IUCN South-Eastern European e-Bulletin

Issue 12 • March 2007

Editorial

Dear Readers, Welcome to the 12th issue of the IUCN South-Eastern European e-Bulletin. On behalf of IUCN we would like to inform you, that on 1 March 2007, the Government of the Republic of Estonia officially joined the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as its 83rd State member. For the South-Eastern European region we are as always presenting many new activities and projects, that are currently under implementation in the region, as well as updates on some topics we introduced in the recent issues. Additionally, we have in this issue inserted some pages on upcoming seminars and workshops on the topic of nature and area conservation that are offered for training in the next months. The news and events cover a broad variety of themes and topics. Many thanks to all of you who have contributed with articles and pictures. The guidelines for submitting articles for the IUCN SEE e-bulletin can be found on the last page of this issue. With best wishes,

Aleksandra Nesic and Katharina Diehl IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe Content

NEWS 1 1001 Ponds – 1001 Stories of Life 2 Vitina‘s White Salamander 3 Ruško Pohorje 4 The Forests with Pinus nigra banatica – Part of Natura 2000 5 Bardaca Wetlands - New Ramsar Site 6 Forest Condition Monitoring 7 Sustainable Golf Courses ? 8 Evaluation of the Mediterranean freshwater biodiversity 9 Proclaimed 2 new Ramsar Sites 10 Lika River Basin - Otter Paradise 11 ‘Working for nature – nature for working’ 12 Promotion of Natural Values of Dajti Mountain National Park 13 Mt. Šar Planina nominated for World Natural Heritage 14 Birdwatching in Montenegro 15 Proclaimed Protection of the only known habitat of the winter aconite plant species in Serbia 16 SISTEMaPARC 17 Turkey’s First Scientific Research Project on Lynx 18 Funding for all NatuRegio projects granted 19 Hiking with a Ranger 20 Transboundary cooperation in the Sava River Basin 21 Red List of Mediterranean Marine Fish

EVENTS 1 National Red List Development 2 Counting owls! 3 Protection of Biodiversity of the Sava River Basin Floodplains - First Technical Meeting 4 EUROPARC at the Reisepavillon 2007 5 World Wetlands Day at the General Assembly of the Danube Environmental Forum (DEF) 6 Transboundary Workshop in Djerdap 7 16 Danube and Black Sea Countries Adopt Water Protection Declaration 8 IUCN-SEE and WCPA European Training Task Force (ETTF) Meeting 9 IUCN WCPA and MED Categories Summit 10 The Balkan Peace Park Project: Ready for Summer 2007

SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS 1 International Academy for Nature Conservation on Vilm, Germany 2 The Alfred Toepfer Academy for Nature Conservation (NNA) 3 Environmental Education along the Green Belt - „Learning and teaching Biodiversity“ 4 Third round of ALCOA Foundation fellowship launched 5 Training Workshops for World Heritage Natural Sites and Cultural Landscapes in South Eastern Europe

COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLICATIONS 1 Ecosystems, Livelihoods and Disasters 2 WCPA Websites 3 Countdown 2010 4 SAVE Foundation 5 European Lobbying Methodology 6 Climate Change 2007: Physical Science Basis - Summary for Policy makers News

1 1001 Ponds – 1001 Stories of Life

Slovenia: The crossborder cooperation project „1001 Ponds - 1001 Stories of Life“, co-financed by the European Union within the Pro- gramme Interreg IIIA between Slovenia and Italy, has the aim to pre- serve ponds in the karst region of Slovenia. In the course of the pro- ject, which is now reaching its final stage, 25 pond wardens have been trained to care for ponds in their local environment. Extensive work was carried out with children in kindergartens and schools. Tea- chers were supplied with knowledge needed for developing educa- tional programmes on the topic of ponds. In cooperation with local inhabitants, different renovation methods for local ponds were tes- ted and useful experience was gained for continuing the renovation. Ponds may be small waterbodies, but they are very important wet- lands in the dry coastal areas of Slovenia. An major part of the project focused on raising public awareness for the significance of ponds. While most people know ponds as former drinking troughs for animals, it is much less known that pond networks are extremely important for the sur- vival of a wide number of animal and plant species, especially in areas without surface waters. Many insects and amphibians need these still waters for their life cycles. Information on the ecological importance of ponds can be found in newspaper articles, in workshops and training seminars. Effective awareness raising has also been carried out in cooperation with local associations by offering hikes in the respective areas of ponds, not least because hikes seem to be very popular in Slovenia. Information on ponds, on their former use and their relevance for today‘s environmental education and conservation of endangered species was set up along the paths. Last year more than three hundred nature lovers gathered to join the first hike from pond to pond in the Karstic village of Pliskovica. This year, the number of participants had more than doubled. More information can be obtained from Igor Maher from the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation, [email protected], and on the website http://1001kal.kras-carso.com.

2 Vitina‘s White Salamander

Bosnia & Hercegovina: During the reconstruction of the water-sup- ply system under a road in November 2006, a fairly numerous po- pulation of 30 live specimens of white salamander was found in the City of Vitina – in the stream under the road. The white salamander (Proteus anguinus) is an endemic species of the Dinaric Karst - the karstic region along the Mediterranean Sea from Trieste (Italy) to Bos- nia and Herzegovina. The species is troglobiont - it has no eyes and no pigments in the skin - unless the specimens grow up in daylight, which would cause the development of eyes and a brown skin, but the eyes would then not be complete and the salamanders still be blind. This species is «a living fossil» and as such can be very interes- ting for biology sciences.

The region, where the white salamander (Proteus anguinus) was found had been a swamp between karstic hills, and it is now a valley with many characteristic historical, natural and cultural particularities. The region is rich with underground water and many springs surface in the area, as does the spring of river Vrioštice, just 50 m from where the discovery of white salamander was made. The 25 cm large speci- men were found in a depth of 2 m below the main street in calcareous sinter. Members from the eco-association in Vitina contacted IUCN and the Red List Programme to report on this finding.

Furthermore, the eco-associa- tion “VITINA-VRIOŠTICA” asks for scientific background infor- mation and help in this speci- fic case, in order to develop a solution for keeping this species safe in this respective area in future. Please contact the eco-association “VITINA-VRIOŠTICA”, Petar Vištica and Miro Barbarić, for more information, email: [email protected]. 3 Ruško Pohorje

Slovenia: Pohorje is the most south-eastern branch of the Central Alps, stretching for more than 50 km from Dravograd to Maribor, with heights up to 1543m (Črni vrh). It is composed of magmatic and metamorphic rocks and, because of this fea- ture, it differs from other (mostly karstic) Slovenian regions – it’s flora and fauna are unique.

Pohorje’s landscape and biodiversity are still quite well preserved and the area is included into the Natura 2000 network. Endeavours for protecting Pohorje as a Nature Park are more then four decades old, but have not been successful until now. A big pressure of mass tourism is combined with the local wish for faster development, and many local communities are planning to enlarge or build new skiing facilities on Pohorje.

Such ideas are also foreseen in the Ruše local community, but at the same time there is a support of the idea to create a Nature Park. The community is building a visitor centre and is trying to co- operate with the local population and neighbouring communities. The Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation is supporting the idea of creating a nature protected area not only with expert studies but also with presenting Pohorje’s natural heri- tage and the need for its conservation among local population and authorities. The Institute carried out very successful educational field trips through the Lobnica gorge (Šumik virgin forest) in au- tumn 2006. The Institute also released a publication about geodi- versity and biodiversity of this part of Pohorje at the end of 2006.

For more information, please contact Andrej Grmovšek, email: [email protected].

4 The Forests with Pinus nigra banatica – Part of Natura 2000

Romania: The Speleological Association „The Explorers“ is a partner in the project „The fo- rests with Pinus nigra banatica - part of NATURA 2000“, that is being implemented in South- Western Romania, in Domogled-Valea Cernei National Park from 2004 to 2007. The project beneficiary is Caraş-Severin Environment Protection Agency, and its partners are the Do- mogled-Valea Cernei National Park Administration and the Municipality of Baile Herculane.

The project objective is the long-term conservation of the sub-Mediterranean forests in the National Park, and the designation as a Site of Community Importance, in accordance with Article 4 of Directive 92/43/EEC. The project budget of 814.770 Euro consists of 611.078 Euro representing the European Commission/Life Natura Program contribution and 203.692 Euro as a beneficiary and partners contribution.

The necessity of this project became evident after a great fire had burnt 90 ha of Pinus nigra ssp. banatica forest in 2000. A great amount of habitats and species from the Domogled Natural Reservation had been totally or partially destroyed. The main activities in the project therefore included inventories, mapping and an evaluation of the natural habitats and the wild species conservation status. Additionally, a data base was created and an integrated monitoring system, starting in 2006, was implemented. These activities were a basis for the ela- boration of the first management plan for this site and for several steps forward towards the designation of the site in the NATURA 2000 network. A remarkable result is, that due to all activities, the areas covered with Pinus nigra banatica have been enlarged from 600 ha up to 3200 ha.

Other activities of the project concentrate on site management, ecology, trainings and symposiums. For public relations, tourist trails and visiting facilities have been realised and a visitors centre offers public information and education. Materials and events can be communicated in an info point. The most special event is „The Black Pine Festival“, organized annually in the touristy spa of Baile Herculane. For information, contact Bogdan Bădescu, Project Manager at [email protected] or Raluca Crista at [email protected] and also visit http://www.pinusnigrabanatica.ro/.

5 Bardaca Wetlands - New Ramsar Site Bosnia and Hercegovina: On 2nd February 2007, Bardaca Wetland (Bardaca-mocvarni kompleks) was designated a new Ramsar site (Wetland of International Importance). Bardaca Wetland is an Important Bird Area situated in the floodplain of the Sava River near to the border to Croatia. The description of the site is available on the Convention‘s website http://www.ramsar.org/index_bulletin.htm and it has also been incorporated into the website dedicated to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Srpska, http://www.ramsar.org/profile/profiles_bosnia.htm. The official Ramsar Information Sheet and maps of this site will soon be publicly available on the Ramsar Sites information service, the Ramsar sites database at http://www.wetlands.org/rsis/. By the way, in the last bulletin issue, under the section EVENTS, Article 24 on the SGF Project WS in Bardaca wetlands, there was a misspelled link of the related web site. The correct link is www.bardaca.dzaba.com. Apologies from the editor. 6 Forest Condition Monitoring

Serbia: The National Focal Centre in the Institute of Forestry for forest condition monitoring on Level I plots – ICP Forests – performed an ob- servation of 130 sample plots as a total number of installed sample plots in the area of the Republic of Serbia. The Institute of Forestry in collabo- ration with the Faculty of Forestry and the Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment performed the monitoring and assessment of the forest health status. Based on the ICP Forests Manual, the crown condition of forest trees was monitored, and the defoliation and discoloration were analyzed, based on which the degree of damage of the observed dominant tree species was calculated. Foliar analyses were performed and the concentrations of macro-elements and micro- elements were monitored in the foliage of forest trees, as well as the content of toxic elements on sample plots representing the main forest ecosystems. This monitoring represents the first large-scale research of the forest nutritional status on the territory of the Republic of Ser- bia. The Geographic Information System (GIS) of the NFC of Serbia is updated regularly every year by the input of new data. This will be a valuable archive for future scientific research, when the multi-annual analyses of the forest health status will be undertaken. The results are presented in a report which will be delivered to the Directorate of Forests in the Republic of Serbia and the PCC ICP Forests in Hamburg, Germany on an annual basis. For more information contact Dr Radovan Nevenic, Coordinator of NFC ICP Forests Serbia, [email protected] or check www.icp-forests.org.

7 Sustainable Golf Courses ? Turkey: TEMA Foundation has recently launched a new project called “Sustainable Golf Courses”. The project will define criterias on the kind of land that can be allocated for golf course construction as well as “Criterias for Sustainable Golf Course Planning”. The project aims to provide a “sustainability guide” for the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Golf investors and other stakeholders in Turkey. One of the outcomes of the project will be an established certification system for sustainable golf course construction and management. There is a total of 9 Golf Courses in Turkey; 3 in Istanbul and 6 in Antalya. In 2006, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture decla- red land allocations for 86 new golf courses between Izmir and Alanya. Recently, in February 2007, the higher court cancelled all land allocations based on a court case against the Ministry. So far, allocated areas were preferred to be close to the sea, in forests or in ecologically sensitive areas, such as dunes or wetlands with threatened and endemic species. In this perspective; the environmental NGOs, and the local inhabitants are against golf courses – arguments are based on the excessive use of water, artificial fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, as well as on the use and the loss of biodiversity. TEMA Foundation would appreciate receiving information and documents from any other IUCN Member organization on experiences and lessons learnt on sustainable golf planning, construction and management. For more information please contact Dilek Ayman, [email protected].

8 Evaluation of the Mediterranean freshwater biodiversity IUCN-Med: Freshwater in the Mediterranean basin is of huge economic, environmental and livelihood importance. Wetlands provide many direct and indirect benefits, such as reeds for that- ching, flood control, storm protection, groundwater recharge and sediment, as well as for pollution and nutrient retention. A project to evaluate the conservation status of Mediterranean freshwater biodiversity is developed by the IUCN Centre for Me- diterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med) in partnership with the IUCN Species Programme, the IUCN Freshwater Programme and the research institute Tour du Valat, (France), with the financial sup- port of the European Commission and the MAVA foundation. Re- gional experts interested in participating in this process are invited to contact the IUCN-Med. For more information, please contact Annabelle Cuttelod, [email protected]. 9 Proclaimed 2 new Ramsar Sites

Serbia: By decision of the Ramsar Convention Secretariat of 19th January 2007, two more sites in Serbia, «Labudovo Okno» and «Peštersko Polje», were included in the official Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance according to the Ramsar Convention – an exceptionally important international recognition of the Serbian natural heritage values.

«Labudovo Okno» encompasses flood riverbanks of the Danube along the sandy terrain of Deliblatska Peščara, characteri- zed by preserved natural habitats and a rich world of wild flora and fauna. It is a significant migratory station and winter site of ornithofauna as well as a nesting place of impressive flocks of ten thousands of waterbirds. The area is also a nesting place of the most vital population of Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus) and Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) in Serbia. Swamps and shallow waters of «Labudovo Okno» are an ideal spawning place.

«Peštersko Polje» is found on the Pešter Plateau in south-eastern Serbia. It represents the most important preserved example of peatbogs in the country. It is characterized by a great number of endangered plant and animal species, such as orchids, Rails corncrake (Crex crex), Montagu‘s Harrier (Circus pygargus) and otter (Lutra lutra). Survival of this precious vulnerable area is closely connected with specific cultural and traditional productive activities of the local population.

The Ramsar Convention Secretariat has included «Labudovo Okno» and «Peštersko Polje» in the List of Wetlands of Inter- national Importance on the basis of the Nomination Study prepared by the Institute for Nature Protection of Serbia, officially submitted by the Directorate for Environmental Protection. At present, Serbia has six Ramsar sites, incl. «Obedska Bara», «Ludaško Jezero», «Stari Begej – Carska Bara» and «Slano Kopovo», encompassing approximately 28.000 ha. For additional information, contact Nikola Stojnić, Ornithologist (Institute for Nature Protection of Serbia), [email protected].

10 Lika River Basin - Otter Paradise

Croatia: Just a few days ago, Green Action organized the 2nd Otter Survey in the Green Belt Velebit area (it is a common project of WWF MedPO and Green Action for conservation and sustainable development of the wider Mt. Velebit area). Just like the first otter survey in 2005, it was also a success, since a presence of otters could be proved on the rivers Bakovac, Otesica, Ricica, and re- confirmed on the Lika River.

The survey was conducted by several enthusiasts, representatives of Green Action and the State Institute for Nature Protection of Croatia – of biologists and one geographer. The presence of otters was determinated by spraints on the rocks and in the grass and also by footprints in the mud. For sure the otter is present in the Lika area, and it seems the river is more than suitable for them – mainly because of the abundance of fish, the surrounding vegetation and the sporadic local inhabitancy. On the contrary to Lika, the River Gacka (also in the Green Belt Velebit area) is not suitable, because of its lack of riverine vegetation that would provide good hiding places for dens. Unfortunately, the surrounding area is also very much inhabited with houses that are built close to the river bank.

Because of these and many other natural and landscape values of the Lika River Basin, Green Action is preparing a Ramsar Application Form, which will be submitted in the next few months in order to ensure protection. For more information, please contact Irma Popovic, Assistant on Nature Protection Programme, NGO „Zelena akcija“. Email: [email protected].

11 ‘Working for nature – nature for working’

Europarc: Young people from all over Europe apply regularly to the EUROPARC headquarters in search of internships in protected areas throughout Europe. This is the background to a new project, which was developed by the EURO- PARC headquarters and for which funding was granted by the German Federal Environmental Foundation, Germany at the end of 2006. The project aims at establishing an online internship & vacancy exchange which shall enable young people to search for offers of protected areas and nature conservation organisations all over Europe.

With more than 380 member organisations in 39 European countries, the EUROPARC Federation disposes of good precon- ditions for the project, which is to be implemented in 2007 and 2008.

For 2007 it is planned to design the website and to promote the project within the EUROPARC network and beyond. As a major part of the promotion,12 internships in protected areas will be financed in 2008 – accompanied by an introduction and evaluation seminar. During the internship, the interns are expected to support the protected area and to announce the internship exchange in the country – both amongst organisations which offer internships and those which search for and arrange internships.

At a later time EUROPARC members and other nature conservation organisations will be invited to announce their offers via the online exchange. For questions and comments please contact Sindy Bublitz on [email protected]. 12 Promotion of Natural Values of Dajti Mountain National Park

Albania: The National Park of the Dajti Mountain (1612 m high, around 40 km east of the Adriatic coast) is one of the most important protected area in Albania, given to the natural values as well as its vicinity to Tirana, the capital of Albania. Aiming to increase the possibilities of visitors and tourists to benefit from the natural values of National Park of Dajti Mountain in a sustainable way, and at the same time to minimize the negative impacts of the increasing number of visitors, REC Albania was supported by a grants program for a project of ECAT Tirana. The grant was supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Albania.

The project had two main components: • improving the infrastructure of eco-tourist paths, including signs, and other facilities for a better access by the visitors; • identification of tourist paths and infrastructure (parking lots, camping sites, etc) and the preparation of maps by using GPS and GIS applications.

The outcome consists of 6 identified and improved eco-tourist paths and different layers of the Map of the Na- tional Park (eco-tourist paths, natu- ral monuments and natural values of the Park, cultural and ethnographic values).

Several meetings with interested stakeholders, National Park autho- rities, local government institutions and environmental NGOs have been carried out. Information on the out- puts of the projects was communi- cated as well as the need for their increased commitment on a better management of this natural value.

For more information, please e-mail to [email protected] or visit the website http://albania.rec.org.

13 Mt. Šar Planina nominated for World Natural Heritage

Serbia: The proposition of Mt. Šar-Planina for the World Natural and Cultural Heritage List was prepared by the Institute for Nature Protection of Serbia, signed by Mr. Jovan Ćirilov, President of the Serbian Commission for UNESCO and submitted to the Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Serbia to UNESCO in Paris on 23 January 2007. Since the beginning of this year, Serbia is entitled to nominate officially its natural property for the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage List. The Institute and the Commission for UNESCO have given priority to the „Šar-Planina National Park“, which is found on the list of potential sites to be nominated together with Tara, Đerdap, Đavolja Varoš and Deliblatska Peščara. If UNESCO accepts this nomination, Šar-Planina shall be the first natural property in Serbia belonging to the World Natural Heritage.

The grandiose Central Balkan massif of Šar-Planina is 85 km long with more than 100 peaks above 2.000 m and more than 30 peaks above 2.500 m. In biogeographic terms, Šar-Planina belongs to the most important and most interesting mountains of the Balkan Peninsula and Europe. It is distinguished by a great number of organisms of different origin, age and arrangement, a proportionally great number of local endemic species, Tertiary, Glacial and Boreal relics, as well as numerous communities of diverse rich floristic composition, ecology and appearance. Plentitude and variousness of organisms, communities and ecosystems make Šar-Planina a site of great importance in terms of conservation of genofund and overall biodiversity.

Remarkable are 31 cultural monuments, including churches, isposnice (houses of silence), crypts, remainders of squares, fortifications, mosques and hamlets, built in the period from XIII to XVIII century and found in the vicinity of the protected area. For information, please contact Duska Dimovic, Institute for Nature Protection of Serbia, [email protected].

14 Birdwatching in Montenegro

Montenegro: The Center for Protection and Research of Birds of Montenegro (CZIP) has prepared a website, which includes relevant and comprehensive data on the ornitofauna of Montenegro.

Besides service data on the Center itself and on Montenegro, the descriptions of the Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and areas that fulfill particular BirdLife standards are avai- lable. Additionally, there is an unofficial check list of bird species in Montenegro, data on breeders, protected species, manuals for volunteers etc. The English version of the site will soon be available. The website can be accessed under www.birdwatchingmn.org, but the National Tourist Organization of Montenegro also enlisted the CZIP link on their official web presentation, www.visit-montenegro.cg.yu. 15 Proclaimed Protection of the only known habitat of the winter aconite plant species in Serbia

Serbia: On the basis of a proposal from the Institute for Nature Protection of Serbia, the Government of Serbia adopted a decree on the protection of the Strict Nature Reserve „Bagremara“ on 1 February 2007. By this decree, part of the site, i.e. its forests, which are recognized as the only known habitat of the plant species Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalisin) in Serbia, is now put under protection as Strict Nature Reserve and a natural property of great significance. The Winter aconite has been put under protection as natural rarity and is included in the Red Data Book of Flora of Serbia as endangered (Category 1).

On the basis of this decision, spatial protection has been established; the protected area encompasses 117,58 ha and it includes the central and largest population group of Winter aconite as well as its surrounding area with radial appearance of larger or smaller groups of the same sub-population of expressive size and vitality. The protection zone has been specified as well, and it encompasses the rest of the forest area.

This area is intended solely for scientific and research work related to conservation. Restoring the natural forest ecosystem will improve the species population and its surrounding habitats. Besides the spatial protection of the habitat, reintroduction of Winter Aconite in habitats from which it has disappeared is being planned; these habitats are ecologically similar sites, but also botanical and other gardens. Strict Nature Reserve „Bagremara“ is in care of the Public Enterprise „Vojvodinašume“.For information, please contact Biljana Panjkovic, Inst. for Nature Protection of Serbia, [email protected].

16 SISTEMaPARC

Germany: Cross-border protected regions of- ten face similar problems. Regions of cultural and natural heritage are divided by borders into two or more nature conservation areas, often with different levels of protection, with two or more administrative structures and – if existing – spatial information systems.

The project SISTEMaPARC (Spatial Information Systems for Trans- national and Environmental Management of Protected Areas and Regions in CADSES) within the EU INTERREG IIIB Programme and with a runtime from January 2004 to December 2006 was aimed at fostering sustainable regional management and development of cross-border national park regions by improving or establishing geo-spatial information pools and transeuropean communication concerning homogenised documentation, spatial management and development. A close cooperation of 20 partners coming from 7 European countries has been established during the last years; already existing collaboration has been improved si- gnificantly. Project partners represent authorities of protected areas, information centres as well as regional planning offices and research institutes. The continuous support of project partners ranges from providing sophisticated tools for spatial data handling and thematic analysis, manuals and guidelines for specific spatial management tasks, explaining methods and con- cepts for homogenising spatial data up to a web portal for communication and exchange of spatial data and information.

The transnational approach is open-ended in order to ensure the successive integration of additional regions in forthcoming activities. Building extended structures of cooperation with partners in further cross-border protected regions in the Central and South East European Space is under way. For more information and in case of interest in participation, please contact the head partner of SISTEMaPARC, Prof. Dr. Elmar Csaplovics, [email protected] or or visit the GeoPortal on www.sistemaparc.eu.

17 Turkey’s First Scientific Research Project on Lynx

Turkey: The lynx (Lynx lynx) is a rare carnivore in Turkey and it is currently a protected species. There are about 7000 lynx in Euro- pe, but the size of the Turkish population is not known. There is very little information on the lynx population which is believed to decrease due to direct persecution by humans, as well as habitat loss and declining prey base.

The Turkish Lynx Project, the very first scientific research project on lynx, has just started at the Hacettepe University Biology De- partment in Turkey. Within the framework of the study, the Principal Investigator biologist Anil Soyumert and a team of researchers will Aykut Ince study the lynx population in Turkey’s largest intact forest habitats in the north-west of the country. The study will include a countrywide survey to understand the current distribution of lynx, and intensive camera trapping surveys to study the lynx po- pulation at the regional scale. Several individuals will be captured and fitted with GPS collars to gather data at the individual lynx level. The study will be supervised by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Behzat Gurkan of Hacettepe University. IUCN Cat Specialist Group member and carnivore biologist Ozgun Emre Can will assist the field work and the project implementation. The project team will be collaborating with the IUCN Cat Specialist Group for the implementation of the project. For more information contact Anil Soyumert at [email protected]. 18 Funding for all NatuRegio projects granted

NatuRegio: Having finished a second traineeship in Germany, ten young NatuRegio trainees from Bulgaria and Romania presented their projects to a project jury in mid December 2006. The jury decided on the projects’ funding. All projects will be supported with a grant of 3000 € and four of them - developed by Rayna Pashova (BL), Andrea Cristescu (RO), Oana Danci (RO) and Anton Kovachev (BL) - with up to 13,000 €. The projects will be imple- mented from the beginning of this year.

The NatuRegio project is run by the Alfred Toepfer Academy for Nature Conservation (D), the University of Lüneburg (D), Euronatur and the EUROPARC Federation since beginning of 2006. It is financed by the Alfred Toepfer Foundation F.V.S. and the Ger- man Environmental Foundation and it aims to facilitate ten future-orientated nature conservation projects in Romania and Bulgaria, see also www.naturegio-bg-ro.de.

Rila Monastery Nature Park (BL) project will focus on the development of a unified strategy for the Rila Monastery Nature Park in Bulgaria. The famous Rila Monastery gave the park its name and has turned it into one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. However, despite of the popularity, access to public information about the park is relatively limited. Hence, guidelines for interpretation activities, unified signs and markings, information panels and a heritage guidebook will be elaborated.

Domogled-Cerna Valley National Park (RO) project intends to improve and promote a very popular but not well equipped interpretation trail in the Domogled-Cerna Valley National Park in Romania in cooperation with local schools. The trail will be promoted via the park’s website and special educational events will be organised for pupils. Info Nature Network for Maramures County (RO) will be established in Romania in order to link people, organisations and institutions dealing with nature conservation and sustainable development more closely. Planned activities include a website as communication platform, a protected area atlas, a contest for school classes and a seminar.

Poda Nature Reserve (BL): This project aims at further developing and improving the support for the Poda Nature Reserve in Bulgaria, which is one of the few reserves in Bulgaria advised by a nongovernmental organisation, the Bulgarian Associa- tion for the Protection of Birds. With help of the NatuRegio grant it is intended to renovate a watergate, to improve the visitor facilities and to produce information material like flyers, posters and stickers.

19 Hiking with a Ranger Bulgaria: “Hiking with a Ranger” is a new initiative that updates the “The Park as a Classroom, 2007” educational programme of the Central Balkan National Park’s Directorate. The new initiative promoting educational ou- tings in the National Park will start in the beginning of March. It is designed for visitors mainly focusing on school children. It further develops the al- ready established cooperation between the park’s directorate and school teachers from the park’s region, and it aims to enhance the variety of nature conservation education programmes held both indoors and outdoors. The idea is to use the available park visitors infrastructure and develop interpretative programmes to be used as an additional tool to raise aware- ness of nature – adding to the information that kids get in classes by using particular examples from the national park. For this reason the park rangers Ivan Georgiev will accompany the children and their teachers into the protected area and tell them about the park, its interesting spots in the region and its wildlife. A special calendar entitled “Hiking with a Ranger” gives information to the studious, offers adventures in the open air on designated trails as well as attractions from the beginning of March till end of November. Thirteen hi- king itineraries leading to one of the most inspiring places in the park are presented in the calendar. Paths go through old beech forests, picturesque ridges, along locations of beautiful and protected plants and waterfalls. Eight of the eco-trails have interpretative infrastructure. Thirty park rangers will present 30 different themes on the national park – including the skyline, water and waterfalls, gorges, birds, mammals, forests, medicinal plants, treeless zone.

For more information, please contact Diana Terzieva at the Central Balkan Plamen Stoyanov National Park Directorate, [email protected], or visit the website www.centralbalkannationalpark.org. 20 Transboundary cooperation in the Sava River Basin

Sava River: The Sava river used to be the longest river of the for- mer SFR Yugoslavia, with a length of nearly 1000 km and a basin area of 96.000 km2. The SRB is a unique example in Europe since certain plains of the basin are still intact, improving the flood alle- viation and biodiversity.

After disintegration of SFR Yugoslavia in 1991, the Sava river has become an international river and its basin has been divided bet- ween four independent states: Bosnia and Hercegovina, Republic of Croatia, Republic of Serbia and Republic of Slovenia.

With a support of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, the four riparian countries entered into a process of negotiations, which resulted in signing the Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin (FASRB) and its ratification at the end of 2004. The FASRB is the first mulilateral agreement, after the Dayton Peace Agreement, signed in the region. By the FASRB, the Parties, among else, recognized the vital importance of trans- boundary cooperation, promotion of sustainable water management, significance of the commitment to sustainable develop- ment of the region and the wish to join their efforts on sustainable management of water resources in SRB. For the purpose of implementation of the FASRB, the International Sava River Basin Commission was established, with the Secretariat as its executive and administrative body, seated in Zagreb (CRO). Main tasks of the ISRBC are: • preparation of the joint Sava River Basin Management Plan, • establishment of the integrated information system, • preparation of studies and other strategic documents, • realization of major activities in fields of navigation and water management.

More information are available at www.savacommission.org.

21 Red List of Mediterranean Marine Fish IUCN-Med: About 750 species of fish are occurring in the Mediterranean Sea. Many marine habitats are experiencing poten- tially irreversible degradation. A broad range of marine species is under threat of extinction. Furthermore, information needed to guide marine conservation plans are seriously deficient. An overview of the population trends and range of marine fish spe- cies is an essential step toward accurate management and conservation planning. However, it is currently lacking. To address the need for intensive and coordinated marine conservation planning and action in the Mediterranean Sea, the IUCN Center for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med) is completing the Red List assessments of Mediterranean marine fish species. The IUCN Red List is the world‘s most comprehensive record of the conservation status of plant and animal species. It uses a set of scientific criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of species and provide information on population, trends, distribution, threats, use and conservation measures in place or needed. Regional experts interested in participating in this process are invited to contact the IUCN-Med. For more information, please contact Annabelle Cuttelod, [email protected]. Events

1 National Red List Development

Ankara, Turkey, 7-8 December 2006: As the interest for the National Red List following the IUCN approach is growing in the region, the IUCN Center for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN- Med) received an official request from the Turkish government to support them in structuring and developing a national red list process. A national workshop was organized by the IUCN Turkish National Committee on 7-8 December 2006 in Ankara, to decide on the process of producing “National Red Data Books in Turkey”, with financial support of the Italian Ministry of Environment and technical support of the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation. The workshop, coordinated by TEMA Foundation in partnership with the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forestry, brought together 100 participants. Experts from governmental agencies, academics and NGO representatives gathered to present the current status of the national red data books, to discuss the process for finalizing, maintaining and updating red data books for Turkey. Participants discussed “how national red data books can assist in implementing national policies on nature conservation”. The workshop concluded to establish working groups on taxonomic classes, and a steering committee to lead the process. Experts discussed how to manage and update data on red list species and how existing biodiversity databases can be incorporated. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry was present in all the discussions. The workshop has significantly contributed to create a consensus on the process and initiated the preparation of many national red lists in close future. For more information, please contact Annabelle Cuttelod, [email protected].

2 Counting owls!

Novi Sad, Serbia, 10 January - 28 February 2007: Biology Stu- dent Science Research Society (BSSRS) „Josif Pancic” this winter organized a national Long-eared Owl Asio otus Winter Roost Cen- sus in Serbia. The project was carried out in partnership with the Bird Study and Protection Society of Vojvodina (Novi Sad) and the League for Ornithological Action (Belgrade).

The aim of this project was to locate Long-eared Owl winter roosts all over Serbia and to count owls. This owl species is one of the rare birds of prey which gathers in large numbers after the bree- ding period in roosts which can number over 200 specimen. We collected data about their numbers, habitat type and selection, behavior, diet, and threats. During the field work we spoke to the land owners and neighbours who had winter roosts about this natural phenomenon and the significance of owl presence in urban and rural settlements.

A previous study, done 3 winters ago by Tatjana Jovanović, sugges- ted that the majority of Long-eared Owl winter roosts are to be found in the north Serbian province of Vo- jvodina, usually on coniferous trees beside churches, schools and pu- blic buildings in the close vicinity of large number of people. Unfortunately, we found several winter roosts which were severely persecuted by local people due to prejudice and lack of knowledge.

All together more than 100 volunteers took part in finding and counting about 3.000 owls this winter, on more than 120 dif- ferent winter roosts. The project was well covered by media – and responses from the general public were quite positive. More information from Milan Ružić, National Long-eared Owl Census Coordinator, email: [email protected]. 3 Protection of Biodiversity of the Sava River Basin Floodplains - First Technical Meeting

Zagreb, Croatia, 26 January 2007: The First Technical Meeting in the framework of the project „Protection of Biodiversity of the Sava River Basin Floodplains“, financially supported by LIFE-Third countries and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, took place on 26 January 2007 in Zagreb, Croatia, at the premises of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management. Hosting the representatives of project partner organizations from Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia and Serbia, the meeting was aimed at exchanging information about the project implementation and to discuss foreseen outputs. Furthermore, the meeting served as an information exchange platform for current achievements based on the recent communication with the European Commission, the Sava River Commission and similar ongoing projects in the region. The meeting successfully resulted in developing a draft work plan and project time planning. Since the overall objective of the project is to protect and manage the unique landscape and biodiversity along the Sava river, partners elaborated several topics of relevance for this project, such as possibilities to identify, protect and manage floodplain areas along the river; to designate a coherent transboundary ecological network; to build capacities in the implementation of the Birds and Habitats directives; to introduce land use practices that support the protection of landscape and biodiversity; and to raise awareness on the need to protect and manage the unique landscape and biodiversity along the Sava through transboundary cooperation. For more information please contact Joerg Lohmann, Project Director, at [email protected], or Boris Erg, Project Manager, at [email protected].

4 EUROPARC at the Reisepavillon 2007

Hannover, Germany, 2-4 February 2007: From 2nd to 4th February 2007, EUROPARC Federation had a joint stand together with the TUI AG and the UN’s Convention on migratory species at the Reisepavillon in Hannover – the international marketplace for alternative travel. EUROPARC presented its work with a focus on the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism. Besides the presence of representatives from the German Charter Parks, such as Naturpark Steinhuder Meer, Naturpark Frankenwald, and Nationalpark Harz, EUROPARC also welcomed representatives from Italy (Parco Naturale Adamello Brenta), France (Association Rhin Vivant) and Finland (Koli National Park). In September 2006 Nature Park Adamello Brenta was awarded with the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism. In the context of a public presentation at the Reisepavillon, Ilaria Rigatti, tourism coordinator and contact person for the European Charter in the protected area, gave an interesting and vivid insight of how the European Charter process ran in the park and what projects were initiated by it. As a first step for the application, the park realised a diagnosis of the territory – supported by the consultancy Actanet. Then a five- year-action plan containing 65 projects was developed. Projects were e.g. the introduction of a park card, a sustainable mobility plan, bike routes etc. According to one of the underlying principles of the Charter – working in partnership with all relevant stakeholders – the action plan was developed during 15 meetings involving 625 stakeholders, including the park administration, hoteliers, environmental associations, universities and local tourism bodies. For more information about the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas, please contact Petra Dippold, [email protected] or visit www.european-charter.org. 5 World Wetlands Day at the General Assembly of the Danube Environmental Forum (DEF)

Miskolc, Hungary, 2-4 February 2004: The annual meeting of the Danube Environmental Forum was held in Miskolc, Hungary on 2-4 February 2004. DEF, which comprises 85 non-Governmental organizations devoted to the protection and future of the wetlands of the Danube river basin, has undergone big changes in 2006: its secretariat moved from Bratislava, Slovakia to Baja, Hungary, and, at the same time, a new web design was also applied to better meet the requirements of up-to-date information flow within the network and to the general public (www.def.org.hu).

With the transition, however, priorities of the DEF remained the same: to ensure and facilitate public participation in the management planning and to develop projects that determine the future of the lifelines of Europe: the Danube River and its tributaries. The new leadership welcomed 62 representatives from all countries of the river basin at the meeting, which was a crucial point for the future of the organization. New objectives, as participation in the navigation related development projects and the urgent need for joint efforts in the protection of floodplain forests and flood risk management were discussed. Sub- regional co-operation in the Sava, Tisza, and Prut catchments, as well as trilateral efforts in the border regions between Aus- tria-Slovakia-Czech Republic and Hungary-Serbia-Croatia are also of utmost importance. The General Assembly participants agreed to jointly work on thematic projects in these subjects, for the well-being of the ecosystems and the human population of their common River Basin. For more information, please contact: DEF Secretariat, [email protected].

6 Transboundary Workshop in Djerdap

NP Djerdap/Donji Milanovac, Serbia, 22 February 2007: A joint workshop was carried out on 22 February 2007 for the preparation of a project proposal “Capacity Building for Managing Irongate Gorge as Future Cross-border Ramsar Site” by Romanian and Serbian representatives held in the head office of Public Enterprise “National Park Djerdap”. The workshop was attended by representatives from Romania, such as the Nature Park “Portile de Fier”, Axxa International Tour Operator and the Romanian part of the Hydroelectric Power Station “Djerdap I”, as well as by representatives from Serbia, such as the Ministry of Science and Environmental Protection, Ecolibri Bionet – Agency for Biodiversity Conservation, “TOOM” - Touristic Organization of Majdanpek Municipality, Meta MC Agency for Consulting and Management and not least the representatives of the Public Enterprise “National Park Djerdap”. During the workshop, the following themes were elaborated: analysis of project participants, analysis of problems, analysis of aims, project implementation, analysis of risks and presumptions. The workshop was very successful and both sides have made conclusions implemented in the project proposal. For more information, please contact Dejan Pavlovic, M.Sc.El. [email protected].

7 16 Danube and Black Sea Countries Adopt Water Protection Declaration

Bucharest, Romania, 23 February 2007: The European Commission and Environment Ministers from all of the 16 countries sharing the Danube River Basin and Black Sea region today adopted a new Declaration on the Enhancement of Cooperation during a High Level Meeting in Bucharest, Romania. The Declaration recognizes the important values of the Danube/ Black Sea region, the historical damage that it has undergone and recent signs of environmental recovery as a result of cooperative actions. At the same time, more cooperation and efforts are required by all 16 countries and the EU to improve the environment. One key challenge is for the Danube countries to meet the requirements of the legally binding EU Water Framework Directive by 2015. One highlight of the declaration is the need to develop measures to reduce nutrient pollution to the Black Sea. “The nutrient pollution problem is far from over,” says Ivan Zavadsky, UNDP/GEF Danube/Black Sea Regional Programme Director. “We have been working for over 15 years to better understand the problem and come up with solutions. Now is the time for concerted action for basin-wide measures such as municipal wastewater treatment upgrades and introducing phosphate-free laundry detergents.” The Danube Regional Project (DRP) was the last major intervention of UNDP/GEF in the Danube Basin. The High Level Meeting in Bucharest immediately followed a two-day Final Seminar where the DRP’s main achievements and suggestions for the future were presented. The Declaration also confirmed a strong commitment among all signatories to implement the ICPDR’s Action Programme for Sustainable Flood Protection in the Danube River Basin, given the risks stemming from floods and accidental pollution often leading to massive damages and losses. For more information, please contact Paul Csagoly, UNDP-GEF Danube Regional Project, [email protected], website www.undp-drp.org and Jasmine Bachmann, ICPDR, [email protected], website www.icpdr.org. 8 IUCN-SEE and WCPA European Training Task Force (ETTF) Meeting

Belgrade, Serbia, 3 March 2007: On Saturday, 3rd March 2007 a meeting of the IUCN WCPA European Training Task Force (ETTF) with regional members of WCPA and CEC took place in the Belgrade Palace Hotel. The event was jointly organized by E-team, an NGO from Belgrade, and the IUCN SEE office. Small financial support was provided by SEENET/ECNC. The main objective of this gathering was to exchange information in order to find common areas of cooperation and support for protected areas development. The ETTF, which consists of a voluntary group of experts, was established in 2002 under the WCPA, which comprises members from Italy, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Serbia and Russia. Its aim is to promote training and education in protected areas as a crucial tool for sustainable capacity development at a European level. During the discussions and final conclusions, numerous ideas for future cooperation were suggested. ETTF offered their rich experience and expertise in the field of training needs assessment, the development of training strategies, designing of particular trainings, as well as the opportunity for participants from the region to join international training programs (especially in Italy, Germany and Russia). The Green Belt and IUCN SEE projects coordinators and representatives gave valuable insight into the regional needs, current project developments and strategies to be considered in the further planning of joint initiatives. The meeting had been a great opportunity for exchange, and the wish to further strenghthen this cooperation had been expressed on all sides. The support of the IUCN SEE office for this first meeting was very much apprediated by all ETTF members. For more information, please contact Violeta Orlovic ETTF, WCPA, CEC & CEESP member, [email protected] or Jörg Lohmann, IUCN SEE & CEC, [email protected].

9 IUCN WCPA and MED Categories Summit

Almeria, Spain, 7-11 May 2007: IUCN’s Programme on Protected Areas/WCPA and IUCN MED are organizing a Categories Summit in May 2007, as a first step towards the revision of the Protected Areas (PA) Management Categories System. We have created a website to provide information on http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/theme/categories/summit/summit.html. We will shortly be launching an IUCN-wide online consultation process. As we are looking to include all voices in the consultation process prior to the Summit, several IUCN Programmes/Commissions are collaborating. For ensuring the coordination of all efforts please let us know of any other websites related to the PA categories. For more information please contac Delwyn Dupuis, [email protected].

10 The Balkan Peace Park Project: Ready for Summer 2007 Balkans Peace Park Project: The Peace Park is based in the area of a stunning mountain scenery where Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo (territory of Serbia under administration of the United Nations according to UN Reso- lution 1244) meet. The borders, that were first drawn in 1912 and enforced since 1945, have artificially divided communities and ecosystems, but at the same time helped to preserve them from exploitation and pollution. Official support is still growing. By the end of 2006 a number of municipalities in the three countries touched by the Peace Park Region had signed a Letter of Good Intent supporting the work of the project. An important part of the Peace Park’s work is to encourage tourism and to this effect there will be two organised cross-border treks in summer 2007. 1. Albania-Montenegro Cross-Border Trek (July) On foot, starting on 12th July from Shkoder, Albania travelling into Monte- negro and finishing in Shkoder the 18th. This is organised on two different levels of difficulty. 2. Three-Country Horse trek (September) This is a horseback trek starting from Theth (N. Albania) on 1st September and travelling across 3 countries during the following 3 weeks. It is being arranged by Robin and Louella Hanbury-Tenison, using Albanian horses. More information is available: a leaflet can be downloaded from the websi- te, postcards are available and Fatos Lajci has produced a film showing the first trek across the borders. Contact Antonia Young, [email protected] or check the website www.balkanspeacepark.org. Antonia Young Seminars and Workshops

1 International Academy for Nature Conservation on Vilm, Germany

Training course: “Negotiation skills for the CBD”, 1-5 April 2007 Organisers: German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, UNEP-DELC, CBD Secretariat Target group: members of the according Ministries, NGOs and Ministries of Foreign Affairs from: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo (territory of Serbia under administration of the United Nations according to UN Resolution 1244), Montenegro, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Turkey. This training course is to strengthen the negotiation skills of selected member states of the CBD for both the domestic negotiations with other ministries as well as the internati- onal negotiations at the next SBSTTA-meeting and the next Conference of the Parties of the CBD. It is based on a training module which has been developed and tested by UNEP as a means to strengthen the implementation of multilateral environmental agreements. Information and registration: [email protected]

Workshop: „Harmonisation of Tentative Lists of the World Natural Heritage in the European Region“, 9-13 May 2007 Organisers: Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, IUCN, UNESCO World Heritage Centre Target group: National World Natural Heritage Focal Points of Central and East European countries, representatives of BfN, BMU, IUCN, UNESCO, NGOs, natural heritage experts. The workshop is offered as a follow up of the periodic reporting for Europe (2004-2005), the World Heritage Committee has recommended to the European countries to better harmonise tentative lists. It aims at preparing and harmonising the tentative lists in the European Region in order to contribute to a balanced and credible World Heritage list. Information and registration: [email protected]

Workshop: „Regional Implementation of the CBD-Programme of Work on Protected Areas“ (for Eastern European countries), 16-21 May 2007 Organisers: German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, IUCN, WWF Danube-Carpa- thian Programme Target group: Eastern European countries (Moldavia, Serbia, Kosovo (territory of Serbia under administration of the United Nations according to UN Resolution 1244), Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Turkey). The International Academy for Nature Conservation Isle of Vilm has agreed to carry out trai- ning courses in the context of the CBD decision 8/VIII for the implementation of the Program- me of Work on Protected Areas in Eastern Europa and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The objective of this workshop is • to enhance the capacities for implementation of “priority activities” identified by the COP (Filling ecological gaps, Sustainable finance, Management effectiveness, Integration of protected areas into the wider landscape, Monitoring and reporting, Building support for protected areas, Governance and equity, Capacity building) • to review the implementation of the programme of work on protected areas. Information and registration: [email protected]

Training: „Business Planning for Protected Areas in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)”, 13-17 June 2007 Organisers: Federal Agency for Nature Conservation UNEP-DGEF Target group: Representatives from Ministries of Environment and Finance, conservation au- thorities, protected areas and NGOs from CEE and the CIS. Business plans are an important tool for the management of protected areas. In the training, the concept of business planning will be explained, together with the steps to develop a business plan, the content of the plan, and the timeframe needed for the process. “Real life” examples will be presented, with the most common weaknesses being a poor management plan, poor budgeting, lack of baseline information, and lack of coordination and institutional capacity. Information and registration: [email protected] Workshop: „Regional Implementation of the CBD-Programme of Work on Protected Areas“ (for the Commonwealth of Independent States), 20-26 August 2007 Organisers: German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, IUCN, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme

Target group: Commonwealth of Independent States (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyr- gyzstan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan).

The International Academy for Nature Conservation Isle of Vilm has agreed to carry out training courses in the context of the CBD decision 8/VIII for the implementation of the Programme of Work on Protected Areas in Eastern Europa and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The objective of this workshop is • to enhance the capacities for implementation of “priority activities” identified by the COP (Filling ecological gaps, Sustainable finance, Management effectiveness, Integration of protected areas into the wider landscape, Monitoring and reporting, Building support for protected areas, Governance and equity, Capacity building) • to review the implementation of the programme of work on protected areas. Information and registration: [email protected]

Management plans for Ramsar sites in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) - a contribution to the CBD Programme of Work on Protected Areas,18-22 October 2007 Organisers: German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Ramsar Secretariat.

Target group: Ramsar site managers and staff as well as Ramsar national focal points of CEE and CIS countries. n many countries of CEE and the CIS, the inscription of wetlands under the Ramsar Convention is an important contribution to nature conservation. At the same time, a high responsibility for the state party is implied by the increased international re- putation gained by the designation as Ramsar site. State parties become responsible for the effective management of these sites. The development and application of management plans are an important means to ensure the protection of sites for present and future generations. This seminar aims at: • assisting Ramsar sites with the preparation of management plans by creating skills and understanding of the preparation of management plans for Ramsar sites • training Ramsar sites with the implementation of management plans in practice (e.g. how to deal with participation). Information and registration: [email protected]

Training: „Tourism Planning and Management for Natural World Heritage Sites in Central and Eastern Europe“, 31. October - 4. November 2007 Organisers: National World Natural Heritage-Focal Points of Central and East European countries, representatives of the German „Länder“, BfN, BMU, IUCN, UNESCO, NGOs, experts.

Target group: Representatives from Ministries of Environment and Finance, conservation authorities, protected areas and NGOs from CEE and the CIS.

Natural World Heritage sites with their outstanding natural values are increasingly becoming priority tourism destinations. However, infrastructure development, increasing visitor pressure and various tourism activities are often connected with threats to the World Heritage properties. The challenges for site managers are manifold. This training seminar aims at enab- ling staff of Natural World Heritage sites to improve the management of tourism by implementing sustainable tourism deve- lopment. The workshop will include issues such as tourism management planning, visitor management and involvement of local communities. Case studies and best practice examples from Europe and worldwide will serve as a basis for discussion and group work. Information and registration: [email protected]

2 The Alfred Toepfer Academy for Nature Conservation (NNA)

At the core of the NNA training department a comprehensive program offers competent training and possibilities for the exchange of knowledge and ideas in about 100 courses, seminars and conferences every year. Administrators, political deci- sion-makers, and many interested individuals make use of the opportunity to learn more about topics such as conservation, communication, and the Agenda 21.

In preparing the programs, the NNA is lead by the belief that conservation can only be successful if people come to un- derstand nature as the basis for human life. It is the NNA’s intention to act as a mediator between the sciences, the admi- nistration, the economy, and the public. The academy wants to show that while conservation is necessary for human life and well-being, it need not run against economic interests. Conservation is the common cause of the academy’s 35 staff members, whose cooperative approach to and close identification with their matter of concern continues to provide them with new and creative ideas.

The programs are mainly carried out in German language, the calendar for all 2007 events as well as information on financial support can be found on www.nna.de. 3 Environmental Education along the Green Belt - „Learning and teaching Biodiversity“

The project „Learning and teaching Biodiversity in institutions situated along the lifeline European Green Belt“ is initiated by Dr. Klaus Mandery, teacher at the UNESCO-school Friedrich-Rückert-Gymnasium (Ebern, Germany). He presented the project-idea at the 1st Central European Green Belt Workshop in Mitwitz (October 2005). Now he is searching for partner- schools in the Green Belt-countries in the Fennoscandian and Baltic region, as well as South Eastern Europe. The project will be submitted on the 31st March 2007.

Information on the UNESCO School „Friedrich-Rückert-Gymnasium“ is available in German language on the website http://www.klaus-mandery.de/FRG.html.

For further questions please contact Mr Klaus Mandery, [email protected] or [email protected] Friedrich-Rückert-Gymnasium Ebern (participating in the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network)

4 Third round of ALCOA Foundation fellowship launched

Established in October 2005, Alcoa Foundation‘s Conservation and Sustainability Fellowship Program is a unique, interna- tional fellowship program created to advance the knowledge and support for exemplary work in the field of conservation and sustainability. The World Conservation Union (IUCN), one of three Sustainability Institutes for the Alcoa Foundation Conservation and Sustainability Fellowship Programme, is calling for qualified mid-career conservation and sustainable development practitioners from NGOs to submit high-quality proposals for applied research in the following areas key to IUCN’s work: • The Implications of Biodiversity of Alternative New Forms of Energy • Review and Synthesis of Corporate Biodiversity Management and Reporting Systems (including Indicators) • Biomimicry – The Use of Biological Systems to Help Design New Approaches to Sustainability • The Contribution of the Cultural and Spiritual Values of Indigenous Peoples to Protected Area Objectives • Detailed Case Study of One or More Biodiversity Compensation Schemes • Implications for Conservation of Major Demographic Trends, Including Ageing, Urbanization, Population Movements

Practitioner Fellowships provide a non-degree opportunity for qualified middle-level professionals from NGOs (and in some cases, government) to conduct approved six- to twelve-month intensive applied research projects in conservation and sus- tainability. Fellows work from their home organizations and are mentored by an expert from one of the program’s Sustaina- bility Institutes. The Alcoa Foundation supports each fellow with a substantial stipend plus funding for bi-annual meetings of the fellows.

The scope of the program is broad and approved topics fall within the areas of climate change and energy, conservation of fragile ecosystems, sustainable livelihoods and economic growth, and integrating sustainability into public policy and go- vernance. Other Sustainability Institutes involved in the Fellowship are WWF-USA and Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) in Mexico. Please refer to the website for specific topics and application instructions.

For more information and to download the application, please visit http://www.alcoafoundationfellows.org/page/pf2007. Applications will be accepted until 31st May 2007. Individuals with queries are asked to contact: Institute of International Education, 1400 K Street, NW, Suite 650, Washington, D.C. 20005, [email protected]

5 Training Workshops for World Heritage Natural Sites and Cultural Landscapes in South-Eastern Europe

Target groups for the training workshops organised by the Europe and North America Section of UNESCO World Heritage Centre are World Heritage site managers, World Heritage Focal Points and Protected Area experts.

Conserving World Heritage Natural Sites and Cultural Landscapes in South-Eastern Europe (1) - Managing cultural landscapes, 18-20 April 2007; Venue: Cinque Terre National Park (Italy)

Central Europe’s World Natural Heritage and the Future of Cultural Landscapes - Part V: „Harmonisation of Tentative Lists of the World Natural Heritage in the European Region“, 9-13 May 2007; Venue: International Academy for Nature Pro- tection (INA), Vilm Island (Germany)

Conserving World Heritage Natural Sites and Cultural Landscapes in South-Eastern Europe (2) - Participatory ma- nagement of World Heritage sites: Management and local communities, May/June 2007; Venue: Plitvice Lakes NP (Croatia)

Support to South-Eastern European States Parties to the World Heritage Convention for harmonization of their Tentati- ve Lists for natural, mixed sites and cultural landscapes and relation with the Biosphere Reserves network, September 2007; Venue: Lake Ohrid (FYR of Macedonia)

Central Europe’s World Natural Heritage and the Future of Cultural Landscapes - Part VI: „Tourism Planning and Ma- nagement for Natural World Heritage Sites in Central and Eastern Europe“, 31 October – 4 November 2007 Venue: International Academy for Nature Protection (INA), Vilm Island (Germany)

For information, please contact Ms Kerstin Manz, , E-mail: [email protected] or website http://whc.unesco.org. Communication and Publications

1 Ecosystems, Livelihoods and Disasters

We are happy to announce the launch of an IUCN Website on „Ecosystems, Livelihoods and Disasters“. The website is part of the Disaster Risk Reduction component of the Conservation for Poverty Reduction Initiative and was jointly developed by Social Policy and EMP with input from Global Communications.

Please have a look on http://www.iucn.org/themes/disaster/index.htm - you can also get there via „Our work“ and the sub- menu „Cross-cutting issues“. The website gives an overview over the link between hazards, ecosystems and livelihood security and provides examples of different IUCN projects and initiatives. It makes available a compilation of IUCN resour- ces (publications, guidelines, assessments, presentations and other documents) on the various related topics and includes further references and links.

2 WCPA Websites

For your attention, there are now three sections on the WCPA website:

• Protected Area Tools - http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/links/tools.html (access via the links section on the main page) • Protected Area & Species Databases - http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/links/database.html • Jobs on the main page’s menu (not limited to IUCN vacancies but to all those we know of related to PAs) - http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/wcpa/jobs/jobs.html

All three sections are planned to better serve the WCPA and PA community, so please send in any links to additional online tools and data sources. Also, please forward any relevant PA vacancies to Delwyn, email: [email protected], so that she may post them on the WCPA website. Remember we also post PA-related events, so you may send in these, too. They will be included on the website http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/events/meetings.htm).

3 Countdown 2010

Governments worldwide have promised to save biodiversity by 2010. Countdown 2010 helps them move from words to action. The choices we make in our lives — the food we eat, the way we live in our homes, and how we transport ourselves – have great potential to cause environmental damage and threaten biodiversity. Making better choices in these areas could improve the environment and slow the loss of biodiversity.

Who killed the Polar Bear? This is a movie brought to you by FreeRangeGraphics and Countdown 2010. Its a great new animated parody of the Da Vinci Code, where forensic zoologist Robert Penguin and agent Sophie Minnow race to expose the greatest lie ever told. Check out the BioDaVersity Code! http://countdown2010.net/daversity.

The Countdown 2010 newsletter is issued bi-monthly. The current issue is focusing on marine biodiversity – and shows why we should care about nature beyond our shores. For more information please contact [email protected] or visit www.count- down2010.net. Previous issues: www.countdown2010.net/article/newsletter.

4 SAVE Foundation

The quarterly e-mail newsletter of the European SAVE Foundation (Safeguard for Agricultural Varieties in Europe), contains the latest reports from the field of conservation of endangered livestock breeds and agricultural plants.

Summary of the contents: • European Livestock Breeds Ark and Rescue Net ‘ELBARN‘ • Balkans Network: Phase I and II have been completed • Patenting Sentinel and Action Service • Important dates (extract)

The SAVE eNews 1/2007 can be received in a compressed PDF form with 260 KB. Unfortunately the links in this text will not work in all operating systems. If you like the full version with active links and e-mail addresses (with 932 KB) you may down- load it from http://www.save-foundation.net/english/PDF/news/SAVE_eNews_07_1en.pdf. Please contact [email protected] for more information. 5 European Lobbying Methodology

Structures, tools and strategies are dissected, decoded, and explained clearly with ex- amples and colour diagrams to help your understanding:

• maximise the effi ciency of your European association, • work in partnership with an NGO or trade union, • elaborate a system of monitoring adapted to your needs, • move your networks from upstream to downstream.

Additionally the book analyses the reasons for recent changes and the limitations of cur- rent lobbying structures. It explains in detail the new rules for infl uence, new strategies, new actors and new coalitions.

European Lobbying by Daniel Guéguen can be ordered at the rate of € 50. Contents can be checked on the website http://www.e-t-i.be/download/lobbying_uk_contents_free.pdf, more infos on http://www.e-t-i.be/download/BDC_Lobbying_EN_rv.pdf.

6 Climate Change 2007: Physical Science Basis - Summary for Policy makers

The Working Group I contribution to the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report describes progress in understanding of the human and natural drivers of climate change, observed climate change, climate processes and attribution, and estimates of projec- ted future climate change. It builds upon past IPCC assessments and incorporates new findings from the past six years of research. Scientific progress since the TAR is based upon large amounts of new and more comprehensive data, more sophis- ticated analyses of data, improvements in understanding of processes and their simulation in models, and more extensive exploration of uncertainty ranges.

The document is available in pdf-format on request.

Please contact Aleksandra Nesic, IUCN SEE Programme Office, [email protected]. Guidelines for contributing to the IUCN SEE e-bulletin

IUCN welcomes articles in which you report on the activities related to transboundary cooperation in protected areas and biodiversity conservation. Please report on the status of your projects and actions, as well as events that you attended. You are welcome to announce new meetings and workshops and briefly report on new publications and announce funding opportunities. Please send a photo to accompany your article if appropriate and indicate your email and/or web-link for further reference.

The articles should be 150-250 words in length. Please note this as the interest to distribute news articles through the bulletin is extremely high and we are trying to secure space for all of you to contribute. You are responsible for any content that you post or transmit. The editors reserve the right to shorten and modify the text if necessary.

Thanks for taking these guidelines into consideration!

All contributions should be sent to Aleksandra Nesic, [email protected].

ROfE‘s Structure ROfE in Belgrade

Regional Office for Europe (ROfE) is a branch of The Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe World Conservation Union (IUCN) global network. We along with offices and commissions around the world Dr. Ivana Ribara 91 link back to the President, Director General and Council 11070 Belgrade of IUCN. Serbia Tel: +381 11 2272-411 For a history of IUCN and an explanation of the global Fax: +381 11 2272-531 structure please visit www.iucn.org. ROfE is compri- Email: [email protected] sed of four IUCN offices located in Brussels, Warsaw, Belgrade and Moscow. The head officein Brussels, is Edited by Katharina Diehl a meeting point where the IUCN Programme Office for Email: [email protected] Central Europe in Warsaw, The IUCN Programme Office for the Commonwealth of Independent States in Mos- cow and the IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe in Belgrade can disseminate information and strategies. Together as ROfE we strive to meet our goals for a sustainable Europe by utilizing local expertise and the strength of the global IUCN network.

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