Celebrating International Day of Education with an example of co-creating education together with young people

International Day of Education

As a network passionate about Protected Areas, we also recognise that what happens outside their boundaries plays a decisive role in shaping interest, understanding, and protection within them. This is where education and youth work play an important role, creating bridges, helping others connect their behaviour with the natural world and building support for nature conservation.

For the International Day of Education 2026, UNESCO chose to highlight “The power of youth in co-creating education”, showcasing how young people are active partners and making education more sustainable, relevant and inclusive. Our EUROPARC Youth Representative Michelle Herrmann, shares with us a story of a youth-led initiative from the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve.

The power of youth in co-creating education: an example from the Swabian Alb, Germany

Wastefulness and the overuse of natural resources are among the major challenges of the 21st century, particularly in industrialised countries, where average households already consume more resources than the Earth can regenerate. In the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve, Germany, three motivated young students set out to address this issue by engaging the next generation in a creative and hands-on way.

Rather than focusing solely on discussion and appeals for behavioural change, the young instructors chose an alternative approach: giving discarded materials a second life and highlighting their hidden value. In cooperation with RegiNa e.V., they organised a two-day workshop in which waste materials were transformed into playable music instruments.

The project involved 20 pupils aged nine to ten from the Gemeinschaftsschule in Münsingen. On the first day, the children learned about resource use and waste generation and reflected on the value of everyday items that are often quickly discarded. During the Christmas holidays, they collected materials from their homes that could potentially produce sound. On the second workshop day, the instructors guided the children in building a variety of instruments from these materials, while also encouraging them to realise their own creative ideas. Together, they constructed and tuned banjos, percussion instruments and even a bottle piano.

In the next phase of the project, the children will learn a piece of music using their self-made instruments and present it to their classmates at the school’s summer celebration in July. The workshop not only raised awareness of resource efficiency but also inspired the children, who were surprised by the sounds and rhythms that can be created from “waste” with a little imagination and openness.

Are you interested in more innovative youth-led projects? Check out EUROPARC’s Knowledge Hub Youth section to see case studies of other Protected Areas working together with young people.

The project was financially supported by the bw-Stiftung.

We are pleased to warmly welcome AlbNatyra as a new member of the EUROPARC Federation. AlbNatyra is a leading Albanian non-governmental organisation dedicated to nature conservation, sustainable land use, and community engagement, with a strong focus on Shebenik National Park and surrounding protected areas.

For more than two decades, AlbNatyra has worked at the intersection of biodiversity protection and local livelihoods, supporting protected area management, empowering local communities, and ensuring that conservation efforts remain socially inclusive and culturally meaningful. Their work aligns closely with EUROPARC’s mission to connect people, nature, and place across Europe.

Below, we introduce AlbNatyra’s work through a short interview that highlights their experience in youth engagement, sustainable grazing, protected area management, and wildlife conservation.

Engaging Youth in Conservation at Shebenik National Park

What strategies have been most effective in motivating local youth to participate in conservation activities within Shebenik National Park?

(c) Albnatyra

Our most effective strategies have focused on hands-on learning and creating a strong sense of belonging. Through summer schools, citizen-science expeditions, and outdoor workshops, young people gain practical skills in biodiversity monitoring while developing a direct connection with the landscape.

We also collaborate closely with teachers and schools so that conservation activities become part of a continuous learning process rather than isolated events. In addition, involving young people in community discussions has increased their motivation, ownership, and long-term engagement in conservation.

Supporting Shepherds and Sustainable Grazing

What challenges do shepherds currently face, and how does AlbNatyra help ensure that grazing remains both sustainable and culturally important?

(c) Albnatyra

Shepherds today face shrinking grazing areas, increased interactions with wildlife, and changes in traditional pasture management caused by forest succession and limited institutional support. These pressures threaten both livelihoods and long-standing pastoral traditions.

AlbNatyra addresses these challenges by facilitating dialogue between shepherds and the Regional Agency of Protected Areas (RAPA), documenting traditional ecological knowledge, and promoting management measures that keep key pastures open. Through meetings, field visits, and awareness activities, we support grazing practices that balance conservation needs with cultural heritage.

To help keep pastoralism attractive to younger generations, we have also supported several shepherds with eco-tourism training and provided photovoltaic panels to improve living conditions in mountain areas and enable them to host visitors.

Strengthening Park Management and Decision-Making

(c) Albnatyra

You are heavily involved in supporting the implementation of Management Plan measures and METT assessments. Can you describe a specific instance where your support made a measurable difference?

We provide continuous training for rangers and have established a Volunteer paMonitoring Group that helps identify gaps in patrol coverage and emerging habitat threats. Each year, we assess the implementation of the Shebenik National Park Management Plan and review progress made by RAPA.

By offering practical, targeted recommendations, our support has contributed to improved enforcement, increased operational efficiency, and stronger alignment with priority conservation measures outlined in the Management Plan.

(c) Albnatyra

Wildlife Monitoring and Stakeholder Collaboration

What recent monitoring findings or stakeholder discussions have had the greatest influence on conservation actions in the park?

One of the most significant recent findings has been the confirmed presence of the Balkan lynx in the Shebenik core zone, alongside increased activity of other key species such as roe deer, wolves, and bears. These results provided strong evidence for the importance of maintaining quiet zones and limiting harmful infrastructure development.

Discussions with RAPA, local guides, and community members have also highlighted concerns related to riverbed extraction and pasture degradation. These stakeholder insights have guided our advocacy efforts, improved seasonal patrol planning, and shaped targeted awareness activities.

Looking Ahead

AlbNatyra’s commitment to evidence-based conservation, community participation, and protected area excellence makes them a valuable addition to the EUROPARC Federation. We look forward to collaboration, knowledge exchange, and joint initiatives that strengthen protected areas across Europe.

Welcome to the network, AlbNatyra!

(c) Albnatyra

Empowering Youth through UNESCO’s MAB Programme

The article below is written by Marla Schulz, EUROPARC Youth Council Member from 2023 – 2025. Her engagement with EUROPARC began at the 2023 Conference in Leeuwarden while she was an intern at Nationale Naturlandschaften (EUROPARC Germany). During this time, she was active in setting up a Youth+ group for young people interested in biosphere reserves in Germany and running peer-to-peer capacity building workshops. She recently took on a full-time position at NNL and helped select the next cohort for the Youth Council.

My Perspective on the Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan and its relevance for other young people

My name is Marla Schulz, I am 28 and from Germany, and I have been actively involved in the UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme for several years. This programme is an interdisciplinary, intergovernmental programme with the overarching goal of sustainable use of the biosphere’s natural resources. I work to strengthen youth engagement both nationally, through Germany’s Jugendnetzwerk Biosphäre e.V. (Youth Network Biosphere), and across Europe, via the EuroMAB Youth Network.

The German MAB delegation attending the 37th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves in Hangzhou, China

Last year, I had the unique opportunity, through my position as youth representative on the MAB National Committee Germany, to participate in the World Congress of Biosphere Reserves in Hangzhou, China. This once-in-a-decade gathering brings together the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) to set priorities for the next ten years. At Hangzhou, the new Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan was adopted, defining how the WNBR will operate until 2035. What excites me most is Action Target 20, which specifically focuses on youth.

Action Target 20 aims to strengthen youth networks at national, regional and global levels, secure funding for youth activities, and create opportunities for young people to actively participate in decision-making at all levels of the MAB programme – from local Biosphere Reserves to international advisory bodies. By 2030, the plan envisions youth networks across all continents and 150 youth trained annually in skills that allow them to contribute meaningfully. By 2035, it aims for young people to have a stable voice in all MAB structures, ensuring our perspectives shape the future of biosphere reserves.

Youth networks in the MAB Programme are structured nationally and regionally. In Europe, we have the EuroMAB Youth Network; in other regions, networks include AfroMAB Youth, AsiaPacificMAB Youth, IberoMAB, and the ArabMAB Youth Network. Since September 2025, UNESCO has called on every country to appoint a National Youth Focal Point. Many countries have already implemented this, for example, Germany now has me as a National Youth Focal Point, a young person officially linking national youth activities to UNESCO. The aim is that these focal points, together with biosphere reserve youth representatives, are building strong networks for collaboration, learning, and action within their country.

Biosphere reserves can support Action Target 20 by creating spaces for young people to participate in committees and thematic networks, fostering skills, and ensuring that youth voices influence local management decisions.

Marla Schulz speaking at side events throughout the event

This is not only vital for participation but also helps retain young talent in the region and nurtures future leaders. National committees can further integrate youth representatives into international meetings, such as the MAB ICC or regional conferences like EuroMAB conference 2026 in Canada. Strong support from UNESCO, tailored capacity-building programs, and inclusive opportunities at all levels are essential to make this work.

Looking ahead, 2026 brings the 3rd Global MAB Youth Forum in Italy. Here, young people from across the world will come together to exchange experiences, build skills, and plan collaborative actions. For me, Action Target 20 represents an incredible opportunity: young people must take initiative, learn from each other, and shape their networks – while biosphere reserves, national committees, and UNESCO provide guidance and support. Together, we can ensure youth are a driving force in the future of the MAB Programme.

For those biosphere reserves in the EUROPARC network, we hope you are inspired empower young people within your areas and connect them with the EUROPARC Youth Community. Any questions can be directed to our youth officer, Jessica Micklem-Kolenić.

Kindly hosted by the Alfred Toepfer Stiftung, the annual Siggen Seminar offers a space for EUROPARC members to come together and discuss pressing matters in Protected Area management. Attendance to the seminar is completely free of charge – only travel needs to be covered by the individual. 

Nature Restoration Plans: The path towards implementation

In March 2026, EUROPARC will host the Siggen Seminar 2026. The event aims to bring together leading experts to focus on one of the most pressing challenges for nature conservation in Europe: turning restoration planning into effective action. The seminar will take place from 17–18 March 2026 at the Gut Siggen Seminar Center in Heringsdorf, Germany, with arrival on 16 March and departure on 19 March.

With all EU Member States required to submit their National Nature Restoration Plans by September 2026, this seminar comes at a crucial moment. Protected Areas are expected to play a central role in implementing these plans, particularly within Natura 2000 sites. The Siggen Seminar 2026 will therefore focus on the practical steps needed to move from policy and planning to real, measurable restoration outcomes on the ground. Participants will jointly explore the policy context, restoration priorities, the role of Protected Areas, impact assessment, and the learning needs of Protected Area managers.

A key outcome of the seminar will be the co-creation of a Restoration Action Plan training course curriculum, as well as an accompanying online Nature Restoration Planning Toolkit. These resources, to be finalised in 2026, will support Protected Area managers and national authorities across Europe, especially those at an early stage of their restoration journey, by providing guidance, case studies, lessons learned and practical tools.

Why should you join?

As a participant in the Siggen Seminar 2026, you ensure that your knowledge and experience can be multiplied and made impactful across Europe. It will support you, and users of the Toolkit and potential training course, in fulfilling the obligations set under the Nature Directives and the Nature Restoration Regulation. Furthermore, it is an opportunity to showcase the work of your country or Protected Area to the larger European Protected Area community.

The seminar is free of charge and open exclusively to EUROPARC members, with up to 12 places available. Applications are open until 12 February at 12:00 CET, and early application is strongly recommended due to limited capacity.

Read the full seminar description, eligibility criteria and application details on the dedicated event page:

Siggen Seminar 2026 – Register now

Made possible thanks to the kind support of the Alfred Toepfer Stiftung.