If you know someone who has dedicated himself to nature conservation in Europe and protected area work, then please consider nominating this person for the Alfred Toepfer Medal. Nominated by EUROPARC members this gives an opportunity to the work done to be praised and valued by peers. The award is given publically at the annual EUROPARC conference.

You have until 29 May 2015 to nominate candidates for the Alfred Toepfer Medal by filling in the form below and then sending it to: k.reichhardt@europarc.org

If you are looking for inspiration from previous years, have a look at our page dedicated to previous Alfred Toepfer Medal winners and the one dedicated to the Alred Toepfer Medal. 

Good luck to all of the candidates!

Many of you have registered for the European Day of Parks and we are very pleased to announce that 19 countries are on board and have planned more than 100 activities such as excursions, workshops or local markets for the 2015 edition.

Below you can download the booklet with the list of all the events taking place in Europe.

So have a look and check what activities your local park has prepared for this special day!

How to organise an event?

1) Register here for the event.
2) Have access to the logos, cards and posters we have prepared for you!

Join the European Day of Parks 2015 initiative and make this day an unforgettable event!

Dear members, partners and friends,

Life Logo

We warmly encourage you to vote for your favourite environmental project and your favourite nature project, from the winners of the Best of the Best LIFE Projects 2014.

The Best of the Best are those judged to have been the most inspiring LIFE projects. They are meticulously selected by environmental experts according to rigorous criteria.

This year’s Best of the Best winners have been announced lately. In all, some 13 projects have been recognised as being particularly exemplary. Of these, eight fall under the environmental category and five under the nature category.

The objective of the Best Projects exercise is to identify and raise awareness of those projects whose results, if widely applied, could have the most positive impact on the environment. The system for evaluating completed projects funded through the LIFE programme considers projects’ contribution to immediate and long-term environmental, economic and social improvement; their degree of innovation and transferability; their relevance to EU policy; and their cost-effectiveness.

The most inspiring LIFE projects completed during 2014 will be honoured at a prestigious award ceremony taking place during EU Green Week in June 2015.

The public voting for the LIFE Community Awards is now open to everyone! You can find here the full list of the 13 Best of the Best winners. To find out more about all 42 winning projects check out the Best Projects section of the LIFE website.

28 – 31 May: “Little Sydney: Protecting Nature in Europe”; Donau-Auen National Park (AU)

IUCN and the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), in conjunction with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water, and the Donau-Auen National Park, will organize a conference entitled “Little Sydney: Protecting Nature in Europe”.

The conference will be held in Hainburg/Donau-Auen National Park, Austria and will discuss, share and showcase original approaches for conservation and development arising from the IUCN World Parks Congress 2014; and facilitate the implementation of the Promise of Sydney in the European context.

The Little Sydney conference is a milestone international event aimed at finding long-term sustainable solutions for Protected Areas in Europe and EUROPARC members are encouraged to participate.

To register and have more information about the conference programme, visit Little Sydney webpage.