EUROPARC is proud to invite you to attend the next annual EUROPARC conference in 2010 which will be held in Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise National Park (IT) from 29th September to 02nd October.
2010 has been proclaimed the International Year of Biodiversity. The EUROPARC conference will consider this important theme with workshops, excursions and speeches on the topic "Living together. Biodiversity and Human Activites: A Challenge for the Future of Protected Area".
Keynote speakers from Europe and internationally will consider the response we all need to make locally, in the face of global biodiversity loss. Full day workshops will examine practical solutions more thoroughly and offer an opportunity for all concerned with the management of Europe's protected areas to share experience and learn from each other.
On September 30th the keynote speakers will kick start the day, after which the EUROPARC General Assembly and side meetings will take place as well as entertainment and short trips for non-members. October 1st will be dedicated to excursions so that delegates have the chance to discover the beauty of the protected area. Last but not least, on Saturday 2nd participants will be full immersed in a number of interesting workshops, followed by the awards and certifications ceremony before the Gala Dinner. Departure is foreseen on 3rd. Preconference tours will also be offered.
Conference registration is now open! Register now and pay our regular fee of 350€ for members or 400€ for non-members (the offer is available until 20th August). The fee covers four days of conference, workshops, great keynote speakers, excursions and much more - a bargain we are sure you will agree! Registration will close on September 20th
Visit the official conference website, www.parcoabruzzo.it/europarc2010, for more information about the programme, location and more.
EUROPARC 2010: Human activities in Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park
We have already explored the richness of the biodiversity in Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park (ALMNP) in fitting with the theme of the EUROPARC Conference 2010: "Living Together, Biodiversity and human activities: a challenge for the future of protected areas." So this month we look at the human activities in the park, particularly the services offered to tourists.
The creativity of products for tourists in the park is very rich and diversified. They range from park regulated trails; to one day to one week trips; thematic educational activities and workshops for adults and children. Tourists can visit beekeepers, bakeries and artisans or choose different sports such as horseback riding, canoeing on the lake etc etc.
Inside the park there are many small and micro enterprises: a rich patrimony of ideas, of personal enthusiasm and of creativity. Those offering nature, culture, art and tradition; those advertising a “different” tourism; and tour operators that are the direct expression of their territory, whose relationship with the park is of strategic importance for the supply of products and services.
People visit the national park because of its values. There are many tangible values that can be appreciate in the park such as museums and visitor centres, picnic areas, appropriate trails, characteristic and well-preserved historical centres, hotels and restaurants and typical local products. On top of this come the intangible values, such as tradition, history, nostalgia, harmony, link with the territory and last but not least, the priceless value of the protected nature.
These values are reflected in the park label which is given to businesses etc within the park boundaries. A tourism product with this label shows that those offering the product have thought about the park and its surroundings in a unified way and then "taken action" with the production of their activity, whatever that might be.
This year the park paid extra attention to the quality of these activities and produced a "Catalogue of Activities 2010". The activities in the catalogue, such as stables, workshops with the presence of animals are important because they bind new and environmentally friendly activities with traditional activities. In addition they facilitate local rural development. The catalogue, printed for summer activities and published on the website for the activities of the rest of the year, is the first small step in the right direction for ensuring high quality products in the park and certainly bodes well for the future.
By focusing on the park’s biodiversity and its activities at the conference in September the hosts are able to offer you a great overview of the most important features of the ALMNP. So register now for this great experience! The ‘regular fee’ is now running, which is only €350 for members. This offer expires on august 20th when the late and most expensive fee will kick in.
Looking for information on previous conferences? Then follow this link: Past EUROPARC Conferences
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