The 12th European Conference on Ecological Restoration SERE2020 will take place in Alicante (Spain) between August 31 and September 4, 2020. Participants can look forward to discussing challenges facing ecological restoration in post-2020 Europe.

A New Green Deal For Europe’s Nature

Ecological restoration is increasingly present in our lives. The UN Declaration of 2021-2030 as the Decade of Ecological Restoration clearly responds to social concerns and shows ecological restoration as an opportunity to fight major environmental problems. Yet, international high-level initiatives should scale down and translate into concrete actions.

What are the challenges facing ecological restoration? And how can ecological restoration promote the recovery of damaged, degraded and destroyed socio-ecological systems in these critical times? Between 31st August and 4th September 2020, the 12th European Conference on Ecological Restoration SERE2020 will be a great opportunity to discuss these questions.

2020 should be the turning point to develop an ambitious transversal European strategy for ecological restoration that will help member states meeting the ambitious targets agreed in Aichi.

Science and political action towards socio-ecological restoration

In parallel, the conference also aims to explore the profound changes in European societies, linked to the search for new ways to understand growth and re-define human role in the Biosphere.

Europeans look astonished at the magnitude of the global damage and hesitate on how to establish a healthier relation between culture and nature.

The early-bird registration will begin on January 27, and will be open until 3rd June 2020.

Proposal Submission is now open

Do you have ideas that you want to share at the conference in the form of a symposia, workshop or course? The period of proposal submission is open until January 17!

Find more information and guidelines on the website.

Congratulations! Star Awards 2019 winner “Reducing the impacts on the environment”

“La calma, cultura i lleure“, which means “The calm, culture and leisure” in Catalan, is the EUROPARC Star Awards 2019 winner in the category of “Reducing the impacts on the environment“. They manage “El Bellver” a 100% energy efficient restaurant, which is a must when visiting El Montseny Natural Park and Biosphere Reserve. In this category, EUROPARC has evaluated the efficient ways undergone to reduce energy, waste, resources consumption in order to have a lighter impact on the environment.

Supporting the environment and the community

The restaurant is located in a big “Masía“, an old traditional country house, in the heart of Montseny Natural Park, and only reachable by foot. They also offer other services to the visitors and clients, for instance, they manage an interpretative museum about traditional knowledge where educative and guiding activities are organised. As an outstanding sustainable destination, they collaborate economically or by logistics with local farmers, companies and regional projects related to nature conservation to create a network that improves the situation of the Park.

Photo: La Calma

The use of local products is the main company’s seal of identity. Around 80% of them come from the region or from Catalonia, including material used for business and management. Besides, almost half of them are ecologically produced, such as eggs, flour, dairy products, meat, fruits, and vegetables.

Furthermore, they manage their consumption carefully to avoid waste. By transporting all the products on their own, the use of unnecessary packaging is minimal. In the kitchen, the organic waste is composted of if possible, used to feed the animals. They also have a biologic depurative system for the grey waters, the process ends in a lagoon with vegetation and filtering gravel that treats the water and sends it back to the rivers.

Photo: La Calma

The flavour of self-sufficiency

El Bellver count with systems and infrastructures that allows it to be 100% self-sufficient in terms of energy and water. Among those it can be found:

• Lightning and low consumption appliances
• Solar panels
• Energy Accumulation Batteries
• Movement sensors
• Inverted gasification biomass boiler with a thermal buffer tank

We don’t need to be connected to the electric service, so we don’t pay any bill

Thanks to the presence of a mine underground, a supply of water filtered by the grasslands and pastures of Montsenty mountain massive is always available. To make the most of it, they recycle the water used in the kitchen if possible for the orchard. They even use the water of the rooftop for cleaning. Other measures are:

• Water’saving measures in the bathrooms
• Informative panels for the clients

Photo: La Calma

An online public voting is now running, to select one winner out of the five awarded, who will be invited to present their business at EUROPARC Conference 2020. VOTE NOW!

Like every year, EUROPARC invites you to join the Siggen Seminar, a two-day interactive event on the north-eastern coast of Germany. This year, the Siggen Seminar will focus on Climate change adaptation. Register now to secure your place!

>> Click here to pre-register <<

During the seminar, participants will: 

• Better understand the basic concepts and ideas underlying protected area management in a changing climate;
• Meet and exchange with experienced nature conservation professionals who will share their insights through concrete examples of protected area management planing in a changing climate;
• contribute to the design of a draft recommendation for policy makers.

When?

Siggen Seminar Estate © EUROPARC Federation

From 23rd to 26th March 2020
Workshop on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25/3/2020

Where?

Gut Siggen Seminar Center 23777 Heringsdorf, Germany
See how to get there below

How much does it cost?

The seminar is FREE for members of the EUROPARC Federation (meals and accommodation included). Participants  ONLY have to cover their own travel costs to and from the event. If your organisation is not a member of the EUROPARC Federation, please contact us.

Working language?

The working language during the seminar will be English.

About Siggen Seminars and the Alfred Toepfer Stiftung

Bringing together Protected Area professionals to learn together, share experience and knowledge in various aspects of Protected Area management and innovate new ideas is at the heart of the EUROPARC Federation’s work.

With the enlightened generosity of the Alfred Toepfer Stiftung F.V.S. we have access, annually to their private seminar centre at Gut Siggen in North Germany, hugging the Baltic Sea coast. Alfred Toepfer Stiftung’s founder was also one of the Federation’s founders and played an important role in its growth and development.

Siggen Seminar 2019

Read the outcomes of previous Siggen Seminars

How to get to the Siggen Seminar Center? 

The Siggen Seminar Center belongs to the Alfred Toepfer Foundation and lies on the north-eastern coast of Germany in the county of Holstein. It is a 20 minute taxi ride from the nearest train station, Oldenburg (Holst), and a five-minute bike-ride to the nearest beach.

Please contact EUROPARC with any questions you might have and download the pdf Directions to Siggen to learn how you can easily reach it by plane, train or car.

This activity is supported by:

The support of Alfred Toepfer Foundation is highly appreciated by EUROPARC Federation and the continuation of the annual seminars will ensure that all members can actively contribute to the ongoing strategic development of the Federation.

Nature plays a crucial role in today’s society. The challenges of increasingly sedentary and urbanised lifestyles, growing number of physical and mental health problems, and especially the occurrence of the term “nature-deficit disorder”, call for new remedies…

New research and initiatives are being developed to support the promotion and recognition of Protected Areas as active actors in public health. In this Protected Areas In-Sight 2019, you will find “in-sights” into the connection between nature and human health, and an overview on how the initiative is being implemented around the globe.

Following the launch of the Healthy Parks, Healthy People Europe initiative at the EUROPARC Conference 2019, we challenge Protected Areas to become natural health centres and an active player in the well-being of their community, so you will also find 5 key areas waiting for your action!  Europe needs healthy parks, to provide opportunities for healthy people.

In addition to health, this edition brings you also interesting readings on EU Biodiversity policy, climate change, periurban parks and outdoor sports, and case studies on marine conservation, cultural heritage, transboundary cooperation and sustainable tourism.

Protected Areas In-Sight 2019 available in 3 languages

The Protected Areas In-Sight is annually produced by EUROPARC in English, French and German. You can download the version you need below. Drop us an email if you would like to receive a paper copy (write to barbara.pais at europarc.org).

ENGLISH_Protected Areas In Sight 2019 FRENCH_Protected Areas In Sight 2019 GERMAN_Protected Areas In Sight 2019

If you would like to read the previous editions, visit our library here.