From 1973 to 2023 – EUROPARC is 50!

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2023 marks the 50th Anniversary of the EUROPARC Federation. We will celebrate this milestone throughout the year. Of course, we ask our members to join us!

50th Anniversary of the EUROPARC Federation

For 50 years, EUROPARC has been connecting People and Parks. With over 400 members and countless exchanges: EUROPARC has a vivid and rich history to look back on. The very core of our organisation is, of course, our members. With our celebration, we want to highlight your story and the essential work you are doing on the ground. 

A lot has changed in Europe; in the Protected Area community; and at EUROPARC itself. Celebrating 50 years will grant us the opportunity to look back, but also envision the future that Europe, and its nature, needs. A future in sync with nature, with Protected Areas as pioneers of nature protection, celebrated and respected by society.

So, ready to celebrate with us?

It is quite simple: get out your camera or your phone and record a short, 30-second video message finishing the following sentence:

For me, the EUROPARC Federation is…

Additionally, feel free to share what your wishes are for the next 50 years of EUROPARC, a fond memory of the network, or the story of how your Park is connected to the organisation. We want to hear from as many members & partners as possible! 

You can send your videos through this form or post them directly on your social media. Feel free to create reels, collages or stories, just be sure to tag us and use #EUROPARC50!

Facebook & Twitter: @EUROPARC

Instagram: @EUROPARC_Federation

YouTube: @EUROPARCFederation

LinkedIn: EUROPARC Federation

We will share your messages on our social media, our website and potentially even a special feature at the Conference… We welcome you to send & share messages throughout the year. If you are unsure how to start, have a look at our video guidelines. However, don’t feel restricted: you can get as creative as you want to!

Of course, we will celebrate this milestone at our Conference, so be sure to register now and make use of the early bird rates!

Register now

A picture is worth a 1000 words…

Do you have any pictures from EUROPARC Conferences, meetings, projects, or other events over the past few years? Then we’d love it if you could send them our way! If we can gather enough input, we might be able to make a EUROPARC photo album. 

Feel free to share this inside your organisation, we welcome multiple inputs from members!

We look forward to receiving your messages.

Learn more about our rich history

To kickstart our celebrations, we visited someone who was at the very beginning of the EUROPARC Federation: Herr Köpp. He shared his inspirational story with us of how the first Protected Areas in Europe came together, despite political turmoil. Check it out here:

Job opening: NaturaConnect – Project officer & Communication Support

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EUROPARC is currently looking for a project officer & communication support.

Position: NaturaConnect – Project officer & Communication Support

Full time/ 3-year contract
Remote working
Start date: Ideally march or beginning of April 2023

The EUROPARC Federation is Europe’s biggest network, supporting and representing the work of Europe’s Protected Areas. As a member organisation with interests in nature conservation, sustainable tourism development, capacity building and European environment policy development and implementation.

Description

This post will provide primarily communication support across the work of the EUROPARC Federation. This will include the promotion of the EUROPARC Federation, communication with members, production of content for social media, website, produces publications, annual report, brochures and other materials.

The substantial part of the position will work in conjunction with the NaturaConnect Project Manager and will focus on the production of capacity building materials. As a skilled and creative communicator, you will have some experience of delivering training and capacity building on and offline. A well-organised approach to work and experience in delivering complex project outputs are essential.

Get the full description here

Application process

Please send a full CV and letter of application indicating specifically how your skills and experiences meet the criteria and requirements listed below.  

Please complete the online application form in English (with CV, Cover letter and certificates uploaded) no later than 23.59 pm on 08 February 2023.

Interviews will take place beginning with 20th of February.

Your contact person for any questions regarding the position is Ms. Marit Schnepf.

Protected Areas In-Sight 2022 – Climate Change; Resilient Parks

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Every year, the EUROPARC Federation publishes it’s magazine “Protected Areas In-Sight”. It details the theme of the Conference. This edition was created within the Natur’Adapt project and focusses on Climate Change; Resilient Parks.

Climate Change; Resilient Parks

This special edition of the Protected Areas In-Sight, produced as part of the LIFE Natur’Adapt project. It gives a first look into the Climate Change Adaptation Methodology that has been created within the project. Furthermore, there are articles from all over Europe detailing the actions that are already happening on the ground to adapt to climate change.

The articles in this Protected Areas In-Sight, detail that tool and the change undertaken in and around our Protected Areas on a community-level, that can inspire the change we need ona global level.

Says EUROPARC’s Executive Director, Carol Ritchie.

There is a lot of work to be done on streamlining the different climate change and biodiversity policies. After all, they are two sides of the same coin. We discussed this in-depth with Nicola Notaro, Former Head of Nature Unit, Directorate-General for Environment at the European Commission. The article discusses what the EU Commission is doing to support Protected Areas, as well as how member states can support to achieve greater coherence and effectiveness when it comes to climate change adaptation.

We also delve into nature restoration: what is the role of Protected Areas? And is there a trillion euro opportunity waiting for us? This is detailed by James Stuart, former convener of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Of course, there are also many examples of what our Protected Areas are already doing, from involving youth in climate change actions, to Periurban Parks support in keeping our cities green. It’s all waiting for you, in this edition of the Protected Areas In-Sight!

Read it in English
Read it in French
Read it in German

Thank you to our partners!

We want to thank everyone that helped contribute to this Protected Areas In-Sight, in particular our authors

  • James Stuart, Director, One Planet Consulting Ltd.;
  • Marianna Bassalou BASOULOU, Forester-Environmentalist, at Philodassiki;
  • Olivier Courbon, Project Manager for Consultation & Territorial Strategy at Agence Luth Médiations;
  • Anne-Cerise Tissot, Réserves Naturelles de France;
  • João Cardoso de Melo, Marlene Marques and Débora Henriques, Sintra-Cascais Natural Park in Portugal;
  • Valentina Cappanera, RELIFE Project Coordinator for Portofino Marine Protected Area;

Present your work, business or project @ the EUROPARC Conference 2023!

Market place at the EUROPARC Conference 2022 in Austria - Sebastian Freiler

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EUROPARC Conferences bring together experts in Natura 2000 and Protected Area Management, offering them the ideal occasion to network and exchange. This year we will meet in the Netherlands from 3 – 6 October. You can already sign up for our ‘Landscape Festival’ and Market Place!

About the Conference

From the 3rd to the 6th of October, the EUROPARC network will come together in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, to pay “Tribute to our Landscape” at the EUROPARC Conference 2023. Our landscapes are part of the most valuable natural, social and cultural treasures of European society. Landscapes are where nature and people meet and interact in the past, present and future. We will celebrate the beauty and diversity of the versatile European natural and cultural landscapes. Humans have had an impact on the European landscape for centuries. This has created some of our most iconic landscapes, however it has also resulted in dis-harmony between people and nature. This EUROPARC Conference wants to help participants discover how we can connect people and nature, in order to find long-term harmony.

We want to learn from the past, to understand the present and build the future.

Furthermore, it will provide us with the excellent opportunity to celebrate our 50th Anniversary!

 

As always, the Conference will give ample space to our members & partners to present their work. Whilst registration will open later this year, you can already secure your place for our Landscape Festival and/or the Market Place!

Landscape Festival – 3rd of October 16:30 -21:00

The Landscape Festival provides businesses and organisations working in the field of nature management with the opportunity to present their innovative developments, processes, or technologies, to inspire conference delegates. A central element of the Landscape Festival is to provide interactive demonstrations or experiences.

Who can exhibit at the Landscape Festival?

Businesses, organisations, but also Protected Areas are invited to sign up for a space. The goal is to show innovative work. This can be a project, product, process, or even a campaign you’ve been running. EUROPARC members taking part in the Conference are free to participate and are given a space of 2×2 meters. From external companies, we ask for a fee of 350 euros (excl. VAT). Apart from your space, this also includes dinner for one person during the evening and, of course, the chance to present your product or work to around 350 Conference participants. It is also possible to present a pitch in a separate room.

Is your Protected Area working with innovative organisations or businesses? Then do feel free to invite them to partake in this event!

Market Place – 4th of October 17:00 -21:00

A trusted format of the EUROPARC Conferences: The Market Place is back! Those that have been to a EUROPARC Conference before will know that this is an excellent opportunity to network, share information and present your Protected Area.

Who can take part in the Market Place?

All European Protected Areas taking part in the Conference, as well as EUROPARC Sections and Commissions, are welcome to present their work. There is again a space of 2×2 meters available. Only if you need extra material like audio or visual equipment, as well as electricity, will there be additional costs.

Great! How can I sign up?

If you want to sign up for either the Landscape Festival or Market Place, or if you have further questions, you can contact:

Conference 2023

We look forward to seeing you there!