Celebrating 100 Years of National Parks in Europe

Project Background

Europe’s protected areas are the life support system of the continent and the repository of its iconic landscapes and cultural treasures. Our national parks are reservoirs of biodiversity; sources of water, cultural and economic assets; and places of recreation and spiritual replenishment. They also play an important role in the discussion about climate change as well as in the realization of the CBD (Convention on Biodiversity) guidelines.

In 2009 Europe celebrates the 100th anniversary of the establishment of its first National Park in Sweden. To mark this occasion the EUROPARC Conference in 2009 (9 – 13 September) will address the theme “100 years of National Parks in Europe. A shared inheritance; A common future”. In addition, EUROPARC have developed the project “Celebrating 100 years of National Parks in Europe”. The project aims to proclaim anew the values and benefits of National Parks across Europe and examine their 100 years of history through a number of great outcomes.

Watch a great video by the photograph and biologist Johann Hammar about the first nine parks in Sweden.

Project outcomes

The first outcome is the book "Living Parks: 100 Years of Protected Areas in Europe", which was launched recently at the EUROPARC Conference in Stromstad. The book takes its readers on a journey through the last 100 years of national park history. It looks at what national parks are and examines their past, present and future. Detailed profiles of the first parks, founded in many European countries, highlight the diversity, beauty and complexity of these green gems.

EUROPARC members pay a discounted price of 11€ per book (including postage) for their first orders so we suggest you order in bulk. The book would be great as a present or could be sold in visitor centres at its orginal price of 14,90€. An order form for the book can be found below. Please send them to Cornelia Ehlers either per fax, post or email (fax number on the form). There are currently only a few discounted copys left so get your orders in quickly before they run out! You can also order the book via amazon.com and amazon.de for the original price. Just search for 'Living Parks'.

A mobile exhibition of the same name, introducing the public to the first national parks in 34 European countries, their issues and assets, has also been produced and will be travelling around Europe to various events in many countries over the next 12 months. We are looking for organisations who might want to host the exhibtion in 2010 and ask those who are interested to contact Morwenna Parkyn for more information.

Acknowledgements

This project would not have been possible without a number of individuals. So our thanks go to ECO Germany; Vaclav Hraba; NatureBureau; Oekom Verlag; all those at EUROPARC Consulting; the contributors Professor Adrian Phillips, Patrizia Rossi and Erika Stanciu for their great contributions and Eurosite for their help producing these two great project outcomes.

We would especially like to thank all of the individuals from the national parks in the book and exhibition for the detailed information and photos of these fantastic places and for their willingness to help us with any other questions that we had.

And last but not least we would like to thank the following organisations for supporting the project financially TUI AG (DE), the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Klagenfurt University Masters Programme “Protected Area Management” (A), the Alfred Toepfer Stiftung (DE), the Irish Heritage Council (I), the Heinz Sielmann Stiftung (DE), the Direktoratet for Naturforvaltning (NO), Stichting Samenwerkingsverband Nationale Parken (NL), Österreichische Bundesforst (A) and Natural England (UK).

Last updated December 2009