Guardian of Europe’s Periurban Parks: Celebrating Marià Martí Viudes, 2025 Alfred Toepfer Medal Winner

The prestigious Alfred Toepfer Medal, awarded annually by the EUROPARC Federation, honours individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the protection and management of Europe’s natural heritage. Named after EUROPARC’s founding father, it is awarded by the EUROPARC Council. In 2025, this honour is bestowed upon Marià Martí Viudes, a visionary leader whose lifelong dedication to the conservation of Collserola Natural Park and to the promotion of peri-urban nature across Europe has left an enduring mark on both landscapes and minds.

A Lifelong Commitment to Periurban Parks

For more than 28 years, Marià Martí Viudes has been at the heart of efforts to preserve and enrich Collserola Natural Park, the vast green lung overlooking the city of Barcelona. Under his stewardship, the park developed as a space for people and nature to flourish together — balancing ecological preservation with public enjoyment.

Through his strategic management and forward-thinking vision, Collserola has become a model Periurban Park. A benchmark for how nature and urban life can coexist in harmony. Marià has successfully ensured that conservation goals go hand in hand with recreational use, providing immeasurable benefits to the well-being of Barcelona’s inhabitants.

Championing Peri-Urban Nature Across Europe

Marià Martí Viudes’s influence extends well beyond the boundaries of Collserola. As a founding member and long-serving General Secretary of FEDENATUR (the European Federation of Periurban and Metropolitan, Natural and Rural Areas), he played a central role in shaping Europe’s understanding of peri-urban conservation.

Recognising the unique pressures these natural areas face, from urbanization to habitat loss, he tirelessly advocated for their recognition within European environmental policy. His leadership helped transform FEDENATUR into a collaborative network of Park managers, scientists, and policymakers, sharing knowledge and solutions across the continent.

Under his guidance, FEDENATUR later merged with the EUROPARC Federation, ensuring that Periurban Parks became an integral part of Europe’s Protected Area network. EUROPARC’s permanent Periurban Commission, as well as the Periurban Representative on the EUROPARC Council provide a unified voice for Periurban Parks within the network.

Inspiring Global Recognition

Marià Martí Viudes’s commitment also reached the international stage. Through his advocacy within the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), he successfully promoted the recognition of Periurban and metropolitan Parks as vital components of global conservation. His leadership was instrumental in the adoption of IUCN Resolution 4.128, “Setting up networks of protected urban and peri-urban natural areas.”

This landmark resolution has guided conservation initiatives worldwide, reinforcing the principle that nature conservation must extend into the spaces where people live, work, and play.

A Mentor and Visionary Leader

Beyond his institutional achievements, Marià Martí Viudes has been an inspirational mentor and a tireless advocate for cooperation. He has shared his experience generously with new generations of conservationists, managers, scientists, civil servants, and practitioners alike, instilling in them a deep understanding of the value of peri-urban natural spaces.

His collaborative approach has fostered dialogue between ecology and urban planning, helping build bridges between citizens and nature and between policy and practice.

A Legacy of Balance and Vision

The Alfred Toepfer Medal 2025 celebrates Marià Martí Viudes’s exceptional contribution to the protection of Europe’s peri-urban natural areas and his enduring impact on the people who work to protect them.

His legacy lies not only in the thriving landscapes of Collserola, but in the international movement he helped build. A movement that recognises that the meeting point between city and nature is not a line of tension, but one of balance, opportunity, and hope.