Working Group news

01.06.2011

First steps taken in the Sustainable Tourism Working Group

The first meeting of the new EUROPARC Sustainable Tourism Working Group (STWG) was held in 24.-25.5.2011 in La Garrotxa PA in Olot, Catalonia, Spain. Seven members of the STWG had opportunity to join the meeting, which begin to realise the list of tasks on the road map accepted by EUROPARC Council in last April.

Firstly, the STWG analysed the roles of different actors in the European Charter processes. In addition, the coordination of different working groups and external projects was discussed thoroughly. Finally the STWG focused on innovative ideas for possible EU-funded development projects covering sustainable tourism and protected areas.

Lasse Lovén, chair of the STWG and representative of Nordic-Baltic Section, sees the future for protected area oriented tourism remarkably promising. Quality is now a target for development and the funding opportunities are diverse. At the same time several projects and working groups are developing methodologies towards more sustainable and responsible tourism activities. Following-up and coordinating these activities is the key issue for the STWG in its role of providing expertise for the EUROPARC Council, particularly regarding the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism. The STWG will work in close connection with the Charter area network.

Author: Lasse Loven

01.06.2011

News from the EUROPARC Protected Areas and Health Working Group

This spring, the EUROPARC Working Group on Protected Areas and Health has been involved in two major events.

Working Group meeting in Scotland

On March 28-30, the working group, which consists of members from the Nordic-Baltic and Atlantic Isles sections of EUROPARC, met in Scotland. The meeting had two main purposes: To provide a detailed account of the policy agenda and the key initiatives in operation (or under development) in Scotland and the Nordic-Baltic states. Plus, to discuss possible partnerships between members of the two sections on a joint project and proposed EU funding bid.

The meeting started off in the Scottish Natural Heritage’s (SNH) offices in Silvan House, Edinburgh. The key players and present situation in both sections were introduced, before moving on to more detailed presentations of the Scottish Health & Environment policy and Green Exercise Partnership and discussing the current research agenda and evidence base. While more and stronger clinical evidence of nature’s beneficial impact on health is always desirable, there is already plenty enough evidence to act!

On the second day, the small Swedish-Finnish delegation took the train to the SNH offices in Battleby, for a day full of presentations of currently up and running health projects. Among those were the Health Walks and Green Gym initiatives and Branching Out, an award winning project where patients suffering from poor mental health are offered environmental activities based in woodlands.

On day three, in the Forestry Commission offices in Silvan House, the next steps of the Working Group were outlined. A project, and the possibility to assign time and resources, would clearly further our work. Metsähallitus Natural Heritage presented their proposal for a EU funding bid and different partnership possibilities in relation to various EU funding instruments were discussed.

Nordic Workshop “Frisk i naturen”

Little more than a month later, on May 9-10, the same Nordic-Baltic representatives attended the Nordic workshop “Frisk i naturen” (≈“Healthy in nature”), held in Holmenkollen, Norway. The workshop provided an opportunity to get an overview of the different players in the nature-health arena. In a meeting following the official workshop, the organisers – a project also called Frisk i naturen– and our Working Group initiated discussions on the possibilities for future collaboration.

The Frisk i Naturen project has been running for two years, funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. It consists of outdoor recreation organisations and the health sectors from each Nordic country.  

Documentation from both these meetings is available on the EUROPARC Nordic-Baltic section website 

The representatives of the Nordic-Baltic Section - Arto Ahokumpu and Matti Tapaninen of Metsähallitus, FIN, and Lena Malmström, coordinator EUROPARC Nordic-Baltic section, SE – would like to thank all contributors to both meetings. A special thanks to the Scottish Natural Heritage and the Forestry Commission for the excellent organisation and generous hosting in Scotland.

The next health Working Group Meeting will take place on September 22, as a side meeting during the EUROPARC Conference 2011 in Germany.