At a time when Europe’s natural heritage faces mounting pressures, national parks stand as beacons of hope, sustainability, and shared responsibility. But in the Czech Republic, a pivotal moment is unfolding—one that calls for both reflection and resolve.

In an open letter addressed to Czech legislators, the President of EUROPARC Federation— a leading network of Protected Areas—shares a strong and reasoned stance on the future of the Křivoklátsko National Park and the broader implications of changes to nature protection legislation.

This is more than a policy issue. It’s about how we choose to value and protect the landscapes that define us—ecologically, culturally, and internationally.

As the voice of Europe’s Protected Areas, EUROPARC stands ready to provide its full support and expertise to assist in safeguarding the integrity of national parks in the Czech Republic.

Read the full letter from the President of EUROPARC Federation, along with letters of support from Nationale Naturlandschaften e. V., Karkonoski Park Narodowy and Bavarian Forest National Park Authority

Each year, EUROPARC pays tribute to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to nature conservation across Europe, through a distinguished body of work and a lifetime of experience. The Alfred Toepfer Medal—named in honour of Dr h.c. Alfred Toepfer (1894–1993), founder of the EUROPARC Federation—is presented during the Annual EUROPARC Conference. Nominated by members of EUROPARC, this prestigious award serves as a recognition of excellence, allowing the achievements of dedicated professionals to be formally acknowledged and esteemed by their peers.

Nominations for the Alfred Toepfer Medal 2025 are open!

Nominations are submitted by EUROPARC members, and the selection is made by a jury composed of representatives from the EUROPARC Council. Do you know someone whose dedication or achievements in nature conservation and Protected Areas deserve recognition? If so, you are encouraged to put them forward for the award.

Submissions can be made by any EUROPARC member until 23 June 2025, 14.00hrs (CEST).

Please use the online form to submit your nomination.

If you need inspiration, discover here ( https://bit.ly/2SSzUUX ) the holders of the Alfred Toepfer Medal.

We look forward to receiving your nominations!

Four case studies highlighting successful approaches to visitor management in Protected Areas. 

Adapting to Increased Visitation: Practical Approaches to Visitor Management in Protected Areas

The post-pandemic era has witnesses a remarkable surge in visitors to Protected Areas, creating both opportunities and challenges for park management. This article explores four case studies of visitor management approaches. Each case demonstrates successful practical strategies for balancing public access with environmental protection.

©Petra Niskanen

Case Study 1: Limits of acceptable changes (LAC) as a method for sustainable nature tourism in Sipoonkorpi National Park

Situated close to Finland’s capital city, Sipoonkorpi National Park has noticed a significant increase in nature based tourism since Covid-19. Though it is great for people to be out in nature, this increase of visitors has had negative social and ecological impacts such as visitor compaints and negative effects on wildlife. To manage this change, Sipoonkorpi National Park has implemented a new strategy that aims to dynamically track these negative impacts and to take necessary measures.

©Strava.com Heatmap

Case Study 2: Detecting cycling activities with the use of Strava Heatmaps; Use of online available data in questions of visitor management

Lobau, a protected area of riparian forest along the Donnau in Vienna, is within a district that is expected to have a population increase of 50% in the next few years. This poses a threat to wildlife and recreational visitors in the Donau-Auen National Park. Fitness tracking applications like Strava can provide evidence of misuses of trails. The park staff have begun to collaborate with key stakeholders and partners to enable quick action such as key communication strategies in order to ensure the proper use of the park’s trails.

©Parc Natural de Cap de Creus

Case Study 3: Regulation of frequentation and access at Cap de Creus Natural Park

Parc Natural de Cap de Creus has encountered challenges with visitors disrespecting pre-existing park rules and regulations. Addressing this issue became a priority to safeguard natural sites, particularly those that are environmentally sensitive. Strict measures were taken up to enforce the regulations with physical barriers and clear communication by both the park staff and local businesses. Monitorring the result has demonstrated improvements in visitor behaviour.

Case Study 4: Carrying capacity: visitors study in Parco Nord Milano, a periurban park

©Parco Nord Milano

In order to make better assessment for the development of an effective park management plan, data is required, and that is what the Parco Nord Milano aims to pursue. The park set an ambitious goal to understand its visitor demographic using both new technology and on site staff members.

These case studies show that effective visitor management in Protected Areas requires an integrated approach, combining scientific monitoring, technology, community engagement and dynamic strategies. As nature tourism continues to grow, the lessons learnt from these parks provide valuable inspiration for park managers looking to address similar challenges.

Do you have interesting initiatives that you would like to share with us? Or would you like to submit a case study? Please visit our Knowledge Hub!

The Protected Areas In-Sight is EUROPARC’s annual journal, which follows the theme of the EUROPARC Conference. Discover the latest edition now! Available in English, French and German.

Effective Management, Better Parks

The Protected Areas In-Sight aims to inspire its readers with success stories from across the EUROPARC Network. This issue of the Protected Areas In-Sight explores how we can strengthen the management effectiveness of Protected Areas through collaboration, learning and innovation.

New approaches are emerging to bridge gaps and drive meaningful change through more effective and inclusive management.

Michael Hošek

writes EUROPARC’s President, Michael Hošek, in the Magazine’s editorial.

The 2024 edition of our Protected Areas In-Sight explores four key pillars to the E-Forum theme “Protected Area Management Effectiveness”:

• Planning
• Governance
• Capacity Building
• Communication

It includes 12 articles from Protected Area Professionals across Europe, showcasing the stories and projects with a shared commitment to building resilient and well-managed conservation areas that benefit both nature and people.

Powered by the EUROPARC Community

As always, the Protected Areas In-Sight would not exist without the dedication of our network! In this edition, you will find articles from:

• The European Environmental Angency writes about dangerous tipping points;
• Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland share experiences of their management effectiveness evaluation;
• Fungobe sharing their experience on good governance in Protected Areas;
• Youth voices from Biosphere Reserves share their journey from dialogues to formalising a national network;
• The E.C.O Institute for Ecology shares how to communicate effectively to close the science-practice divide;
• The “Frame of Life” movement shares how effective citizen science can drive nature conservation;

Furthermore, interesting insights from our projects such as the LIFE ENABLE, MPA4Change, LIFE PAME Europe , Interreg Europe GREENHEALTH and Horizon Europe NaturaConnect projects explore what is needed for nature conservation that is future-ready.

Discover it yourself! You can flip through all three versions here:

English 

Français

Deutsch

If you’d prefer to download the Protected Areas In-Sight, we invite you to check out our digital library, where you can also find all previous editions.

EUROPARC members will receive a physical copy of the Protected Areas In-Sight in the upcoming weeks.

The publication of the Protected Areas In-Sight is co-funded by the European Commission. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them.