EUROPARC Webinar on Stakeholder Engagement in Conservation​

Creating meaningful engagement for better conservation outcomes.

7 May 2024 | 11:00 – 12:30 CEST

At the heart of effective conservation lie the principles of inclusivity and collaboration. Starting from our shared commitment to preserving and nurturing precious natural landscapes, this webinar offers inspiration for Protected Areas and Parks, conservation planning authorities, NGOs, and all individuals dedicated to safeguarding our planet’s biodiversity to engage with other people.

By actively involving stakeholders from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, we unlock a wealth of knowledge, creativity and passion that is essential for implementing sustainable solutions. Participatory approaches not only foster a sense of ownership and responsibility among local communities, but also harness the collective wisdom needed to address complex conservation challenges. How can we start a constructive dialogue and create participatory engagement opportunities in order to reach better conservation outcomes?

This webinar is organized within the framework of the NaturaConnect project and offers practical strategies and insights from experts for implementation on the ground. Each speaker brings a unique perspective that will inspire and inform practitioners about a more inclusive and participatory conservation paradigm. It is designed for anyone passionate about conservation and eager to explore new avenues for collaboration and engagement.

Get to know the case studies

• Stakeholder engagement in value-abled landscapes – working with a variety of nature values in practice
  Kristian Bjørnstadt, Director at Norske Parker, Norway
  
  Creating connections among people and nature is highly rewarding when it works. However, it’s most often challenging. In multi-functional landscapes, there are a number of competing interests and values at the same time. So, how do we consolidate these in practical processes? Based on experiences from establishing regional parks in Norway, Kristian will share some lessons learnt from bottom-up processes.

• Stakeholder engagement in connectivity conservation
  Hildegard Meyer, Project Manager at WWF Central and Eastern Europe
  
  With the experience of the many connectivity projects implemented in the Danube-Carpathian region, where engaging stakeholders has been an important part, Hildegard will talk about approaches at the local, cross-border and transnational levels and lessons learnt. You will hear about challenges and how they were addressed from the perspective of an NGO.

• Stakeholder engagement, participation and mediative work- insights from two case studies in Austria
  Eva-Maria Cattoen, LechtAlps, Austria
  
  Participation and mediation promote engagement and help to avoid or reduce conflict escalation and social polarization. Eva-Maria demonstrates through two case studes from Austria, how external support can help overcome challenges and build trust and cooperation amongst different stakeholder groups, even in situations of conflict. The first case study is an example from a human-wildlife coexistence project to establish cooperation for strengthening the lynx population in the Eastern Austrian Alps. The second case study gives insights in a project, where the motivation and trust between stakeholder groups had to be re-established in order to come back to the negotiation table for collaborating on new solutions regarding mountain biking in the surroundings of Innsbruck, Tyrol.

Webinar Programme

• Welcome and facilitation: Marit Schnepf, EUROPARC NaturaConnect Manager
• Stakeholder engagement in value-abled landscapes – working with a variety of nature values in practice
• Stakeholder engagement in connectivity conservation
• Stakeholder engagement, participation and mediative work – insights from two case studies in Austria
• Conclusions: Marit Schnepf, EUROPARC NaturaConnect Manager

This webinar is organised in the context of the NaturaConnect Learning Platform and will be part of module 2.1 Stakeholder Engagement: https://europeannatureacademy.com/course/naturaconnect