News from the Italian Parks

In the next months two very important events will be waiting for the Federparchi members: the annual Europarc Federation Conference in late September and the IUCN World Park Congress in mid-November. In Italy there are more than 50 national protected areas, both terrestrial and marine, which is a typical element in Europe. As far as our natural and marine-coastal treasure is concerned we are at the center of attention, with an extraordinary biodiversity heritage.

EUROPARC FEDERATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE - From 28th September until 1st October, in Killarney, Ireland, the Europarc annual conference entitled "Understanding the value of nature" will take place. The Federparchi Europarc President will be a member of the board. The program "Understanding the value of nature" will be analyzed through the best practices for the protected areas. Besides the plenary session and the general meeting a workshop and hikes in southern Ireland will be carried out to see some practical examples. Further information available on: http://europarc.org/conferences/overview/europarc-2014/

IUCN WORLD PARKS CONGRESS - The next IUCN World Parks Congress will take place in Sidney in November 2014 (from 12th to 19th November). During this week Australia will host thousands of environmental leaders from all over the world after having obtained the prestigious opportunity to host the event. Ten years after Durban, in South Africa in 2003, this event represents the main and most distinguished international reference point on the protected areas conservation and management. The IUCN World Parks Congress will be a world knowledge and innovation platform fostering a new era during which the protected areas will be considered as fundamental all over the world to achieve the widest economic and social goals. The role and the experience of the Italian parks, especially of those belonging to anthropized environments, will be able to bring a significant contribution in order to inspire new economic and social models which take into account both the priorities and the immediate threats to biological diversity and natural heritage.