Europe’s Nature-Regional-Landscape Parks (October 2014 – July 2017)

Project logo Europe's Nature, Regional and Landscape Parks

The Value of Europe’s Nature, Regional and Landscape Parks

EUROPARC has recognized the value of Europe’s Nature, Regional and Landscape Parks as living learning landscapes. Covering large areas across Europe, these parks play an important role in protecting Europe’s biodiversity. At the same time they safeguard the cultural heritage of places.

Therefore the Federation is glad to be a partner in the project “Europe’s Nature-Regional-Landscape Parks”, led by the Association of German Nature Parks (Verband Deutscher Naturparke, VDN). The three year project (2014-2017) aims at strengthening cooperation and fostering experience exchange among Nature, Regional and Landscape Parks across Europe, supporting them to excel in their important work. Gathering up to date information on their tasks, outcomes and benefits for society will help promote the value of Nature, Regional and Landscape Parks towards European decision makers.

1st meeting VDN project "Europe's Nature, Regional and Landscape Parks" © EUROPARC Federation

1st meeting VDN project “Europe’s Nature, Regional and Landscape Parks” © EUROPARC Federation

The project is funded by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Bundesamt für Naturschutz, BfN) in cooperation with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety.

A surveyGathering up to date information

The first step in the project consists of gathering information about Nature, Regional and Landscape Parks in Europe (EU 28 plus others) from networking organizations or authorities responsible for the management of Nature, Regional or Landscape Parks. An online survey will address questions like: What are the parks’ activities in the field of nature conservation? What do they do to promote sustainable development of rural areas and sustainable tourism? How are the associations and parks organized and managed? Which kind of educational offers do they provide? The answers to these and other questions will be analyzed in detail.

Study visits Learning from each other

To promote the direct exchange between European Nature, Regional and Landscape Parks, VDN will visit several European park associations and parks in 2016. During these study tours VDN will gather more detailed information and share good practice examples from across Europe. The main results of the survey and the visits will be published in a brochure in English and German. A digital version of the brochure will be available for download on this page.

Events in Brussels and Berlin Strengthening the profile

Despite their vital importance for the sustainable development of rural areas in Europe the value and potential of European Nature, Regional and Landscape Parks is largely untapped. Therefore, a key issue of this project is to highlight the importance of these parks for nature conservation, environmental education, sustainable regional development and environment friendly tourism to politicians and decision makers. VDN and EUROPARC Federation will present the results of the study in Brussels to members of the European Commission, the European Parliament and others, as well as in Berlin to German policy makers.

A book about Europe’s Nature, Regional and Landscape Parks

The project will culminate in a book showing the tasks and objectives, the diversity and the value of European Nature, Regional and Landscape Parks. In this publication, parks and their umbrella organizations can present themselves in a chapter. Furthermore the main results of the survey and study tours will be summarized and suggestions to decision makers will be made. It will be the first time that the work and achievements of Europe’s Nature, Regional and Landscape Parks will be presented altogether in one book.

Further information on the project can be found on its website www.european-parks.org