EUROPARC Germany

EUROPARC Germany
legal form	registered association
founding	1991
Seat	Berlin
purpose	Nature conservation, environmental education, volunteering
Website	national-naturlandschaften.de

EUROPARC Deutschland eV is the umbrella organization for national parks , biosphere reserves and nature parks in Germany. In the Federal Nature Conservation Act , national parks, biosphere reserves and nature parks are defined as large protected areas . Since autumn 2005 these have been grouped under the umbrella brand “ National Natural Landscapes ”. The common name stands for the nationwide importance. As an independent non-governmental organization (NGO), EUROPARC Deutschland eV is the bearer of the umbrella brand. The association represents the interests of the National Natural Landscapes (NNL) nationwide.

The umbrella organization was founded in 1991 and is a national section of the European EUROPARC Federation . The non-profit organization EUROPARC Germany eV pursues the purpose of supporting the national natural landscapes in the areas of nature conservation, environmental education and voluntary work. Members include the sponsors of 16 national parks , 21 biosphere reserves and some of the nature parks in Germany. In addition, nature conservation associations such as BUND and NABU , foundations such as WWF and NaturSchutzFonds Brandenburg as well as support associations are involved in the association. The EUROPARC Deutschland eV office is located in Berlin.

tasks and goals

Basic claims

The association coordinates the nature conservation activities of its members at national level and supports the goals of the EUROPARC Federation.

The focus of the work is on activities

for the conservation, management and development of natural habitats and communities, including their flora and fauna,
to promote offers that enable the experience of nature in a variety of ways, expressly also for disadvantaged people, for example with disabilities and restrictions,
to promote nature and environmental awareness and environmental education,
to raise the importance, reputation, identity and awareness of the protected areas under the umbrella of the National Natural Landscapes,
to mobilize civic and economic engagement for the National Natural Landscapes,
for the development and implementation of scientific, application-oriented concepts for the protection of the natural foundations of life and
to promote sustainable development in accordance with the respective protection goals.

Fields of activity

Exchange of experiences and information between members
Cooperation with state and federal authorities as well as nature conservation organizations
Realization of projects in cooperation with foundations and companies in order to jointly contribute to the solution of social conflicts and environmental problems
Implementation and further development of the umbrella brand National Natural Landscapes
Promotion of sustainable tourism
Support of educational and youth work in the national natural landscapes
Coordination of volunteers in the National Natural Landscapes
Support of the National Natural Landscapes in fundraising
Preparation of reports, studies, analyzes, surveys, publications and exhibitions
Uniform federal training and qualification of employees of the National Natural Landscapes
Support of full-time visitor care and environmental education
Organization of specialist conferences and workshops

Projects and programs

In addition to area and topic-specific projects, the association coordinates national programs.

Marketplace nature

In 2013 the association launched the internet-based platform “Marktplatz Natur”, which brings together projects for environmental, climate and nature protection from the member areas and potential sponsors. EUROPARC Deutschland eV develops, organizes and coordinates the projects across borders. On marktplatz-natur.de new projects are continuously posted and successful funding is documented.

Junior ranger

Junior Ranger Program

The nationwide junior ranger program is an educational and leisure offer that gives children the opportunity to come into contact with the “National Natural Landscapes”. The children are enthusiastic about biological diversity, actively campaign for nature and environmental protection in their region and work together in a Germany-wide junior ranger network . This gives them the necessary skills for a sustainable lifestyle and, for example, learns about their own environment in a creative and playful way in the interactive online learning game Junior Ranger Web , and they are enthusiastic about actively participating.

Corporate volunteering

Sustainability Week in the Barnim Nature Park 2014, photographer: André Wagenzik

EUROPARC Deutschland eV organizes corporate volunteering missions in the National Natural Landscapes in which company employees work practically and sensibly in nature conservation. The tasks are varied and range from the mowing of wet meadows to the renaturation of streams to the creation of nature trails. EUROPARC Deutschland eV forms the link between the protected area and companies. The association mediates the deployment, provides information material and takes on the final issuing of certificates.

Nature is a matter of honor

"A matter of honor for nature - volunteers in parks" has been systematically building up and expanding volunteer management in the "National Natural Landscapes" since 2003. In the program, volunteers of all ages are involved in a variety of nature conservation and environmental education projects. "Ehrensache Natur" offers special offers, for example for volunteers with disabilities and international volunteers. “Nature as a matter of honor” was recognized as a project of the UN Decade of Biological Diversity .

Partner of the National Natural Landscapes

The slogan "Partner of the National Natural Landscapes" stands for cooperation programs between protected areas and regionally based businesses. These so-called “partner initiatives” combine a guest-oriented nature experience with high quality standards and at the same time take the protection of nature into account. They are the success model of a win-win situation for the tourism industry , guests and nature.

development

Foundation of the European umbrella organization

In 1973, the Hamburg businessman Alfred Toepfer (1894–1993) founded the European umbrella organization “Federation of European Nature and National Parks” FNNPE; today EUROPARC Federation, to give national parks, biosphere reserves and nature parks their importance in a European context.

Section for Germany

The German association was founded in 1991 as the umbrella organization for national parks, nature parks and biosphere reserves in Germany and at the same time becomes the first national section of the EUROPARC Federation.

In 1991 the following organization were among the twelve founding members.

Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve Muritz National Park Bavarian Forest National Park Berchtesgaden National Park Hochharz National Park Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park	Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park Saxon Switzerland National Park Märkische Schweiz nature park Thuringian Forest Nature Park / Western Slate Mountains Environmental Foundation WWF Germany Association of Friends of the First German National Park Bavarian Forest eV

activities

In 2001 the organization presented a strategy paper for the coordinated further development of the large protected areas. An action plan for German national parks, nature parks and biosphere reserves followed in 2004 . After that, in 2005 all major German conservation areas were brought together under one roof - the umbrella brand Nationale Naturlandschaften was created.

In October 2010, Chancellor Angela Merkel was awarded the MIDORI Prize by the Japanese AEON Environment Foundation for her commitment to international environmental protection, climate protection and biodiversity. The Chancellor passed the prize money on to the association in order to support the volunteer program "Nature as a matter of honor - volunteers in parks" .

In 2010 and 2011 , the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) evaluated the German national parks with funds from the Federal Environment Ministry.

The association coordinates various area-specific projects as well as nationwide programs against the background of nature and environmental protection in a large number of areas, for example education for sustainable development and civic engagement. The organization also represents the interests of the large protected areas at the federal level.

organization

The honorary board consists of four members and represents the interests of the three protected area categories and the non-governmental organizations . In the office in Berlin, the management works on the association's own projects in the areas of the members. Furthermore, the members work in eight working groups across countries and territories on specific specialist topics such as communication or research. The spokespersons of the working groups report annually to the general meeting, as do the board and management.

CEO

2009 to 2017: Guido Puhlmann, Head of the Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve
2000 to 2008: Eberhard Henne , head of the Schorfheide-Chorin biosphere reserve
1997 to 1999: Hubert Zierl, head of the Berchtesgaden National Park
1991 to 1996: Hans Bibelriether , head of the Bavarian Forest National Park Office

financing

The association is financed from membership fees, project funding and donations.

Members

Members are the sponsors of the national parks, biosphere reserves and nature parks as well as relevant NGOs. The following areas are members of EUROPARC Deutschland eV (as of November 2014).

National parks

Bavarian Forest National Park - Bavaria Berchtesgaden National Park - Bavaria Eifel National Park - North Rhine-Westphalia Hainich National Park - Thuringia Hamburg Wadden Sea National Park - Hamburg Harz National Park - Lower Saxony - Saxony-Anhalt Jasmund National Park - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Kellerwald-Edersee National Park - Hesse	Müritz National Park - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park - Lower Saxony Saxon Switzerland National Park - Saxony Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park - Schleswig-Holstein Lower Oder Valley National Park - Brandenburg Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Black Forest National Park - Baden-Wuerttemberg Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park (from May 2015 ^[obsolete] ) - Rhineland-Palatinate

Biosphere reserves

Swabian Alb biosphere area - Baden-Württemberg Biosphere Purpose Association Bliesgau - Saarland Elbe River Landscape Biosphere Reserve with the 4 sub-areas: Elbe-Brandenburg River Landscape Biosphere Reserve - Brandenburg Elbe-Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania river landscape biosphere reserve Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve - Saxony-Anhalt Lower Saxony Elbe Valley Biosphere Reserve - Lower Saxony Hamburg Wadden Sea Biosphere Reserve - Hamburg Lower Saxony Wadden Sea Biosphere Reserve - Lower Saxony Biosphere Reserve Karstlandschaft Südharz - Saxony-Anhalt	Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape Biosphere Reserve - Saxony Palatinate Forest-Northern Vosges Biosphere Reserve - Rhineland-Palatinate Rhön Biosphere Reserve - Bavaria, Hesse, Thuringia Schaalsee Biosphere Reserve - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea and Halligen Biosphere Reserve - Schleswig-Holstein Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve - Brandenburg Spreewald Biosphere Reserve - Brandenburg Biosphere Reserve Southeast Rügen - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Vessertal-Thuringian Forest Biosphere Reserve - Thuringia

Nature parks

Altmuehltal Nature Park - Bavaria Bavarian Forest Nature Park - Bavaria Brandenburg nature parks Drömling Nature Park - Saxony-Anhalt Eichsfeld-Hainich-Werratal Nature Park - Thuringia Ore Mountains / Vogtland Nature Park - Saxony Feldberger Seenlandschaft - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Usedom Island Nature Park - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Kyffhäuser Nature Park - Thuringia	Lauenburg Lakes Nature Park - Schleswig-Holstein Mecklenburg Switzerland Nature Park and Lake Kummerower - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Münden Nature Park - Lower Saxony Nossentiner / Schwinzer Heide Nature Park - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Palatinate Forest Nature Park - Rhineland-Palatinate Südharz Nature Park (sponsor of the Südharzer Tourismusverband eV) TERRA.vita - Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia Thuringian Slate Mountains Nature Park / Upper Saale - Thuringia

NGO, foundations and sponsors

AG Naturparke Baden-Württemberg Alfred Toepfer Academy for Nature Conservation Association for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany eV (BUND) Bundesverband Naturwacht eV DBU Naturerbe GmbH Friends of the Müritz National Park eV Friends of the National Park Boddenlandschaft eV Friends of the Eifel National Park Friends of the Northern Black Forest National Park Society for the Promotion of the Harz National Park eV Heinz Sielmann Foundation Hessian Ministry for Environment, Agriculture and Forests State Office for Environment, Nature Conservation and Geology Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Brandenburg State Environment Agency , Large Protected Areas Department Manfred Hermsen Foundation	Environmental Foundation Michael Otto Ministry for Food and Rural Areas Baden-Württemberg NABU federal association NaturSchutzFonds Brandenburg Regional Association Harz eV Saxon State Foundation for Nature and Environment Wadden Sea Protection Station State enterprise Sachsenforst Environment Foundation WWF Germany Thuringian Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Environment Association of National Park Friends eV Association of Friends of the Berchtesgaden National Park eV Rhön Nature and Habitat Association V. Michael Succow Foundation

Cooperations

EUROPARC Germany also works with state and federal authorities as well as nature conservation organizations.

EUROPARC Germany is a member of the German Nature Conservation Ring .

Honourings and prices

2014
- Marketplace Nature and Corporate Volunteering in the National Natural Landscapes were selected as a project to present themselves on the Biodiversity 2020 Company Action Platform (UBi 2020).

2013
- “Nature as a matter of honor” recognized as a project of the UN Decade of Biological Diversity
- “A matter of honor for nature” awarded as a workshop N project by the Sustainability Council
- Microsoft Ad Donation for the Junior Ranger program
- Junior Ranger Program 2012 and 2013 awarded as a workshop N project by the German Council for Sustainable Development
- German Nature Conservation Award for the project "Unhindered commitment - people with intellectual disabilities discover, experience and preserve the water environment"
- European education award Comenius-EduMedia-Siegel for the online learning game "Junior-Ranger-Web"

2012
- Junior Ranger program as a workshop N project by the Sustainability Council
- "Junior-Ranger" 2012/2013 awarded as a project of the UN Decade "Biodiversity"

2010/2011
- Junior Ranger Program awarded as UN Decade Project Education for Sustainable Development .

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Sections 24, 25 and 27 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act
^ Association structure EUROPARC Germany eV
↑ Internet platform for nature conservation projects "Marketplace Nature"
^ Website of the Junior Ranger Program from EUROPARC Germany eV
^ Website of the program Ehrensache Natur from EUROPARC Germany eV
↑ “Nature as a matter of honor” receives award as a project of the UN Decade of Biological Diversity. November 29, 2013, archived from the original on November 21, 2014 .; accessed on December 1, 2013
↑ Engaged in Germany Interview with Bettina Kühnast on the honor of nature (August 11, 2011) ( Memento from October 24, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
↑ Official website of the National Natural Landscapes
↑ Chancellor donates to Europarc Germany ( Memento of October 24, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), Engaged in Deutschland of December 23, 2010; Retrieved Nov. 24, 2014.
↑ EUROPARC Germany eV - Evaluation of the German National Parks. Retrieved September 2, 2019 .
↑ Marketplace Nature on the Action Platform Biological Diversity 2020 . Retrieved September 2, 2019 .
↑ Press release Federal Agency for Nature Conservation Environmental policy, business and nature conservationists are jointly committed to nature , March 31, 2014.
↑ Junior Ranger, The nationwide Junior Ranger Program is a joint program of EUROPARC Germany eV and the National Natural Landscapes with the support of WWF Germany and Town & Country Haus ( Memento from April 14, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), Werkstatt N, 2012, 2013, 2015
↑ Official website of the project Unhindered Committed by EUROPARC Germany eV
↑ Deutschlandfunk interview with Anne Schierenberg as part of the German Nature Conservation Prize 2013 for the project Unhindered (August 30, 2013)

[1] Sections 24, 25 and 27 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act

[2] Association structure EUROPARC Germany eV

[3] Internet platform for nature conservation projects "Marketplace Nature"

[4] Website of the Junior Ranger Program from EUROPARC Germany eV

[5] Website of the program Ehrensache Natur from EUROPARC Germany eV

[6] “Nature as a matter of honor” receives award as a project of the UN Decade of Biological Diversity. November 29, 2013, archived from the original on November 21, 2014 .; accessed on December 1, 2013

[7] Engaged in Germany Interview with Bettina Kühnast on the honor of nature (August 11, 2011) ( Memento from October 24, 2014 in the Internet Archive )

[8] Official website of the National Natural Landscapes

[9] Chancellor donates to Europarc Germany ( Memento of October 24, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), Engaged in Deutschland of December 23, 2010; Retrieved Nov. 24, 2014.

[10] EUROPARC Germany eV - Evaluation of the German National Parks. Retrieved September 2, 2019 .

[11] Marketplace Nature on the Action Platform Biological Diversity 2020 . Retrieved September 2, 2019 .

[12] Press release Federal Agency for Nature Conservation Environmental policy, business and nature conservationists are jointly committed to nature , March 31, 2014.

[13] Junior Ranger, The nationwide Junior Ranger Program is a joint program of EUROPARC Germany eV and the National Natural Landscapes with the support of WWF Germany and Town & Country Haus ( Memento from April 14, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), Werkstatt N, 2012, 2013, 2015

[14] Official website of the project Unhindered Committed by EUROPARC Germany eV

[15] Deutschlandfunk interview with Anne Schierenberg as part of the German Nature Conservation Prize 2013 for the project Unhindered (August 30, 2013)