No. 2/2014
European Wilderness Journal
National Park Vizhnitski, Ukraine
â‚Ź 7,50 Donation Fee
European Wilderness Journal
The future of wilderness in Europe Dear friends of the wild!
Wilderness
Letter to the editors
areas represent a vital part of Europe’s natural and cultural heritage. In addition to their intrinsic value, they offer the opportunity for people to experience the spiritual quality of nature in the widest experiential sense – beyond mere physical and visual attributes, but in particular its psychological impact.
“Very important stuff. Thanks for the updates with your Wilderness Newsletter“ – Jim O’Donnell Dear Jim, Registration for the Newsletter on our website is easy. You could also follow us on Facebook and Twitter or join our open Linkedin group. – Anni, European Wilderness Society
In order to properly identify, designate and manage wilderness, a standardised and international applicable definition of wilderness is needed. A definition of wilderness to be applied to the wilderness areas had been formulated for the “Conference on Wilderness and Large Natural Habitat Areas” in May 2009, and the Wilderness Working Group (WWG) of the Wild Europe Initiative (WEI) was established to develop this as a practical entity. WWG workshops were held during 2010 and early 2011 with participation from several of the WEI partner organizations, which generated a first draft paper: the “Discussion Draft: A Working Definition of European Wilderness and Wild Areas”.
“Thank you for this informative magazine. How can I subscribe?“ – Gerlind M. Dear Gerlind, if you want to subscribe visit our website and register and easily donate with paypal or credit card. – Anni, European Wilderness Society
Leading up to the WILD10 Conference in Salamanca in 2013, the feedback of several members of the WWG, NGOs, and Government organisations plus the practical experience gathered during the first applications of these criteria in several test sites, led to an update of the criteria. The European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System defines wilderness in a precise and concised manner that allows us to identify, designate and manage Europe’s wilderness across the continent. Read more on page 4. By the way, these and many other topics are part of our annual conference “European Wilderness Academy Days”. Thanks for supporting wilderness!
“Thank you for the complementary DVD “Wolf Mountains”. I loved the film so much. I recommended it to my friends. Hopefully, it is not the last film.” – Vasil K. Dear Vasil, nice to hear that you enjoyed the film. We have already secured the rights for another DVD as a Christmas surprise. – Anni, European Wilderness Society “There is certainly a great deal to learn about this subject. I really like all of the points you have made.“ – Marcus Verbrugghen “I think that setting an area as Wilderness is a very big choice for a public administration (and so for population involved). Therefore clearly defined criteria and transparency of the method are very important. Now I’m downloading “EWS Wilderness Quality Standard” file. It’s very interesting!“ – Dario Botti “This is at once a stunning result and yet not terribly surprising. Humans have become so separate from wild and wilderness and wildlife that we can’t see the forest for the trees so to speak.“ – Peter K.
Zoltán Kun, Chairman
Max A.E. Rossberg, Deputy Chairman
Vlado Vančura, Director Wilderness Development
2
Thank you! Thank you for the increasing number of subscribers who are donating € 50,- to allow us to write, edit, print and distribute the European Wilderness Journal.
Wilderness ticker ▲
Wilderness guidance document The EU Natura 2000 network is generally not a network of strictly protected areas in which no economic activities should take place. However, in specific cases, a wilderness approach can be the most appropriate or even necessary management approach for specific Natura 2000 sites. Those sites should host habitat types and species of community interest whose maintenance or restoration to a favourable conservation status is dependent on some degree of wilderness qualities and natural processes. And there will be sites for which a wilderness approach can be useful but not necessarily the only way to restore or maintain the species and habitats at a favourable conservation status. This guidance document is applicable to those specific Natura 2000 sites and can be downloaded from our website www.wilderness-society.org.
Large carnivore platform launched
▲
The European Union is home to five species of large carnivores; these include brown bear, wolf, wolverine and two species of lynx, Eurasian and Iberian. Historically these species have all suffered dramatic declines in numbers and distribution as a consequence of human activity. Due to increases in their prey and forest cover and favourable legislation the last few decades have seen populations stabilizing or increasing. However, while this recovery can be viewed as a great conservation success it has resulted in controversy in some areas. In response the EU Commission has initiated a range of measures including the launch of a large carnivore internet platform. For more information please contact Gudrun Pflüger, large carnivore specialist of the European Wilderness Society.
▲
Tasmanian wilderness saved with global effort
On 24 June the World Heritage Committee delivered a strong rebuke to the Australian Government by rejecting its request to de-list Tasmania’s new World Heritage forests. This is the success of a global effort, which our society contributed to with a strong letter of concern to the IUCN Advisory Board leading up to this decision.
See and meet us at the following events September
Bear and Human Interaction Workshop 11-12 September 2014, Trentino, Italy Wild Europe Initiative Steering Comittee 15 September 2014, Bruxelles, Belgium EU Commission Advocacy Meeting 16-17 September 2014, Bruxelles, Belgium Eurosite Wilderness Workshop 17-19 September 2014, Haarlem, Netherlands
7. Mostviertler Conf. Sustainable Tourism 22-23 September 2014, Pielachtal, Austria Natura 2000 Management Workshop 22-23 September 2014, Graz, Austria
October
European Wilderness Academy Days 1-4 October 2014, NP Hohe Tauern, Austria 18th Forum 2000 Conference 12-14 October 2014, Prague, Czech Republic
National Wilderness Conference 15-19 October 2014, in Albuquerque, USA Wildnis im Dialog 20-23 October 2014, Insel Vilm bei Rügen, Germany
November
IUCN World Parks Congress 12-19 November 2014, Sydney, Australia
www.wilderness-society.org
3
European Wilderness Journal
European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System The need for a wilderness standard Author: Vlado VanÄ?ura
One
of the main reasons for the absence of a coordinated strategy on wilderness and large natural habitat areas in Europe is the lack of a common wilderness standard. There are not only many different words in the various European languages for wilderness and wild but there are also many different interpretations. Therefore it is impossible to adequately promote, protect, restore an area if its qualities remain undefined, because they are understood differently according to geographic location, individual perception or local culture.
The benefits of a standard
It is important that any standard can thus be applied in operational circumstances. The European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System (EWQA) provides wilderness areas with: a) Improved compliance The European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System is compliant with all recent and existing wilderness definitions currently applied in most European countries. This provides easy integration into national and regional policies. b) Expectation fulfilment Adherence to the standards of EWQA helps ensure visitor satisfaction, reliability and environmental care. As a result, visitors perceive wilderness areas as more dependable. This in turn raises visitor confidence, increasing visits and financial support. c) Improving effectiveness The European Wilderness Quality Stand-
4
ard and Audit System provides wilderness area managers with reliable third-party recommendations based upon a detailed analysis of strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, the so-called SWOT analysis based on a standard set of European wide accepted criteria and indicators.
g) Marketing possibilities As more and more wilderness areas adhere to the European Wilderness Quality Standards more visitors and wilderness advocates will support and promote wilderness publicly due to their increased awareness and confidence.
d) Pan European adherence Regulators and legislators for protecting users frequently reference standards to support government policies. Standards play a central role in the European Union’s policy for a Single Market. Adherence to the standards of the EWQA will show the commitment to a common set of European values.
h) Reduced costs Potential wilderness areas do not have to reinvent the wheel, because all the basic criteria and indicators which define a wilderness have already been defined. This ensures that new wilderness areas will support the same principles along with the existing wilderness network.
e) Interoperability The ability of wilderness areas to work together relies heavily on a common set of wilderness standards.
i) Benefits for wilderness The EWQA sets minimum levels that classify wilderness according to several principles, criteria and a multitude of indicators. They provide benchmarks against which wilderness areas are audited. This gives the areas an incentive to improve their wilderness to gain an advantage. In turn this guarantees public access to more wilderness for future generations.
f) Encourage research The standards of EWQA provide a solid foundation upon which scientists base their research and to enhance monitoring.
European wilderness definition
Wilderness areas certified under the European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System should have three ‘zones’: a wilderness core zone surrounded by a wilderness buffer zone of minimal activities, which in turn is surrounded by a wilderness transition zone. Wilderness core zones are the main focus of the EWQA and are defined as: Natural processes govern wilderness core zones meeting the EWQA “Gold- or Platinum Standard”. They are composed of native habitats and species, and large enough for the effective ecological functioning of natural processes. They are unmodified or only slightly modified and without intrusive or extractive human activity, settlements, infrastructure or visual disturbance. Wilderness core zones meeting the European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System “Bronze- or Silver Standard” have a high level of predominance of natural process and natural habitat. They tend to be individually smaller and more fragmented than the
“Gold- or Platinum Standard” wilderness areas, although they often cover extensive tracts. The condition of their natural habitat, processes and relevant species has however often been partially or substantially modified by human activities such as livestock herding, hunting, fishing, and collecting berries and mushrooms.
The objective
The main objective of the EWQA reflects the theory of the wilderness continuum (see page 10) which encourages smaller wild areas to restore their wild lands while simultaneously rewarding the designation of large pristine wilderness areas. This development was encouraged by the input of several leading European NGOs as well as government agencies and managers of protected areas including among others the Wilderness Research Institute, ECO Austria, BfN, WWF Austria, PAN Parks, WCPA, IUCN Europe, Wild Europe, and the John Muir Trust Fund.
EWQA fulfils several requirements:
• Compliance with the Wild Europe Initiative “Discussion Draft: Definitions and Criteria for Wilderness and Wild Areas” • Compliance with the IUCN criteria for wilderness areas • Compliance with the PAN Parks criteria for wilderness areas • Compliance with the definition of the Bundesamt für Naturschutz 2013, Germany • Compliance with the wilderness continuum model of Robert Leslie • Standardized Criteria for a Pan European Certification Process • Compliance with the Verified Conservation Area (VCA) Council
www.wilderness-society.org
5
European Wilderness Journal
Wilderness size
TI CER
PLATINUM
AN
AN
TI CER
Silver wilderness area
TI R
PE
6
ET Y
BRONZE
AN
ET
EU
O
CI
ED WI L DE
CER
Wilderness core zone of at least 500 ha, dependant on type of habitat.
O WILDERNESS S
ESS
Bronze wilderness area
FI
SILVER
RN
Wilderness core zone of at least 2,000 ha.
AN
Y
ESS
PE
R
O
CI
ED WI L DE
EU
Wilderness core zone of at least 3,000 ha. This category represents the minimum size recommended by the former “Working Definition of European Wilderness and Wild Areas”.
O WILDERNESS S
RN
Gold wilderness area
FI
GOLD
Wilderness areas certified under the European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System should have three ‘zones’. It is considered that this threefold structure offers the best protection of key wilderness principles whilst allowing potential for future expansion and flexible interaction with other land uses. The Wilderness Core Zone would have the ‘highest’ quality of wilderness, with absolutely no or just minimal impact of human activity or infrastructure and a dominance of natural processes. Where feasible, outward expansion would occur over time through restoration into the buffer zone – particularly if the core zone is not large enough initially to allow complete ecological processes.
ET
R
PE
Y
ESS
CER
RN
EU
O
CI
ED WI L DE
Platinum wilderness area
Wilderness core zone of at least 10,000 ha. This category represents the highest achievable level in the wilderness continuum.
O WILDERNESS S
TI
FI
ET
PE
R
O
Y
ESS
EU
Four categories of wilderness core zones are defined within the European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System. Each category defines a specific wilderness quality standard with a clear focus on its wilderness values. Minimum size is ideally governed by multiple considerations including type of habitat that need to be considered collectively in determining the respective adherence to the standard of EWQA. In general the wilderness areas should have a wilderness core zone with the below mentioned size.
F
The importance of zoning
WI LD IED E RN
The various categories provide an incentive for smaller areas to join the European Wilderness Preservation System. These are sort of a ‘launch-pad’ towards improved protection and eventually enlarging the size of wilderness.
O WILDERNESS S
CI
The Wilderness Buffer Zone, with relatively low impact of human presence, surrounds and protects the wilderness core zone. Emphasis here should be on restoration of natural habitats and processes, with phasing out of built structures and high impact activities within five to ten years. Where feasible, there should be plans for it to be incorporated into the core zone and expand outwards over time into the transition zone. The Wilderness Transition Zone is an area where a range of human activities is permitted, but with management controls preventing development of major infrastructure, wind farms or large scale clear-cutting, that might significantly alter the landscape or natural environment. Sustainable harvesting of timber, animals (hunting, fishing) and plants (berries, fruits, mushrooms), together with organic agriculture is possible.
Wilderness principles
All wilderness areas are audited according to the following principles and criteria of the European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System. The audit is repeated in general every 10 years and supports with its analysis the monitoring of the wilderness area. The criteria fall into these seven principles: 1) Wilderness and extractive uses “Gold and Platinum Standard” level wilderness core zones should not have any human extractive use. At the “Bronze and Silver Standard” level a phase out plan for extractive use should be put into place. Also covered under this principle are fire control, disease control, wildlife management and invasive species control. 2) Wilderness restoration In general a plan must be in place for all “Bronze and Silver Standard” wilderness core zones to restore wilderness with the focus on low human intervention. In the “Gold and Platinum Standard” wilderness areas, wilderness restoration is typically implemented in the buffer zone for later expansion. 3) Wilderness disturbance Here the focus lies on the removal of infrastructure, well-planned tourism access and
limited road access especially in the “Gold and Platinum Standard” wilderness core zones. 4) Wilderness research and monitoring This principle requests a detailed plan for scientific research and cooperation in cooperation with scientific institutions and universities regardless of the European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System level. 5) International relevance The audit of the international relevance focuses mainly on the IUCN categories, Natura2000 Network, UNESCO designations but also acknowledges others certifications. 6) Wilderness management plan This plan encompasses the different wilderness conservation measures, a biodiversity management plan, and a plan for supporting the natural processes, a landscape management and the training of the responsible wilderness management team. 7) Wilderness size and zoning In general a wilderness area should have three different zones. In cases where these cannot be implemented additional measures to ensure the protection of the wilderness core zone must be implemented.
The results of the European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System is a thorough wilderness assessment report including a detailed SWOT analysis on the basis of a standard set of European widely accepted wilderness principles, criteria and more than 200 indicators. This report provides the management team of the wilderness area with a detailed plan including action items recommended by the auditors to improve the wilderness quality. This report can also be used for the European reporting requirement as well as for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) reporting for monitoring purposes.
Get your EWQA copy To get your personal copy of the European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian send an Email to: ewqa@wilderness-sociey.org
www.wilderness-society.org
7
European Wilderness Journal
Wilderness in Foreste Casentinesi NP, Italy Between Romagna and Tuscany, Foreste Casentinesi National Park with its beautiful natural forest is one of the most important Italian biodiversity hotspots. Author: Dario Botti, Giuseppe Paris, Mattia Speranza,Vlado Vančura
It
is believed that Mediterranean nature has been impacted by human civilization already for millennia and that it is hard to find wilderness there. Therefore any wilderness areas in this territory are so much appreciated and valued. Foreste Casentinesi National Park - located less than two hours from Rome and around one hour from Firenze and Bologna - is definitely such a place!
Many people strongly believe that land abandonment just causes damage and degradation to the landscape and that spontaneous rewilding is replacing our lovely and traditional cultural landscapes. Only a few of them are willing to consider and admit that the real world is very complex and diverse and that particular in the last few years Mother Nature is teaching us great lessons.
Regardless of human pressure during the last centuries, there are still places with high wilderness quality. Nevertheless in the last decade their naturalness and even wilderness character is continuously improving, caused by urbanisation resulting in the abandonment of large areas. From this perspective potential for wilderness in Italy is pretty high and in the coming years may be even higher. Unfortunately, many wild areas or self-rewilding areas are still not identified and designated and so they are currently at risk.
Scientific research shows that this traditional cultural landscape is disappearing due to the changing of the economical model of our society. Because of this inevitable change more and more people are convinced that one of the best choices for these abandoned lands could be the protection with “non-intervention management practices”. This will actually also save governments millions in public expenditures.
Implementation of “non-intervention management practices” are still very uncommon in Italy. This management approach is still rare even in National Parks. One of the reasons, apart from fundamental differences with an increasing number of local stakeholders, lies in the historical agricultural tradition of Italy. The so-called “shifting baseline syndrome” explains quite well that for centuries each square metre of Italy was in some extent managed. The local population has thus forgotten that nature can survive without the help of human mankind.
In this socio-economical context, an important pillar is no doubt education. It can help us shift public support towards more realistic paradigms of nature conservation. This approach can lead to a shift from actively managed landscapes to more spontaneously rewilded areas resulting in a wilder and healthier landscape. To achieve this objective, it is necessary to educate especially the next generation about the benefits of wilderness, where forests (or wild beaches) full of deadwood are not considered “dirty”. An excellent example is the Foreste Casentinesi National Park.
Where the trees touch the sky
The Apennines’ mountains between Tuscany and Romagna, Firenze and the Adriatic coast, are an amazing spot of biodiversity protected since 1993 by the Foreste Casentinesi National Park. The area is remarkable because of the huge amount of rare fauna and flora species such as centuries-old silver firs and beech forests, which contain also hermitages and sanctuaries, an incredible net of water sources, streams and falls, and the signs of an historical abandoned rural culture and society, counting just few human inhabitants today. The Park has the highest national forest coverage (more than 80%), and its ancient beech forests have just applied for the UNESCO “tentative list” to become a World Heritage Site. The forest ecosystems could
8
WILDERNES S D I P LO M A The European
Wilderness Society cer
FORESTE C ASE N NATIONAL PETINESI RK tifies that
ITALY
is a European Wilderness Pr to the Europ ean Wildern eservation System Partn ess Quality er according This diploma Standard an certifies that d Audit Syste the European the Foreste Casentinesi Wilderness m. Nat Pres wilderne ional Park ervation joins System by prot the best of Eur ecting 1,320 ope‘s wilderne ha of ss.
I ED WI LD valid until 30.08
.2016
NES
CER
IF
ER
T
ss representing
S
RO
P
Zoltán Kun Chairman
BR ON ZE WI
LDERNESS SO
CI
ET
Max A.E. Rossb erg Deputy Chair man
Vlado Director Wild Vančura erness Deve lopment
The size of Zone “A” – Riserva Integrale (strict nature reserve, non-intervention zone) is 1,320 ha (3,6% of the park).
be considered pretty much complete, with a very well defined internal balance from the most important predators (wolves, eagles) to their most common preys (ungulates, rodents). Just recently, the black woodpecker, wildcat and pine-marten have been detected. The area is an excellent example of the Mediterranean wilderness.
The size of Zone “B” – Riserva Generale Orientata (carefully managed reserve, where according to the park´s management plan traditional uses are still permitted) is 10,408 ha (28,5%). This can be a zone of future wilderness expansion.
In the middle of the protected area is a fragment of wild beauty. The first Italian Integral Nature Reserve of Sasso Fratino: 764 hectares of wilderness closed to visitors since 1959, dominated by beech trees in its highest part, mixed with other broad-leaved trees as well as big holly trees and old yews below the altitude of 1,200 m. The value of this piece of wilderness lies not only in the enormous wealth of species, but also in the wood structure itself: new-born, adolescent, old, sick and dead trees coexist in this area where everything is left as it is, and human mankind for once has restricted himself just to observe and learn.
Remaining area of the park is classified as Zones “C” – Area di Protezione (including traditional forestry, agricultural and sport protection areas)” is 25,833 ha and Zone “D” – Area di Promozione Economica e Sociale (social and economic promotion, most urban areas) is 126 ha.
Vatnajökull NP Iceland
The whole National Park territory is an excellent example of a spontaneous ecosystems restoration. The result of this process is an increasing variety of species and the creation of a remarkable ecosystem dynamism. The recent recolonization of the wolves throughout the Northern Apennines and more recently even to the Alps, had its origin in these mountains and forests at the beginning of 1970s.
N
Y
EU
EA
Helsinki
In the current situation only zone “A” would meet the European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System and be considered as “wilderness”. Nevertheless, the EWQA is offering a step-wise approach and therefore the opportunity to expand wilderness throughout the Foreste Casentinesi National Park is encouraged. Oslo
Stockholm
Tallinn
Riga
Moskva
Vilnius
Minsk
Dublin
Berlin Warszawa London
Nevertheless even this ‘wild’ area has the potential to improve to become more wild! Current management still permits a certain level of intervention and spontaneous ecosystems dynamism is only partially allowed and protected.
Kiev
Bruxelles
Potential of wilderness growth in Foreste Casentinesi NP
Liptovský Hrádok
Paris
Vienna Bratislava Tamsweg
Györ
Budapest
Bern Ljubljana
Bucaresti
Sofia
Compliance with EWQA
Roma
Just like many others Parks, Foreste Casentinesi National Park (36,548 ha) is zoned. This zoning actually is revealing the highest wilderness potential of this park! Madrid
Tirana
Ankara
Y
Lisboa
Desertas Islands NP, Portugal Garajonay NP, Spain
www.wilderness-society.org
9
European Wilderness Journal
Wilderness Continuum True wilderness is extremely rare in Europe. While there are still primary wilderness areas across Europe, most of them need to be categorized as secondary wilderness areas. Therefore researchers and scientists developed the Wilderness Continuum Framework to reflect the different wilderness stages an area can have and take on over time. Author: Stephen Carver – Wildland Research Institute
The
degree to which an area is wild can be measured along a ‘continuum’ – with primary wilderness at one end and marginal agriculture and marginal forestry at the other. The position of any particular area on this continuum is dependent on the degree of habitat and process modification, human impact etc. Wherever possible, it should progress over time along this continuum, through increased stages of naturalness towards a wilder state - as a result of restoration of its habitat, wildlife and natural processes. This restoration can occur purely through the actions of nature or with some initial human involvement.
10
Attainment of the “Platinum Wilderness Standard” is the ultimate goal wherever scale, biodiversity needs and geography permit. Despite of the lack of true wilderness areas in Europe there are still remote areas with minimal human intervention, exhibiting the potential to become over time wilderness areas. Keeping this in mind the European Wilderness Society came to the conclusion that this concept of the Wilderness Continuum should be used as the underlying theoretical framework to develop the European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System (EWQA).
This continuum concept by Robert Leslie provides the underlying framework reflected in the different Standards of the European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System. The Bronze Standard is basically a wild area, which is smaller in size and still has weaknesses when it comes to the protection of the natural processes. The Silver Standard is already larger in size and has moved along the wilderness continuum upwards toward being a primary wilderness. The Gold Standard is the former standard as defined in the “Working Definition of European Wilderness and Wild Areas“. The Platinum Standard has a larger and typical primary wilderness area.
The Wilderness Academy Research colleagues, wilderness managers and fellow wilderness advocates, you are all more than welcome to participate in our first of many European Wilderness Academy Days. Author: Zoltan Kun
Europe’s
Wilderness protection has a relatively short history. The focus on our continent’s wilderness started to increase when the European Parliament adopted a special resolution on 3 February 2009. This resolution resulted in the approval of the Agenda for Wilderness and wild lands, which included 24 recommended actions. The annual Wilderness Academy Days are an unique European event. This year´s conference acts as a direct follow up of the 10th World Wilderness Congress and will also prepare a message for the 2014 World Parks Congress in Sydney.
There is clearly still a huge lack of knowledge in relation to wilderness protection in Europe: • Where are the wilderness areas? • What are the current standards? • What are the main threats and major opportunities to enhance its protection? • How does the EWQA help? • What are the management principles for wilderness? • How to deal with large carnivore and human interaction?
These are just some of the questions, which the 30 international speakers will address at the first European Wilderness Academy Days in Nationalpark Hohe Tauern, Mittersill. A special presentation by our Ukrainian colleagues will focus on the difficulties on how to manage wilderness in a country at war.
Wilderness Academy Days information www.wilderness.academy
www.wilderness-society.org
11
European Wilderness Journal
Wilderness potential in Ukraine Most of the news coming from Ukraine the past year is far from positive and appears to get more desperate by the day. While American oil and gas companies are quite literally licking their lips over events in Eastern Europe many young Ukrainians are forging ahead to protect the nature of Ukraine, the wildlands that remain and the economic potential those areas offer. If there is a bright spot in Ukraine these days, it is wilderness. Author: Vasil Mochan – National Park Zacharovanij kraj
When
it comes to Ukraine we typically only hear of the main cities, Kyiv (Kiev), Lviv, Odessa and from Crimea. While westerners are unfortunately learning the names of the cities in the east thanks to the current crisis, the western parts of Ukraine go generally unnoticed and while intact ecosystems are not exclusive to the western part of the country many of the best preserved and protected lands are in that region of the country. We also tend not to consider the fact that Ukraine has a long history of nature protection initiatives that has helped make it the valuable wilderness resource it is today. For example, right up against the European Union on the western border are the remote Carpathians known for their rugged forests and small population of ethnic Hutsuls. In the Ukrainian section of the Carpathians there remain significant pieces and fragments of wilderness forest hosting the spectrum of native carnivore: wolves, bear, lynx and marten. There is also European bison not to mention all the smaller mammals and insects which need wilderness and old-growth forests to survive. It is a genetic bank for native European species that are endangered elsewhere. For those reasons the European Wilderness Society has been working hard to bring those areas into the wilderness movement in Europe.
Wilderness in Ukrainian Carpathians
The most important fragments of Ukrainians wilderness are protected through the network of various categories of protected areas. The well-known Wilderness in Enchanted Land Nature Park got legal protection in 2009 with 8,700 ha (21,500 acres) of wilderness. According to the EWS, other vital fragments of wilderness in Ukraine are protected or will be protected via the Uzhanskij Nature Reserve, Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, the Gorgany Nature Reserve (3,073 ha, 7,590 acres of wilderness) and the Synevyr National Park. Nevertheless there are already two wilderness areas, Zacharovanij kraj National Park and Vizhnitski National Park who are members of the European Wilderness Preservation System: Zacharovanij kraj National Park with 1,332 ha of wilderness and Vizhnitski National Park with 2,153 ha of wilderness. What makes this especially interesting is that the responsible managers of both wilderness areas are taking the protection of wilderness serious regardless of the political turmoil. This is very commendable and deserves our respect.
Zacharovanij kraj National Park
Zacharovanyj kraj National Park is established by the Decree of the President of Ukraine of May 21, 2009, the territory of Irshava district of Zakarpattya region of Ukraine. Total area of the park is 6,101 ha. The park combines nature protection, recreation, cultural and educational institution of national importance. Zacharovanyj kraj National Park encompasses the central part of the Vihorlat-Hutyn volcanic ridge at the foothills of the Eastern Carpathians. The area is bordered by the valleys of the Latorytsya river on the North-West and the Borzhava river on the southeast. The highest point of the park is Borzhava River at 1085 m above sea level. The park is the watershed of one of the tributaries of Tysa river. This landscape diversity means the park protects an ecological diversity that includes well-preserved beech forests, unique rock landscapes, sphagnum bogs, lakes, ponds and riparian forests. Twenty-nine endangered plant species and thirty-eight endangered animal species call the park home.
12
Bogs, peculiar rock forms and beach forest
of the Bukovina Carpathians. Almost 95% of the park is covered by a mixed forests of beech, fir, hornbeam and other species. The altitude varies from 340 m to 1,013 m above sea level.
The park hosts several unique highlights such as the 15 hectare sphagnum bog “Chorne Bahno” (Black bog), a botanical and hydrological natural monument. This is the deepest peat bog in the Ukrainian Carpathians (depth almost 7 metres) with a visible convex surface.
Every season in each one of these parks is captivating and mysterious. Visitors can experience magnificent fir trees and a variety of plants growing in the mountain valleys. The evergreen firs are mixed with sturdy beech trees. Cascading mountain streams and clamorous waterfalls echo in this corner of the Carpathians.
Another remarkable spot is Zacharovana Dolyna (Enchanted Valley), which is known for its peculiar up to 100 metre high rock relief, formed by water-aerial erosion. Some of the rocks even have names: Strimchak, Stone Spruce, Stone Camel, Ruins of the Castle, Throne Stone etc. Forests cover 87,5% of the whole territory of the park. More than 90% of the total forest area is indigenous beech forest (Fagus sylvatica) and only 7% of the territory are covered with secondary stands, mainly spruce (Picea abies). Beech virgin forests (568.3 ha) ecosystems are untouched by forest management.
Vizhnitski National Park
Wilderness Potential in Ukraine
These relative recently designated protected areas are becoming well known, because of their wilderness quality and even more because of their commitment to improve the management effectiveness and their contribution to the European Wilderness Preservation System. Regardless of the latest disturbing news from Ukraine, the European Wilderness Society is currently negotiating with several top managers of these great Ukrainian wilderness areas a wilderness audit to support the protection of the Ukrainian wilderness heritage and gradually increase the size of wilderness areas.
Vatnajökull NP Iceland
Another magnificent area nearby is the National Park “Vizhnitski” established in August 30, 1995. The current size is 11,238 ha with a strictly protected wilderness core zone. The park and particularly the wilderness core zone represent an excellent example of the lowland area
Helsinki
Oslo
Stockholm
Tallinn
Riga
WILDERNES S D I P LO M A
S WILDERNES D I P LO M A
ording m Partner acc stem. rvation Syste erness Prese and Audit Sy ild ard W nd ean Sta is a Europ ess Quality ean Wildern to the Europ
Liptovský Hrádok Vienna Bratislava Tamsweg
Györ
Budapest
Bern Ljubljana
Bucaresti
System by prot joins the ecting 1,332 the best of Eur ha of ope‘s wilderne ss.
.2016
T
valid until 31.07
Roma
NES
SS
CER
I
Sofia
D WI LD FIE
ER
IF
UKRAINE
NE
CERT
Kiev
Bruxelles
is a European Wilderness Pr to the Europ ean Wildern eservation System Partn ess Quality er according This diploma Standard an certifies that d Audit Syste European Wil the Zacharo vanij kraj Nat derness Pres m. ional Park ervation wilderne
Tirana
valid until 31.07
.2016
Madrid
Ankara
Y
S
WILDERNES
Y ET
EA
CI
BR ON ZE
AN
P
PE
RO
EU
RO
EU
Lisboa
Zoltán Kun Chairman
tifies that
Paris
ss representing
D WI L DER
Wilderness Society cer
ZACHAROVAN IJ NATIONAL PA KRA J RK
UKRAINE
IE
Warszawa
London
The European
tifies that
Park joins the of ki National ng 2,153 ha the Vizhnits certifies that em by protecti This diploma ervation Syst ‘s wilderness. derness Pres ope European Wil esenting the best of Eur repr wilderness
Minsk
Berlin
S
SO
erg Max A.E. Rossb man Deputy Chair
N
BR ON ZE WI
LDERNESS SO
ET
Y
VIZHNIT
Society cer Wilderness
Vilnius
Dublin
PARK SKI NATIONAL
The European
Moskva
CI
Desertas Islands NP, Portugal Garajonay NP, Spain Zoltán Kun ura Vlado Vanč ent man lopmChair erness Deve Director Wild
Max A.E. Rossb erg Deputy Chair man
Vlado Director Wild Vančura erness Deve lopment
www.wilderness-society.org
13
European Wilderness Journal
Wake up call for the fascination of Wilderness! In a modern industrial society as Germany a natural woodland development on several 1,000 hectares is not very common, while at the same time the exclusion of economical use is not comprehensible for a great number of people. Author: Petra Riehmann – Wilderness Foundation Brandenburg
This
is the reason why an effective wilderness communication strategy is a vital component of the national and international nature protection strategy. With a carefully formulated communication strategy it is possible to render the ecological and cultural value of wilderness more tangible to the public.
Heidehof area
The Foundation for Natural Landscapes in Brandenburg - recently renamed to the Wilderness Foundation - took the opportunity to designate wilderness areas on the sites of four selected former military training grounds. Founded in Potsdam by private and public partners in 2000, it now owns and takes care of over 12,700 hectares that are unique in Germany for their size, lack of roads and wilderness development.
Heidehof area is only a few kilometres east of the Jüterbog area and part of an even bigger former military training ground with a total area of 12,000 hectares. A part of this area is temporarily used as a wind farm but 1,400 hectares are already free of interventions. Heidehof is a feeding ground for the neighbouring wolf population and also houses rare species as European Nightjar and stag beetle Lucanus cervus. It is also protected as a nature reserve, FFH and SPA.
Jüterbog area
Lieberose area
Jüterbog area is located south of Berlin between the cities of Luckenwalde and Jüterbog. The foundation owns 7,100 hectares with 4,700 hectares of wilderness. This huge area remained contiguous as it was not dissected by roads, settlements or other uses because it has been under military use from the 19th century to 1994. It is now a nature reserve and part of the Naturpark “Nuthe-Nieplitz”. More than 75% percent are already free of all kinds of intervention. The landscape varies from sand dunes, heathlands and evolving forests in the central area to wetlands and older forests in the fringe. Rare species as the Grey Wolf, European Otter,
14
Bechstein’s bat and hoopoe live there and the area is listed as a FFH and SPA. A 30 km network of hiking trails lets people participate in nature’s development and beauty.
Lieberose area is located south-east of Berlin in the famous Spreewald-Region, close to the polish border. The area offers a variety of valuable forest- and wetland-biotopes as bogs and clear water lakes together with heathlands and large sandy areas. The foundation’s area (3,200 hectares with 2,000 hectares of wilderness) is part of one of the biggest former military areas (27,000 hectares) of GDR. The wilderness area is an excellent habitat for plenty of species with impressing representatives such as the Grey Wolf, European otter, beaver and white-tailed eagle. Special feature of Lieberose is its geological configuration with evidence of the glacial period. Parts of it are also a nature reserve and a FFHand SPA-area and already 65% are managed without any interventions.
Appropriate communication of the Brandenburg wilderness is playing an active role in embedding and better supporting the wilderness idea. This work supports the public awareness of the stakeholders, who establish wilderness areas, permanently protect and mentor them. In this process all involved entities learn to implement excursions, speeches and information desks aiming to reach people’s hearts and minds for evaluating and bringing forward wilderness. Brandenburg is part of the European Wilderness Preservation System.
WILDERNES S D I P LO M A The European
Wilderness Society cer
WILDERNES BRANDENBUSRFOUNDATION G JÜTERBOG GERMAN tifies that
Y
is a European Wilderness Pr to the Europ ean Wildern eservation System Partn ess Quality er according This diploma Standard an certifies that d Audit Syste joins the Eur the Wildern ess foundati opean Wildern m. on branden wilderne ess Pres ss representing
erva burg Jüterbog the best of Eur tion System by protecti ng 4,700 ha ope‘s wilderne of ss.
IF
I ED WI LD ER
T
valid until 30.08
NES
.2016
S
EU
RO
P
EA
Zoltán Kun Chairman
N
SILVE R WI
LDERNESS SO
ET
Y
Tangersdorf area is located north of Berlin in the “Uckermark”-Region. It is the smallest of the foundation grounds (foundation’s property 653 hectares with 600 hectares of wilderness area) but is embedded in an even bigger nature reserve and former military training area with a total area of 6,000 hectares. An impressing particularity is the beaver-built 150 hectares area of swamps and lakes in its surroundings. Valuable wetlands and bogs with rare insects and birds species are characteristic for “Tangersdorf ” but you also find old growth forests and heathlands there.
CER
Tangersdorf area
CI
Max A.E. Rossb erg Deputy Chair man
www.wilderness-society.org
Vlado Director Wild Vančura erness Deve lopment
15
European Wilderness Journal
Pan-European Green Corridor Network (PEGNet) Connecting the Atlantic to the Black Sea and the Mediterranean to the Baltic. Author: Max A.E: Rossberg, Stephen Carver
Based
on the enthusiastic response to our Pyrenees to Carpathians natural green corridor idea, the European Wilderness Society decided to develop the idea further into a Pan European Green Corridor Network (PEGNet). We believe that such a network can be set up for the implementation and promotion of wilderness and wildlife preservation across the continent. The Pan-European Green Corridor Network initiative aims to create a vast unbroken ecological corridor connecting natural landscapes from the Atlantic coast to the Black Sea and from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean. This initiative will be implemented in various phases like connecting mountains in Portugal, the Cantabrian Mountains, the Pyrenees and the Massif Central to the Alps, and eventually, the Carpathians and the Balkans,
16
along which natural ecological processes are allowed to create a landscape rich in biodiversity to the benefit of nature and humanity. Europe is a highly fragmented continent. Vast areas of Europe’s last great wild places have also been transformed into urban zones or cut up by an increasingly dense transport network. Recent statistics from the European Environment Agency illustrate just how significant these changes are. In a single decade around 5% of EU territory has been covered with concrete or otherwise converted into completely artificial surfaces including industrial areas, holiday resorts and infrastructure. Europe’s motorways have increased in length by almost 41% (15,000 km) within that same period and will increase by 12,000 km in the years to come. In densely populated countries like Belgium, the average size of contiguous land units not dissected by major transport routes has been reduced to just 20 km2 (EU average is 130 km2).
The Pan-European Green Corridor Network offers a unique opportunity to recreate natural connections and routes throughout Europe, with wilderness areas coupled with the Natura2000 Network as resting and mating places for the migratory animals along these corridors. In order to maximise the contribution of PEGNet to wilderness protection, the project includes the following three elements: • habitat restorations based on locating gaps in the current network of protected areas • supporting a sustainable comeback of wildlife in Europe • communicating the socio-economic benefits of large scale European-wide green corridor set up with special attention of preserving wilderness for future generations
Based on our initial research supported by the Wildland Research Institute, PEGNet will be implemented in four phases: Phase 1: West to East Connecting mountains from the Atlantic coast to the Black Sea, which is basically our original idea to establish a mega-corridor from the Pyrenees to the Carpathians, connecting Europe’s three iconic mountains ranges Phase 2: To the South Linking the mountain corridor to the south into the Iberian Peninsula, Apennines, Dinaric Arc and the Balkan mountains Phase 3: To the North Linking the mountain corridor to the North: the inclusion of the Baltic states, Fenno-Scandinavia and the European lowlands in the large scale green corridor concept. Phase 4: To the East From the Carpathians to the Ural and the Caucasus. As wilderness knows no political boundaries, we must recognise that differences in political views shall not stop us to make our PEGNet truly European!
This initiative is a classical win-win, because
• wildlife will benefit from more space to freely roam • human will benefit from more ecosystem services such as flood and climate change mitigation!
www.wilderness-society.org
17
European Wilderness Journal
Lynx reintroduction setback During the last years several NGOs and regional governments worked hard to reintroduce the Lynx into the transboundary area of Italy, Slovenia and Austria This project is derailed after the killing of one of the lynx beginning of September 2014. Author: Christian Pichler – WWF
The
Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is the largest wild cat in Europe. In the end of the 19th century the Eurasian lynx was exterminated in many parts of Europe. Reintroduction projects in Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Croatia and Slovenia in the 1970s gave this species the chance to recolonize some parts of its former range. However, despite these efforts many of these reintroduced populations are still facing problems. They are stagnating or decreasing and some even became completely extinct. Surviving populations are small, isolated, and at least some signs of inbreeding depression were observed. Among the three originally widespread large carnivores in Europe lynx, wolf and bear, the lynx is currently the most endangered with the lowest population size.
Conservation status of the lynx in the Alps and in the Dinaric Mountains
The situation in the Alps and in the Dinaric Mountains is critical. While the reintroduction of at least 14 individuals in the Swiss Alps from 1970 to 1976 founded a lynx population of about 130 lynxes, the releases in Austria, Italy and France were less successful. Although the alpine population in Switzerland is stable and one of the most established of the re-founded populations there is no pan-alpine population. Especially in the Eastern Alps there are only some individuals scattered over the Alpine arc. That´s why the pan-alpine lynx population still remains small and isolated and has already lost much of its genetic diversity. The Dinaric population was formed after 1973, when six animals were translocated from the Carpathians to Slovenia. Despite the
18
low number of animals, the reintroduction seemed to be successful in the very beginning. The population quickly extended over a large part of the Dinaric Mountains and South-Eastern Alps. However, after this initial success, the population started to decline at the end of the 1990s This became even more significant after the year 2000. Nowadays, the lynx again disappeared from many areas it had already occupied. The current situation of the Eurasian Lynx in the Dinaric Mountains is considered critical, with possibly only 15 adult lynx left in Slovenia and similarly low population densities in the adjacent regions. Such small populations are extremely vulnerable to a series of issues that would not normally cause threat to a larger population. In this situation any mortality can have significant effects to the population’s viability.
Augmentation projects are essential
To ensure the long-term survival of the Dinaric population and the lynxes in the SouthEastern Alps as well as to prevent inbreeding depression, augmentation projects are absolutely necessary in this area. Ideally animals from the Carpathian population, which is regarded as the optimal source, will be released in the Alps and the Dinaric Mountains. Although a bigger project proposal on this topic is expected in the next years, researchers and authorities prepared smaller pilot translocation projects as a first step. To stop the further decline of the population and to save a part of the current gene pool the translocation of a few lynxes from Switzerland to Italy and Slovenia was arranged.
Two animals released in border area of Austria-Slovenia-Italy
As a first step towards an increasing lynx population, a reintroduction-pilot project could be implemented in Italy this year. End of April, a male and a female lynx from the Jura Mountains in Switzerland were released near Tarvisio, an Italian town in the South-Eastern Alps. Both lynxes were captured a month ago by KORA (Carnivore ecology and wildlife management) and had to undergo a quarantine in Bern. Ten days later they were translocated to a valley near Tarvisio and after a period of confinement in order to help the specimens adapt to the new area and to prevent possible homing behaviour - the ability of lynxes and some other animals to return to a given place when displaced from it - they were released into the wild. Both animals are equipped with radio collars, which help to monitor the survival, the movement, the predation and the potential reproduction of the animals. To complete this first phase of the project, another female could be released in the next weeks. The project was implemented by Progetto Lince Italia, the State Forestry Corps and the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and financially supported by WWF Austria. Vatnajökull NP Iceland
Helsinki Oslo Stockholm
Tallinn
Riga Moskva
Vilnius
Minsk
Dublin
Berlin Warszawa
London
Kiev
Bruxelles
Liptovský Hrádok
Paris
Major Setback: Lynx Alus most likely killed by poacher
Vienna Bratislava Tamsweg
The male lynx Alus stopped sending a GPS signal on 7 August followed by the morality signal on August 8th. Beginning of September a hiker found the GPS collar draped over a branch on a tree almost 2 metre above the ground with no signs of breakage. Bernhard Gutlieb from the provincial government of Carinthia and Christian Pichler from WWF Austria are sure that Alus fell prey to a poacher. This loss has destroyed years of work to bring back the lynx to Italy, Austria and Slovenia. Madrid
Györ
Budapest
Bern Ljubljana
Bucaresti
Sofia
Roma
Tirana
Ankara
Y
Lisboa
Desertas Islands NP, Portugal Garajonay NP, Spain
www.wilderness-society.org
19
European Wilderness Journal
Bison reintroduction accomplished As we already informed in the previous issue of the European Wilderness Journal the European Wilderness Society is engaged in the reintroduction of the European Bison to the Vanatori Neamt Nature Park in Romania. Author: VladoVančura
The
At the end of April, after an epic journey from Hythe, United Kingdom to Vanatori, Romania 6 bison were successfully transported. Due to the highly professional preparation, the animals arrived at the destination in perfect health and they started to graze fresh grass and hay from the very beginning. That was a clear sign that the transport was done in good conditions. The bison stayed one month in the pre-release fenced area (which contain not only a meadow, but also an area with forest vegetation), a period during which they were permitted to acclimate to local conditions. The director of Vanatori Neamt Nature Park in Romania, Mr. Sebastian Catanoiu, appreciated the involvement of several organizations and the smooth coordination and the overall process. He remembers with a little bit nostalgia beginning of this effort::
aim of this reintroduction programme is to re-establish a viable, self-sustaining population of European bison in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains. After more than one year of complex preparation six captive-bred female European bison were transferred from four collections in the British Isles, including the Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks, to the Vanatori Neamt Nature Park in Romania. These animals provide an additional release stock for the ongoing Romanian European bison reintroduction project in the Cracăului Valley of the Chitele area of the Park. A consortium of four partners Vanatori Neamt Nature Park Administration, Romania, The Aspinall Foundation, UK, The European Bison EEP, EAZA and European Wilderness Society successfully accomplished this tasks. Vatnajökull NP Iceland
‘ … then after more than one year since Vlado from European Wilderness Society and me talked in Slovakia about the possibility of bringing bison from UK, we finally succeeded …’ We wish the bison well in their new home, and hope they will settle in quickly and prove to make a valuable contribution to the reintroduced population. Helsinki
Oslo
Stockholm
Tallinn
Riga
Moskva
Vilnius
Minsk Dublin Berlin Warszawa London
Kiev
Bruxelles
Liptovský Hrádok
Paris
Vienna Bratislava Tamsweg
Györ
Budapest
Bern Ljubljana
Bucaresti
Sofia
Roma
Madrid
Lisboa
Desertas Islands NP, Portugal Garajonay NP, Spain
20
Tirana
Ankara
Y
Our new team members Born
in 1972 in Austria, Gudrun spent her whole childhood and youth growing up in the Austrian Alps. The big forest right behind her parent’s house was her playground and later, when she decided to become a professional athlete (1991-1998) b.a. 4 times World Champion in Mountain Running, 20 times Austrian Champion in xc skiing and athletics and xc skiing Worldloppet Winner, her trainings terrain.
For seven years she worked on six different wolf research projects in very different parts and ecosystems of Canada: from the Subarctic to SW Alberta, from the Aspenparklands to the lushy temperate Rainforest along B.C.’s Pacific Shoreline.
After receiving her Master’s degree in Biology at the University of Salzburg, (2000), she applied for a volunteer position at the Central Rockies Wolf Project, based in Canmore, AB, Canada. Following and studying the local wolfpack, she realized, that this kind of job is tailored to her skills, education and passion: Being a field biologist combines physical fitness with the opportunity to be in the great outdoors and mainly to work for its conservation through collecting data and increasing knowledge.
Gudrun shares the common knowledge of the wolf being a flagship species of an ecosystem but she even more sees the condition of a wolf-population as an indicator for the attitude and tolerance of the local people. She will be the wildlife focal point of the European Wilderness Society and advises and councils protected area managers on large carnivores and human coexistence issues.
Gudrun Pflüger
We
are happy to present you our new team member Karin Eckhard who will be the focal point for sustainable tourism projects and consultations. Although born and raised in New Hampshire, USA, she has had the fortune to live in places as diverse as Vail, Colorado; Salzburg, Austria; London and in a small village in the east of England. However, she has called Madrid, Spain her home for the last 2 years. While in the US, she worked for 12 years in the tourism sector in product development, operations and various other roles. She holds a Masters in Sustainable Tourism Development and after receiving her Masters she worked for several years as a Sustainability Advisor in the tourism sector with an international consultancy and has worked on various European regional sustainable tourism projects. While living in the UK and volunteering for a local conservation organization, she
Two international awarded nature documentaries ‘Searching for the coastal wolves’ (Die Suche nach den Küstenwölfen, 2007) and ‘Running with wolves’ (Die Wolfsfrau, 2009) tell about her work. In October 2005 Gudrun was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour – out of the blue. For more than three years she was fighting for her life. Successfully. Today she is Mum of a 5 year old son and since his birth in summer 2009 Gudrun is back in her hometown Radstadt in the Austrian Alps. She started giving talks and presentations about her experiences in the wilderness and on the path of the wolves.
decided to take on the challenge of doing a Masters in Land Management as it relates to Conservation. She had the fortune to do her thesis work in the area of Landscape Ecology specifically connectivity and its role in species and biodiversity conservation. Here is where she found her keen interest in the role tourism can play in promoting global and regional conservation effort. When not travelling, she enjoys, of course, the outdoors, wildlife photography, sports and spending time with friends.
Karin Eckhard
www.wilderness-society.org
21
European Wilderness Journal
Where to get your information The European Wilderness Society The European Wilderness Society (EWS) is Europe´s only non-profit NGO dedicated exclusively on identifying, designating, managing and promoting wilderness across all of Europe. In case you have questions, input or ideas, please contact the respective focal point. Zoltan Kun, Chairman zoltan.kun@wilderness-society.org
Wilderness Development, EWQA
Vlado Vancura vlado.vancura@wilderness-society.org
Karin Eckhard karin.eckhard@wilderness-society.org
Corporate Donors, Wilderness Advocacy, Governments and Aid Agencies
Max A.E. Rossberg, Deputy Chairman max.rossberg@wilderness-society.org
Public Relations, PEGNet
Wildlife, Large Carnivores and Human Coexistence
Sustainable Tourism
Gudrun Pflüger gudrun.pflueger@wilderness-society.org
Vatnajökull NP Iceland
Gaia Angelini gaia@luminaconsult.eu
EU policy, EU Legislation
Monika Schitter monika.schitter@wilderness-society.org
Helsinki
Membership Programme, Wilderness Stockholm Research
Oslo
Marketing and Web
Graphic, Art Work
Susanne Werth susanne.werth@wilderness-society.org Tallinn
Bodo Rossberg Riga bodo.rossberg@wilderness-society.org
Wilderness Events, Press Contact Vilnius
Minsk
Anni Henning anni.henning@wilderness-society.org
Dublin
Berlin Warszawa London
The European Wilderness Society Offices
Kiev
Bruxelles
Liptovský Hrádok
Paris
Vienna Bratislava Tamsweg
Györ
Budapest
Bern Ljubljana
Bucaresti
Sofia
Roma
Madrid
Lisboa
22
Desertas Islands NP, Portugal Garajonay NP, Spain
Tirana
Ankara
See our website www.wilderness-society.org to … … follow daily our blog - Everything concerning wilderness including documentation, articles, reports, stories on our blog.
… read our weekly Email Newsletter - Top wilderness news of the week. Register and become one of our 2,400 subscribers.
… subscribe to our quarterly European Wilderness Journal - The high quality printed version of the EWS Journal delivered directly to your home. … browse our Wilderness Shop - Support wilderness and purchase a “Let´s get wild” coffee mug for only € 10,- plus shipping.
We appreciate your donation to support wilderness in Europe European Wilderness Society
IBAN: AT41 1200 0100 0833 8476 BIC: BKAUATWW We acknowledge our advisors
Stephen Carver, Wildland Research Institute Mark Fisher, University of Leeds Allison Parfitt, Wildland Research Institute Dr. Michael Jungmeier, E.C.O. Institute of Ecology Michael Meyer, OETE Stiftung Michael Zika, WWF Austria Bernhard Kohler, WWF Austria
Photo Credits: Max Rossberg, Gudrun Pflüger, Karin Eckhard, Vlado Vančura, Andrea Gambassini, Christian Pichler, WWF, Central Balkan NP, Vizhnitski NP, Brandenburg Jüterbog, Zacharovany kraj, NP Hohe Tauern, Foreste Casentinesi NP, Peneda-Gerês NP, Paanajärvi NP, fotolia.de Design: www.diemedienwerkstatt.info, 5580 Tamsweg, Austria Printed in Austria All rights, errors and changes are reserved.
© 2014 European Wilderness Society, ZVR: 305471009 | Dechant Franz Fuchs Str. 5; 5580 Tamsweg; Austria Phone: +43 (0)676 913 88 04 | Email: info@wilderness-society.org | www.wilderness-society.org
www.wilderness-society.org
23
Foreste Casentinesi National Park, Italy