EUROPARC Workshop: Sustainable Development Goals - What should Protected Areas do?

The Erasmus+ Project “SDGimp - Decision support system for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Protected Areas” has looked closely at how Protected Areas can implement and support these Goals.

The participatory workshop will present the results of the project and allows you to discover what your Protected Area can do to make these goals a reality

REGISTER BY CLICKING HERE

Workshop Programme:

1. Welcome and introduction to the programme, Esther Bossink, Communication Officer at the EUROPARC Federation.

2. Results from the SDGimp project, Cristoph Mathias, researcher at the Institute for Rural Development Research.

3. A fly through of the website, Cristoph Mathias.

4. Get to know the modules, Participants will have to chance to get an in-depth look of a module.

5. Small pause

6. Feedback session, What did we learn about SDGs and why are they relevant to Protected Areas?

7. What’s the role of Protected Areas? In breakout rooms, participants will discuss what their Protected Area is already doing, or what more can be done.

8. End of the workshop

The workshop will last aprox. 1h 30min and it will be hosted in English. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF MEASURING THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF TOURISM IN PROTECTED AREAS - new guidance document

The value of protected areas is often hidden from direct view. Once managers understand the number and behaviour of visitors they host, and the revenues and costs they generate, informed decisions on management plans and tourism strategies can be made.

Drawing on case studies from around the world, Visitors Count! aims to build awareness, knowledge and capacity internationally on how to best undertake economic evaluations of tourism in protected areas, and thereby contribute towards a globally acknowledged standard methodology.

Document downloadable at this LINK

EUROPARC Webinar - Outdoor Sports - Engaging with or using nature? - 27th of April 11:00h CET

Webinar Programme:
1. Welcome and Introduction to the webinar, By Carol Ritchie, EUROPARC Federation
2. Dilemmas for an outdoor enthusiast, By Lissa Breugelmans, Outdoor sports practitioner and PhD student at University of Antwerp
3. The RESICETS project - Park and Outdoor Sports working together to minimise the impact of outdoor activities on wildlife, By Daniele Piazza, director of the Aree Protette dell’Ossola
4. The Adventure Travel Guide Standard - Showing how the Outdoor Sports sectors values nature though sustainability standards, By Myles Farnbank, Wilderness Scotland guide, fellow of The Royal Geographical Society and a Master Educator of Leave No Trace
5. The SEE project researching the issues and finding best practice, By Mike McClure, ‎Outdoor Recreation Development Officer, ‎Sport Northern Ireland
6. Closing remarks, Noel Doyle, Leave No Trace Ireland

All participants will have the opportunity to exchange on the topics discussed and/or ask questions.

The webinar will last aprox. 1h 30min and it will be hosted in English.

REGISTRATION at: https://outdoorsportssee.gr8.com/

PARKS Special Issue on COVID-19

A special issue of PARKS is devoted to the impact and implications of COVID-19 on the world’s protected and conserved areas. It describes how 11 peer reviewed papers and 14 essays have brought together the knowledge and findings of numerous experts from all parts of the world, supported by several wide-ranging surveys. The resulting global synthesis of experience answers some key questions: why did the pandemic occur? what has it meant for protected and conserved areas, and the people that depend on them? what were the underlying reasons for the disaster we now face? and how can we avoid this happening again?

While applaud is given to the international effort to combat the disease, the humanity urgently needs to devote as much effort to addressing the root causes of the pandemic – our fractured relationship to nature. Unless we repair it, humanity will face consequences even worse than this pandemic.

The issue can be seen online here: https://parksjournal.com/parks-27-si-march-2021/ 

MEET´s online training to develop Ecotourism in protected areas

On the 28 October 2020, the MEET Network Secretariat hosted a public-facing webinar to announce the launch of its new online course on ecotourism product development in Mediterranean Protected Areas.

The course is made of two modules and is primarily directed at Protected Area staff interested in ecotourism development for their destination, but is also highly relevant to other stakeholders in the tourism and conservation sectors i.e. tourism boards, tour operators, sustainable tourism associations etc. The first module is on how to develop an ecotourism product following MEET´s tried and tested methodology, and the second on how to use the MEET DestiMED Calculator to measure the ecological footprint of the ecotourism product.

The course is free and can be accessed by creating an account on www.conservationtraining.org and searching for ´MEET Network´.

Sustainable recovery of tourism in protected areas from the COVID-19 pandemic  

In their guest post for Transforming One Planet Vision into Action, Spenceley et al share their reflections on working towards a responsible recovery from COVID-19 for the tourism sector.

Full paper “Tourism in protected areas amid the COVID-19 pandemic, is submitted to the Special Issue on Protected and Conserved Areas and Pandemics in the journal PARKS.

Some of their thoughts:

˝We recommend that protected area tourism is ‘built back better’ than before COVID-19, by not returning to business as usual, by taking into account climate change, biodiversity loss, and by being more inclusive, equitable and integrated with sustainable development principles. Nobody can predict how the pandemic will evolve, nor the recovery timeline, but stakeholders can identify plausible scenarios and create action plans that work towards sustainable tourism. Furthermore, market research suggests that post-COVID-19 people will seek out adventure travel, natural spaces, safe and quality experiences. Therefore, it is imperative that protected areas are prepared for directing this surge towards positive outcomes.˝

˝The way forward for tourism has five dimensions: (1) fostering openness to change, with a new way of thinking and acting; (2) developing a vision; (3) protecting natural and cultural heritage for their importance to the environmental services of the area and peoples’ dependency on tourism; (4) recovering and rebuilding local livelihoods and the health of residents and visitors; and (5) reframing tourism, including the resources it uses, to achieve productive and healthy livelihoods without degrading the biodiversity upon which it depends.˝

˝We recommend that planning be more holistic, inclusive, equitable, adaptable and focus on what tourism and outdoor recreation sustains.˝

Full post can be reached via the link: https://www.unwto.org/covid-19-oneplanet-responsible-recovery-initiatives/sustainable-recovery-of-tourism-in-protected-areas-from-the-covid-19-pandemic

Editorial essay - COVID‐19 and protected and conserved areas

This special editorial provides a snapshot of how protected and conserved areas around the world are being impacted by COVID-19.

The essay brings a commentary on how effectively and equitably managed systems of protected and conserved areas can be part of a response to the pandemic that both lessens the chance of a recurrence of similar events and builds a more sustainable future for people and nature.

Editorial is concluded with a Call for Action made up of three elements:

• core principles (Principle 1: COVID-19 is a symptom of the wider environmental crisis; Principle 2: We must commit to and act to achieve a healthy, sustainable planet; Principle 3: Protected and conserved areas provide broad benefits to society, but these are now under severe stress due to our societal response to COVID-19)
• actions (1. Rescue: an immediate emergency response to cushion the shock from COVID-19; 2. Recover: a plan to overcome the damaging effects of COVID-19; 3. Rebuild Stronger, starting now: a strategy to put protected and conserved areas on a more secure and effective trajectory), and
• commitment from the IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Area (establish a Task Force to collect and analyze information on the impacts of COVID-19 on protected and conserved areas; develop, refine and promote the Call for Action; develop principles and good practice for protected and conserved areas across the three phases of the response to the pandemic - rescue, recovery and rebuilding.)

Full editorial can be found at this LINK  

An online learning platform for sustainable tourism

The Erasmus+ project ‘Sustainable Tourism: Training for Tomorrow’ launches www.sustainabletourismtraining.eu  . This free, online learning platform offers an answer to the key training needs that are currently experienced by professionals working on sustainable tourism in protected areas (PAs). The online platform offers 9 learning modules in 4 languages to acquire those skills.

Each of the 9 available ‘Sustainable Tourism Training ‘-modules consists of a short video introducing the topic, key info, inspiring cases and a quiz to assess your knowledge (if successful, resulting in a certificate). The modules discuss themes like ‘reducing impacts’, ‘conservation through tourism’, ‘effective visitor communication’ and ‘social cohesion’.

Progetto CEETO: Pronte le versioni in italiano delle Linee Guida per i Decisori Politici ed il Manuale per i Gestori delle Aree Protette

Il Turismo Sostenibile si realizza quando le aspettative dei residenti coincidono con quelle dei turisti, assicurando che vengano rispettati sia l’esperienza turistica sia i valori ambientali e socio-culturali dei territori interessati. Durante i suoi tre anni di attività, il progetto CEETO ha testato strumenti di monitoraggio dei flussi turistici e promosso innovativi modelli di pianificazione e di governance del turismo sostenibile, rendendo il turismo non una minaccia ma un incentivo alla protezione della natura ed al benessere locale.

Da questi principi e dalle esperienze maturate nelle Azioni Pilota del Progetto CEETO, sono nati alcuni dei principali output di progetto, rivolti ai professionisti dello sviluppo territoriale e della tutela ambientale. Parliamo in particolare delle Linee Guida per i Decisori Politici e del Manuale per i Gestori delle Aree Protette:

• Le Linee Guida per decisori politici sono state concepite come uno strumento finalizzato a supportare i decisori politici a livello nazionale, regionale e locale nel processo di pianificazione e gestione del turismo all’interno e intorno alle Aree Protette, fornendo raccomandazioni su come integrare i principi del turismo sostenibile nelle politiche pubbliche. Inoltre, questo documento capitalizza i risultati e la sintesi delle Azioni Pilota realizzate in otto Aree Protette dell’Europa Centrale durante l’implementazione del progetto CEETO.
• ll Manuale per i gestori delle aree protette è un documento operativo che offre agli Enti di Gestione una guida passo-passo (tipo Libro di Cucina), sulla predisposizione e gestione del Turismo Sostenibile nelle Aree Protette. Il Manuale mette a disposizione suggerimenti pratici e raccomandazioni per avviare i processi partecipativi nella pianificazione, comunicazione e monitoraggio, fornendo anche indicazioni su un nuovo livello di cooperazione e collaborazione tra le Aree protette e gli Operatori Turistici, creando destinazioni sostenibili e promuovendo un turismo responsabile e di qualità.
• È stata inoltre realizzata un’ulteriore breve Linea Guida per fornire agli Enti di Gestione delle Aree Protette, strategie e suggerimenti per collaborare con i Tour Operator al fine di promuovere le destinazioni turistiche più sostenibili e rafforzare i vantaggi che possono derivare dalla collaborazione Pubblico-Privato.
• Infine, come prodotto di ampia e sintetica divulgazione, è stata realizzata una Brochure, realizzata per condividere le storie di successo di progetto ed i principali output, e che si affianca ai Volantini per Turisti e Comunità Locali ed alle Infografiche. Essa include un riassunto delle best practice e delle attività svolte nelle 8 Azioni Pilota di CEETO, che hanno portato alla redazione degli altri documenti tecnici suddetti e che hanno innescato nei territori dei meccanismi virtuosi che vedranno la loro maturazione nei prossimi anni.

Linee Guida e Manuale rientrano nella letteratura scientifica più aggiornata e sono disponibili in varie lingue qui sul CEETO Network, nella sezione “Documents” e sul sito web di progetto. Da ora sono disponibili i documenti anche in Italiano.

I link diretti per scaricare i documenti in Italiano sono i seguenti:

1. Linee Guida per Decisori Politici;
2. Manuale per Enti di Gestione di Aree Protette;
3. Linee Guida per le AP per collaborare con i Tour Operator;
4. Brochure.

CEETO Project end - Outputs and Dissemination Events

The month of May 2020, as final month of the CEETO Project, was particularly fruitful from both the production of outputs and the dissemination of their results.

In addition to the Final Conference (of which you can find all the material in the dedicated section of the Platform link), the 8th of May saw the presentation of a Webinar (addressed to policy makers and Protected Areas management bodies) organized by Europarc. During the Webinar, in addition to a quick escursus on the objectives and outputs of the CEETO project and some examples of the Pilot Actions on Sustainable Tourism, implemented by Ente Parchi Emilia Centrale - Regione Emilia Romagna (Italy) and Landscape Park of Struniano (Slovenia), two of the main outputs of the Project were presented:  The Guidelines for Policy Makers (produced by RRC Koper) and the Manual for PA Managers (produced by WWF Adria).

To review the event presentations and the video of the event (in English), this is the link.

To access the last project documents, you can go to the relevant pages of the official website:

• Guidelines for Policy Makers;
• Manual for PA Managers;
• Guidelines for PA Managers to work with Tour Operators;

or go to the "Documents" section of the platform - CEETO Documents => Sustainable Tourism => How To.

Further, after the Final Conference, several dissemination events were organised in each of the 5 local languages of the project partners. These events were also rich in content, with contributions from outside the CEETO Project and both technical and institutional interventions.

Some of these events were recorded and can be attended at any time:

- Webinar in ITALIAN;

Webinar on Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas: from design to implementation – the experience of CEETO project

The Central Europe Eco-Tourism: tools for nature protection (CEETO) Interreg project ran for three years, to test innovative governance models for tourism development in Protected Areas.  Integrating environmental, social and economic aspects, several solutions were implemented in protected areas in Austria, Germany, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy, with the aim to make tourism a real driver for nature protection and local economic and social well-being.

In this webinar, jointly organized between EUROPARC Federation and CEETO Interreg CE project, we will hear some of the best examples of the project implementation, and get access to relevant tools for Protected Area Managers and policy-makers to design and implement Sustainable Tourism Strategies in Protected Areas.

For the registration to the webinar follow this LINK.

More about the webinar is available HERE. 

Visitor Giving: A toolkit for Destination (Management) Organisations

Sometimes the solutions for finding funding for the development of sustainable tourism can be easier than expected. 

“Visitor Giving: A toolkit for Destination (Management) Organisations”, produced in 2013 by Nurture Lakeland and VisitEngland, is a short guide for Visitor Giving understanding and a collection of best practiced from England, where such funds are "voluntarily donated" directly by tourists.

Visitor Giving, also known as Visitor Payback, or Visitor Gifting, is a way of offering visitors to both countryside and town, the opportunity to give a little something back to looking after the places they love. It’s a way of tapping into that natural desire to help and a mechanism for collecting those small contributions which, collectively, add up to something really quite significant. The money raised can go towards supporting a whole host of projects in destinations, all delivered by the many committed organisations who are working hard to protect England’s landscapes, maintain local communities and promote the local heritage. You can download the guide from the link below.

An Educational Animation Video of the protection regimes in the Landscape Park Strunjan

Within the CEETO project, as a part of raising awareness actions, Landscape Park Strunjan produced an educational animation video of the protection regimes in the Park. The video is presented in the Park´s visitor center.

YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT-g9Fkrl8U&feature=youtu.be 

10 Good Principles for Outdoor Sports in Protected Areas - Now in 9 languages!  

The 10 Good Principles for Outdoor Sports in Protected Areas, launched by EUROPARC Federation in cooperation with the European Network of Outdoor Sports (ENOS), aim to promote good conduct among outdoor sports practitioners and to lower the impact of outdoor sports on the environment. 

The poster is now available in 9 languages. Download it here.

Ente Parchi Emilia Centrale, ready for the ECST application

70 projects complete the dossier with which the Park Authority will present to Europe its application for the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in the Protected Areas of Central Emilia.

The final plenary forum (Rubiera - Modena - Italy - 04/12/2019) marked the end of the process started by Ente Parchi Emilia Centrale last April to obtain the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (ECST), a certification recognised at continental level and supported by Europarc and Federparchi.

The idea of starting the application process started with the participation of the Management Authority in the European project CEETO, of which the Emilia-Romagna Region is the leading partner and within which the Park Authority has prepared, for some protected areas of its territory, a five-year Action Plan and implemented two Pilot Actions for the knowledge and a more sustainable management of tourism flows.

Central Emilia is the first "macro-area" of the Emilia-Romagna region to apply for certification for all its 8 protected areas located between the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia, which thus start, along with their territories, to obtain the important recognition and to be included among the destinations of excellence at European level.

In recent months, dozens of public and private stakeholders have taken part in the candidacy process, working in a vast territory that embraces very different environments and "kind of tourisms".

Municipal administrations, cultural and sports associations, entrepreneurs and tourism operators, promotion offices and destinations management organizations (DMOs), environmental and excursion guides, training and category bodies have been the protagonists of a proactive discussion both among themselves and with the Parks Authority. A step-by-step process that began with a shared analysis of the opportunities to be seized, useful for defining a common strategy and outlining concrete objectives to be achieved in the next five years, through an Action Plan (including those prepared within the framework of the CEETO Project), which includes no less than 70 initiatives and projects (for a total of about 12 million € of investment) carried out not only by the Managing Authority but also, and above all, by the subjects who participated in the process.

The final forum was the moment of approval (in the photo) and subscription of the actions that constitute the heart of the " application dossier ", already sent to the examination of the commission of Europarc.

CEETO pilot actions in Emilia Centrale Parks

Lago Santo Modenese area, within the High Modenese Apennines Regional Park, and Salse di Nirano Nature Reserve are two pilot areas managed by the Emilia Centrale Parks Management Authority. Both areas are affected by a high tourist presence which, along with inadequate visitors´ behaviour, cause damage to natural values and overall experience of the protected area. Therefore, in Lago Santo Modenese area tourist flows were monitored via the number of sold parking tickets and questionnaires to define measures for better spatial and time distribution of tourists’ visits in the area. Also, sustainable traffic measures and raising knowledge and awareness about the value of the area were implemented. In Salse di Nirano area, to protect the Zone A (integral protection zone) of the Reserve, a Video Content Analysis (VCA) system was installed to detect the type of the use and threats the Reserve must face from the point of view of sustainable tourism planning. The video of the system can be seen here: https://youtu.be/6mbOOV_c0FI

Facilitating sustainable alternatives in Appennino Tosco Emiliano National Park

The Appennino Tosco Emiliano National Park, UNESCO Man&Biosphere Reserve, represents the high mountain environment in the Emilia-Romagna Region with amazingly rich flora and fauna. The 2 pilot areas in the Park, the Pietra di Bismantova and the Lagdei plain, suffer overflow of tourists in spring and summer. The objective of the pilot action was to modify the tourists’ behaviours, extend the touristic season and offer sustainable tourism alternatives. The Park management monitored touristic flows using specific questionnaires, counting of visitors and a statistical survey on tourist visits. Public shuttle buses and payment schemes for parking areas were introduced to lower the pressure of visits. All of the data collected is used in the ECST process and in facilitating collaboration between stakeholders, as well as in creating a complete and multi-seasonal offer for new kinds of tourism in the area. Learn more from the attached summary of the CEETO pilot action in Appennino Tosco Emiliano National Park. 

A short movie about the Park: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6TGVAR2AHw&feature=youtu.be

Regulation of the Belvedere terraces area in Strunjan Landscape Park, Slovenia

The area of Belvedere terraces represents one of the entry points to the Strunjan Landscape Park with the potential to become a buffer zone between the urbanized, tourist area of Izola and the protected nature area. To better manage the Belvedere terraces area, firstly, the Park management conducted monitoring activities to learn about the visitors' flow and their expectations of the area. They raised awareness of the protection regimes in the area by introducing innovative educational activities. The main part of the pilot action in Strunjan Landscape Park was the preparation of the study on landscaping and spatial planning solutions which aims to increase the sustainability of touristic flows and to obtain a conceptual solution for the regulation of the area, in cooperation with all local stakeholders. With this regulation, Park management wants to establish an entry point to the protected area, control the movement of visitors and offer them sustainable activities outside the Park area, and to relieve some of the pressure on the protected area throughout the year. Learn more from the attached summary of the CEETO pilot action in the Strunjan Landscape Park. A short movie about the Park can be seen at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PiDryOhEmQ

Reducing traffic pressure in Medvednica Nature Park, Croatia

Medvednica Nature Park faces heavy visitation during spring and autumn weekends and winter skiing season which causes environmental problems in the Park. Measures to solve heavy traffic and lack of parking space in the Park were designed based on data collected via electronic car counters and video cameras, installed on the most problematic spots, and in-depth survey of visitors´ structure and attitudes. Data obtained from both monitoring schemes helped the Park management to develop Sustainable Tourism Action Plan of the area in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.Possible solutions for traffic problems include rescheduling the timetable of public busses, better road management and maintenance and defining and adequate marking of parking spots. On the other hand, the results obtained from visitors in-depth study showed that visitors are aware of the possible loss of natural values of the Park due to traffic overloads and touristic pressures and are prepared to participate financially in preserving natural values of the area. Learn more from the attached summary of the CEETO pilot action in the Nature Park Medvednica.

CEETO teaser Nature Park Medvednica

Testing visitor management activities in UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Southeast Rügen, Germany

The Zicker Berge, an area located at the southeastern tip in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Southeast Rügen, Germany, represents a valuable ecological area with species-rich grasslands. The beauty of the landscape attracts many visitors every year. Unfortunetly, rules of proper behaviour are often ignored by visitors due to insufficient knowledge of the natural values of this area. The Pilot Action of CEETO project intends to evaluate the touristic pressure in this area and to change the visitor behaviour for a better by providing more and better information about the particularities of the "Zicker Begre" and about the correct code of cunduct. The Visitor flow was observed at two main entrances of the area "Zicker Berge" and manual surveys (flash interviews and in-depth interviews) were conducted. After the initial evaluation of data, the management of the protected Area involved local people in decicion making process and the implementation of the visitor management activities. To find out, if the visitor management activities are effective and if the  visitor behaviour is changing, data are collected continuously over the years.  A detailed description of the pilot action can be found in the attached summary. Also, you can check a video of the pilot area at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLl-r4QMN3M&feature=youtu.be

Visitor flow management in Sölktäler Nature Park

The attractive landscape with mountain lakes and rich flora and fauna makes Sölktäler Nature Park, Austria, attractive destinations for hikers in summer and skiers in wintertime. To mitigate the impacts of growing tourist visits in the area, the Nature Park management undertook several measures. To understand tourist flows in the Park, electronic counters were installed at four main hiking trails and manual counting at two hiking spots in summer was conducted. The monitoring of human impacts on wildlife was also monitored. Collected statistics allow for identification of days and weeks of increased tourist pressure, annual comparison of tourist flows and comparison between the presences found in four spota in the Park. Obtained data were used to create a five-year strategy for tourism management in the Park, together with local stakeholders. Also, an information brochure was created to communicate natural specificities of the Park and alternative tourist itineraries, to minimize the impact on fragile habitats. Detailed description of the pilot action can be found in the attached summary. Also, you can check a video of the pilot area at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbfGsH0ETaU&feature=youtu.be

Making UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Salzburger Lungau more experienceable

Within the CEETO project, the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Salzburger Lungau worked on raising the awareness and knowledge of visitors (locals and guests) about the area, to improve a sustainable behaviour and minimize negative impacts on nature and to make the Biosphere Reserve more experienceable for visitors. Furthermore, specific actions around the Preber lake were planned, to improve the parking situation in this special area.

With two surveys conducted during 2018 and 2019 in the area around the Preber lake, the management of the Biosphere Reserve learned about the visitors’ knowledge of the Biosphere Reserve and their mobility behaviour and satisfaction with the public transport in the Preber area. Based on these surveys and the participatory process, an Action Plan for a sustainable tourism development was elaborated, that contains a long-term vision and actions for sensitization, awareness and knowledge raising and quality improvement, addressing the whole region.

Additionally, special actions like a parking management and the increase of the frequency of the public transport, that focus on the specific situation in the Preber area (parking problems), were discussed.

Between the two surveys communication activities were done to raise awareness and knowledge (like guided tours, communication events) of visitors about the Biosphere Reserve and the Preber area, special actions around the lake to improve the parking situation and the acceptance of the public transport in this area couldn’t be implemented, due to political changes, but they will until summer 2020. After implementation another survey will be conducted, to measure the changes in the reduction of cars and the acceptance of public transport in the Preber area.

Furthermore, it is planned to conduct surveys every year to measure a change in knowledge and awareness of visitors about the Biosphere Reserve an to integrate the data into the Biosphere Reserve integrated monitoring system.

Learn more from the attached summary of the CEETO pilot action in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Salzburger Lungau.

CEETO Project - Video-Monitoring of the Salse di Nirano Nature Reserve to monitor and prevent Zone A intrusions.

NEMOS (Nature rEserve MOnitoring System) VCA Experimental System

The Video Content Analysis (VCA) system, financed and tested through the Interreg CEETO Project, is composed of 3 cameras connected to an automatic data processing and extraction unit, using Artificial Intelligence algorithms. The system, in addition to monitoring (quantifying and qualifying) the real use of the area, also documents the main factors of threat for the Natural Reserve of Salse di Nirano, to support the design of possible protection measures.

As can be seen from the explanatory video (see link below), the system detects the transits of vehicles and people along the access road to Zone A of integral protection (zone particularly fragile by the geomorphological and phytological point of view) and acquires the largest number of data on episodes of physical barriers overcoming (by both people and animals), and consequent incorrect use and invasion of Zone A. The data, processed on site and sent remotely to the Park Authority and to the Municipality, will be used both to quantify the extent of the problem and to plan appropriate defence actions, both active (strengthening of physical barriers) and passive (through posters and environmental education).

The recorded images will also be useful for the study of the mud-volcanoes morphological evolution and will be integrated with the other ongoing monitoring by the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

The innovative VCA system was installed in the Cà Rossa Visitor Centre area at the beginning of July 2019 and it’s acquiring data continuously from 5.30 AM to 9.30 PM. It will continue to work for at least one year after the end of CEETO Pilot Action (which ended at the end of September 2019).

 This is a demo Video: https://youtu.be/6mbOOV_c0FI.

This other one is a "real-life" acquisition result video collage and a preview of the web-managing interface for the DB collected data analysis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN5qA_Ov-Mw.

Planning, management and monitoring tools for sustainable tourism management in protected areas

CEETO Inventory of tools and success stories for sustainable tourism in Protected Areas is a comprehensive collection of the existing planning, management and monitoring tools used for the management of tourist visits in protected areas in Europe; it also includes the most successful case studies from around the world.

The Inventory served as a basis for the implementation of CEETO pilot actions in 8 protected areas in the EU with an aim to test and establish the most successful and innovative governance model for sustainable tourism in those areas.

Inventory and the description of CEETO pilot action can be found in this post.

Understanding Visitors' Sedentary Behavior in Protected Natural Areas

Make Them Move: Understanding Visitors' Sedentary Behavior in Protected Natural Areas. A Case Study in S Thus, using the Alt Pirineu Natural Park (Spain) as a case study, the aim of this study is to determine the influence of sociodemographic, trip, motivational, and opinion descriptors on the likelihood of participating in sedentary behavior while visiting a protected natural area

Make Them Move: Understanding Visitors' Sedentary Behavior in Protected Natural Areas. A Case Study in Spain.

Protected areas are important attractions for promoting healthy life habits. Consequently, to date, a number of studies have examined the association between visitors' characteristics and physical activities. However, little is known about the specific users inclined exclusively to have sedentary behavior during a visit. Thus, using the Alt Pirineu Natural Park (Spain) as a case study, the aim of this study is to determine the influence of sociodemographic, trip, motivational, and opinion descriptors on the likelihood of participating in sedentary behavior while visiting a protected natural area.

RESULTS:

Metabolic equivalent consumption was used to empirically distinguish the sedentary (22.6%) from the active (77.4%) visitor groups. A logistic regression analysis indicated that the trip and motivational descriptors explained the highest degree of the overall variation in reporting sedentary behavior.

CONCLUSION:

The study contributed to documenting the information about visitors' behavior in protected areas, and the findings may aid park managers in developing effective management strategies for promoting and enhancing physical activity in protected natural areas.

˝Park-science˝ in Slovenian protected areas

Strunjan Landscape Park, one of CEETO pilot areas, this year coordinated the work of the Slovenian Natural Parks Community with an aim to bring community and nature conservation work closer. For the second year, protected areas carried out activities aimed at schooling youth and teachers. The activity is called "park science" and aims to get young generations closer to Slovenia's natural parks and make them true "park experts". This year, over 600 registered students from 46 schools through an online quiz solved tasks and explored natural and cultural characteristics of 14 nature parks. More information about this year’s ˝park-science˝ information can be gathered at the following link: https://parkstrunjan.si/novice/parkoslovje-2018-19/   

˝Park-science˝ will continue in the 2019/20 school year, and activities can be tracked on the following link: https://www.naravniparkislovenije.si/slo/solarji .

˝The School Network in Protected Areas-Guidebook for Protected Areas and Schools˝-regional educational program in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia.

Within the project "Protected Areas for Nature and People˝, WWF Adria and Park Dinarides recently developed a Guidebook: ˝The School Network in Protected Areas-Guidebook for Protected Areas and Schools˝. The Guidebook is created for Protected Areas managers who want to work together with local teachers to develop educational programs or improve existing ones, and for schools that are interested in conducting their school curricula in the amazing environments of Protected Areas. In the chapters Learning about nature through play and Educational Activities and Critical Thinking is explained how to develop educational activities and in Annex 1 - Learning about nature through play - Description of activities are provided detailed explanations of examples of activities.

School Networks aims to create long-term and efficient partnerships between local schools and a Protected Area that is bound by the common goal of preserving local natural and cultural heritage in a way that contributes to the wellbeing of the local community.

The Guidebook is available in English.

Nature based education program for students with intellectual disabilities

Within CEETO project a special education program ˝The Life of a Tree˝ for students with intellectual disabilities was developed. With this education program, students are offered recreational and experiential learning about natural values in nature itself which gives them an opportunity to learn to observe, watch, listen, feel and move. The program was developed in joint cooperation by WWF Adria, Public Institution Maksimir and the Secondary School-Centre for education and training Zagreb.

Publications are currently available in the Croatian language. 

Biosphere for Baltic Project

The Biosphere Reserves located around the Baltic Sea have started a joint project under the titel "Biosphere for Baltic". With the project a long-term coopeartion between the Baltic Sea biosphere reserve shall be established.

CEETO project to establish an innovative governance system for sustainable tourism in protected and NATURA 2000 areas