How can we maximise the power of outdoor sports to make our lives and societies ever greener and healthier? This is the main theme for the 6th edition of the Outdoor Sports Euro’Meet conference.

A key event for the sector

The Outdoor sports Euro’meet is the strategic outdoor sports event and brings together key stakeholders committed to outdoor sports sustainable development. The Euro’meet provides a unique and engaging conference format that encourages interaction, networking and high-quality knowledge sharing. This event brings together outdoor sports experts, decision makers, outdoor sports federation representatives, practitioners researchers from the outdoor sports sector, national agencies, academic institutions, local authorities, not for profit organisations and businesses from all over Europe for experiential learning, development and sharing.

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Three days, three topics: one goal

It’s now more important than ever to become proactively involved in the transition to a greener outdoor sports sector. Therefore the Outdoor Sports Euro’Meet 2022 conference will address three essential topics, within the theme “Green Sports for a Greener and Healthier Europe”, that will provide opportunities for in depth discussions and inspiration.

Balancing access, activities, and protection: We must not take nature for granted. At the Outdoor Sports Euro’Meet 2022 we will focus on how to develop and carry out projects in Protected Natural Areas and reduce our climate impact. We will also raise the question on how to go beyond sustainability to promote restoration of nature and biodiversity in our practices.

Be active, be healthy, be outdoors: We know, that the outdoors and outdoor sports are effective tools in health promotion and disease prevention, but which activities do actually work best? How do we organize our activities and communicate effectively to target groups that are not “the usual suspects”? The conference will create discussion points and share solutions to these key aspects.

Welfare and the power of the outdoor: There are many opportunities for integrating nature and outdoor activities in existing public welfare – in existing schools, daycare, health care and many more aspects of our societies. How do we move on from goals, policies and strategies to actual projects and activities? How do we involve our communities in this transformation of public welfare? The Outdoor Sports Euro’Meet 2022 will bring a focus on how we can take action on these important questions.

Propose a workshop and showcase your project

This conference will be based on active participation. This is why we encourage participants to propose engaging workshops, or to showcase their own practice-based or research project results that could inspire other participants to turn knowledge and experience into action. We are also seeking your nomination(s) of outstanding projects, initiatives which have recently demonstrated exceptional achievement and commitment to promoting the development of outdoor sports and be aligned with the shared vision of the European Network of Outdoor Sports Charter.

Secure your ticket* now to join the most important event for the outdoor sports sector!

*Special discount applies on conference fee for ENOS Members.

The International Day for Biological Diversity is celebrated every year on May 22nd to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.

Biodiversity is a term used to describe the enormous variety of life on Earth. It refers to every living thing, including plants, bacteria, animals, and humans. It is essential for the health and balance of our planet and may be the answer to many sustainability challenges. From nature-based solutions to climate change, health issues, food and water security, and sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity is the foundation upon which we can build back a better, stronger and shared future for everyone.

The slogan announced by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) for Biodiversity Day 2022 is:

Building a shared future for all life

Biodiversity Day 2022

As we continue to build on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework to be adopted at the upcoming UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15), let’s take a moment to remind ourselves of the importance of biodiversity and celebrate it all together!

Activities

Explore the Convention of Biological Diversity’s website and choose an activity to follow, an event to attend, or simply get inspired by all the opportunities and proposals out there:

• 22 Actions for Biodiversity
• Organize your event or activity!
• Download and use all materials and logos (you can also customize them just as we did!)

To conserve biological diversity is to protect the Earth, our shared home and to build a shared future for all life.

This is the message from H.E. Mr. Huang Runqiu, Minister of Ecology and Environment, President of #COP15. You can find many more messages on solidarity and highlighting the importance of addressing the biodiversity crisis on this page.

Join the Global Biodiversity Festival

The Global Biodiversity Festival is a virtual global event for anyone! The goal is to raise awareness on biodiversity loss. On 20-22 May, they’ll share the diverse stories and challenges and successes of scientists, explorers, conservationists, film-makers and policy makers on the front lines of the race to save the incredible variety of life on our planet, us included.

Are you ready for 80 hours of live broadcast with over 160 speakers from all 7 continents and 60+ countries? The event is open and free to join for anyone from anywhere, but registration is required to join the talks and events. Find more information and register here!

EUROPARC and biodiversity conservation

Biodiversity conservation is one of the main goals of our beautiful Protected Areas. As EUROPARC, we celebrate and promote efficient conservation policies, knowledge-sharing and good management practices that respect or enhance biodiversity. We strongly believe it is our Parks and Protected Areas that hold the solutions to biodiversity and climate crises. This is why EUROPARC and other leading organisations in charge of some of the largest tracts of Protected Landscapes and Marine Environments across the world have signed a joint statement at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).

You can read the statement here.

Rethink, Restore, Reconnect

European Day of Parks is just around the corner. Only 11 days left! Events and activities are happening all around the 24th of May. You can find promotional material in many languages here.

In order to rethink, restore and reconnect, we are bringing you 11 examples of events being organized around Europe.

Register your event now!

Germany – 24 May 2022 – European Day of Parks photo contest

Share your most memorable moments and beautiful experiences in and with nature on website and social media pages. Nationale Naturlandschaften e.V. (EUROPARC Germany) and Verband Deutsche Naturparken are organising this German-wide contest together. Participants have the chance to win an overnight stay or other exciting prizes!

Spain – 28 May 2022 – Kayaking tour

Montgrí Natural Park, the Medes Islands and the Baix Ter invite you on a kayak tour to discover the natural values ​​of the Montgrí coast with a specialized guide. What better way to connect to nature than on the water?
More info can be found here.

France – 22 May 2022 – La Grande Traversée du Parc

The Montagne de Reims Regional Natural Park is organizing the Grande Traversée, a very beautiful 22-kilometers hike between Rilly-la-Montagne, Germaine, Mutigny and Aÿ! You will pass through an exceptional vineyard listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site before plunging into an Exceptional Forest, in the heart of the Montagne de Reims Regional Natural Park.

Don’t want to walk that long?

No worries: you can enjoy the festive stops all day long (food, artisans markets, and entertainment) in Rilly-la-Montagne, Germaine and Aÿ-Champagne! Other hiking routes will also be possible from each village: come and test very pretty loops at Rilly-la-Montagne (7 km), Germaine (2 km) and Aÿ-Champagne (10 km).

More information here.

Italy – 24 May 2022 – Natura Itineris Pollino: scopri, osserva, valorizza

The PollinoNational Park will organize walking experiences, immersed in the woods and geological landscapes of the Park, to discover the geopark (UNESCO heritage) and the biodiversity of the woods of the largest Protected Area in Italy.
Find out about all the offered routes (morning and afternoon) here.

UK – 17 May 2022 – Barns, Walls and Bridges

On May 17, the Yorkshire Dales National Park offers a 4 mile (6.4 km) walk through the stunning natural landscape of Upper Wensleydale to explore the dry-stone walls, field barns and bridge, and enjoy stunning panoramic views along the way. The walk includes the woodland and magical waterfalls of Shaw Gill (a Yorkshire Dales hidden gem) and starts at the Dales Countryside Museum.

More information can be found here!

Finland – 26 May 2022 – Birdwatching event by the Lake Muoniojärvi

National Parks Co-Partner Institute, Vocational Institute of Lappia organize this yearly bird watching event with wilderness guides and National Park rangers in training. This event is targeted to the 10-12 years old pupils of the local Elementary School of Muonio, but welcomes all others to join nice outdoor event.

Participants will be able to enjoy load of migratory bird info and also the learning session “How to make useful knots”. The National Park will also offer coffee, tea and sausages by the open fire. Welcome!

Hungary – 28 May 2022 – Bison safari

On Sunday, May 28, Őrség National Park Directorate is organising a unique adventure for wildlife lovers! A visit the Őrség Wilderness with an off-road bison safari! Under strict safety standards, participants will observe the largest terrestrial mammals in Europe up close. The staff will show the life traces of the bison and talk about the results of the program so far.

You can find more information here.

Austria – 26 May 2022 – Eintauchen in den Nationalpark

Interested in experiencing the diverse nature, habitats, animals and plants of the “Green Canyon” of the Thayatal?

The Thayatal National Park organises a 3 hours ranger tour aimed at anyone who has a little more time and would like to spontaneously immerse themselves in the national park and its colourfulness.

More information can be found here!

Netherlands – 24 May 2022 – Op de Paden Bingo

Get on the trails and out in nature with Op de paden bingo!

The National Parken Nederland cooperation has set up a bingo experience for this European Day of Parks. Various themes are reflected on the bingo card (one for inland and one for seaside National Parks around the Netherlands), such as biodiversity, attention to the landscape and of course people. Spot the different insects, flowers, mammals, and much more and complete your bingo card! The activity will help participants pay close attention to the beautiful nature around them and reconnect to our natural heritage.

More information can be found here!

Spain – 24 May 2022 – “We are nature: reflect, restore, reconnect” Conference

EUROPARC Spain is organising a Conference in which several restoration initiatives will be presented. The event is aimed at nature conservation professionals from public administrations, non-governmental organizations and private entities. Registration is free.

More information can be found here.

Romania – 24 May 2022 – European Day of Parks 2022 at Enduro Ranch Park

The Enduro National Park organises events for families and the general public to reconnect and bring people closer to nature.

More information can be found here.

The European Day of Parks is a European-wide celebration for people of all ages and backgrounds. We welcome the wider EUROPARC Network to organise events and register them on our website here.

Revision and updates to evaluation procedures are extremely important to review the management effectiveness of Protected Areas. Here is a best practice example of what has been done in Germany. 

Version 2.0 of the publication “Quality Criteria and Standards for German National Parks” presents a revision of the quality criteria and standards for evaluation of national parks, to fulfil the UN Convention on Biology Diversity (CBD) and the CBD’s “Programme of Work on Protected Areas” (PoWPA), as well as to the subsequently formulated Aichi Biodiversity Targets and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Evaluation process for national parks in Germany

The main goals of the evaluation are:

• Identification of strengths and weaknesses in the National Parks and their reasons.
• Long-term management and, where necessary, improvement of the quality of park management by the national park administrations.
• Promotion of inter-state exchange between the National Park administrations.
• Contribution to fulfilling Germany’s duties and obligations from agreements within the framework of the CBD, including implementation of the “Programme of Work on Protected Areas”.

The process of revision

Read it here

In Germany, the evaluation procedure adopted in 2008 went through a process of assessment of weaknesses over the years. This is why before the next evaluation between 2021 and 2024, a project was carried out to optimise, integrate and further develop the quality criteria and standards, to achieve a better evaluation method.

The parties involved in this work were the German federal and state governments, the National Park administrations, and the umbrella organization Nationale Naturlandschaften e. V. (formerly: EUROPARC German Section). Their collaboration contributes to the enhancement of the quality of the national parks, as well as to the preservation and development of biodiversity in Germany.

To show suitable and proven methods for this purpose might also be of interest to other countries and can enrich the international discussion of evaluation methods, which is why we want to share the new Quality Criteria and Standards with you.

– Sonja Miller, Head of Business Cooperation, EUROPARC Federation Networking Centre

The aims of the project of revision

• To improve the internal consistency of the quality set consisting of activity areas, criteria and standards by reducing redundancies.
• To summarise or reorder individual activity areas, criteria and standards.
• To sharpen the content and language of the standards.
• To consider possible synergies with integrative monitoring of large-scale Protected Areas.

The revised and updated quality criteria and standards

• Include new topics such as environmental management and sustainable procurement, accessibility and inclusion, and participation.
• Define eight instead of ten activity areas. These are differentiated by 42 criteria (instead of the previous 44).
• Include adaptation of the evaluation questions, to enable faster and clearer responses to the questions, minimising the time requirement.
• Include a new glossary with the definition of 37 key terms administrations, essential to the understanding of the questions and standards.

New revised version of the quality criteria and standards for German national parks

The publication is available for download online in German and in English.