EUROPARC Conference

The EUROPARC Conference is the event of the year for those working in Europe’s Protected Areas and Natura 2000 sites.

Parks in the Spotlight: Powered by People, Inspired by Nature

Register now!

Building on the success of our first online conference last year, we are delighted to be able to announce a EUROPARC ONLINE conference 2021 Parks in the Spotlight Powered by People; Inspired by Nature, will be on 6th and 7th October, in your very own living room, bedroom, dining room or office! Wherever you can access from your phone or computer, we will be there with you.

In many global and European policy frameworks Parks and Protected Areas have finally been identified as having a significant role. So, at this moment Parks are in the “Spotlight” across multiple agendas. This is our chance to “shine” and highlight how things are achieved “on the ground” and to indicate what more is needed to enable parks and Protected Areas to fulfil their potential and meet the challenges being presented.

Our conference will look at the practical management that turns political and societal topics, such as climate change, biodiversity restoration, health, tourism and economy (especially post covid), capacity building, technology, role of youth and agriculture into reality.

Inspired by Nature, it is the People of Parks, the staff, their communities, partners and stakeholders that make the necessary changes happen.

You can find all information and registration on the official Conference website.

Special offer for members

EUROPARC members enjoy a discount of 50 euros when registering for the conference. Additionally, when registering three people from a member organisation, the third person can join for free!

Keynote speakers

As can be expected from a EUROPARC Conference, we will have stimulating Keynote Speakers to set the tone for the conference. On the morning of the 6th of October, we will have three

Speakers to give us an inspiring start. They will consider, from differing perspectives, how the Parks and Protected Areas community need to respond to this spotlight they are under. We will be joined by:

• Ladislav Miko, environmental expert and politician. Ladislav currently works as Deputy Director General at the Directorate-General for Health and Consumer Protection
• George Holmes, Associate Professor of Conservation and Society at the School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, United Kingdom. George conducts research on conservation & conservationists, and the interaction between Protected Areas and local communities
• Frans Schepers, nature conservationist. Frans is the co-founder and Managing Director of Rewilding Europe.

Workshops

Conference delegates will have the option to choose from 10 different workshops. In previous conferences, it was often a tough decision to decide on which workshops to follow, as they would take place at the same time. To eliminate this problem, the 10 workshops will be available on BOTH days! Additionally, we are working hard on making the workshops more participatory, so get out your thinking caps, as delegates will not just be observers, but also “doers”.

Of course, delegates can count on workshops related to all big EUROPARC topics:

• Sustainable Agriculture
• Sustainable Tourism
• Youth involvement
• Climate Change
• Ecosystem Restoration
• Health
• Visitor Management
• Building Partnerships
• Technological innovation
• Periurban Parks

Speakers’ Corner

A proven format that we used last year will also make its return this year: the Speaker’s Corner. However, whereas last year presenters had 15 minutes, this year we’ve reduced the presentation time to 5 minutes! For one hour, 10 different presenters get the opportunity to “put the spotlight” on their projects. In this “speed dating format” the goal is to increase awareness about our members’ work and facilitate networking amongst our community.

As the enthusiasm of our members is generally unlimited and the number of presentation slots limited, a selection might be needed. Here is how it will be done:

• Applications will be selected by the Federation’s team to create a good cross-representation of projects covering the different aspects of Protected Area management.
• The speaker’s corner is open to the EUROPARC Federation’s members in priority.

Please note that Speaker’s Corner is a special offer for conference delegates! You will receive the form to sign up for the Speakers’ Corner within the conference registration email.

General Assembly

Additionally, EUROPARC members are warmly invited to join on the 5th of October for our General Assembly. This year is extra special, as it is an election year. All info on the process can be found here.

We invite you to get to know the current candidates for EUROPARC Council and President

“Tribute to our landscape – Where nature and people meet in harmony” 

It is with regret that the hosts of EUROPARC 2021 together with the EUROPARC Federation announce the decision to cancel the face-to-face conference that was planned for October 2021 and to postpone it to 2-6 October, 2023. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic there are currently too many insecurities to organise a successful event this year. We had been very much looking forward to welcoming colleagues from all over Europe in The Netherlands but since the conference is not cancelled, but postponed, we hope to see you all in good health in October 2023!

Sadly, as has just been announced, our face to face conference in the Netherlands, initially planned for October 2023, has fallen victim to the stringent regulations required and we have had to postpone it. We look forward to reconvening in 2023. The conference should take place in the northern part of the Netherlands, in the city of Leeuwarden.

Theme

The theme of the conference is ‘Tribute to our landscape’ | where nature and people meet in harmony.

Our Landscapes, are part of the most valuable cultural treasures of  the European society. It is where nature and people meet and interact in the past, present and in future.

Unfortunately, not always in harmony. We all realize societies in harmony with nature are crucial for present and future generations. The corona pandemic has emphasized that more than ever. Finding harmony in the  long run is the challenge. How can we act to meet this challenge, related to nature, human development, and sustainable economy?

Check out our previous Conferences.