youth&environment magazine december 2009 youth discovering biodiversity in this issue ... ... forest biodiversity ... International Year of Biodiversity ... why to protect biodiversity? This magazine was published with financial support from European Commission and European Youth Foundation. Content - Editorial ....................................................................................................... 3 Editorial - Youth and Biodiversity ................................................................................. 4 Dear readers, ration that does not care about the conservation of - Making Wealth or Choosing Life ................................................................... 5 biodiversity. - NATURA 2000 .............................................................................................. 8 We are proud to present you with the new issue of In addition to this, a significant contribution - NATURA 2000 in Bulgaria ............................................................................ 9 our Magazine containing articles on such different to biodiversity will occur across Europe with the - International Year of Biodiversity .............................................................. 12 topics in the context of biodiversity. initiation of young people in the issues concerning - 2010 Biodiversity Target ............................................................................. 13 Our lives depend on biodiversity in many ways, biodiversity. The young people will certainly carry - CEEWEB for Biodiversity ............................................................................ 15 although all these connections are not often appre- forward the torch lit by the young environmenta- - Biodiversity Situation in Bulgaria ............................................................... 17 ciated. A case in point is agriculture, because it is due lists fighting for the cause and ensure for themselves - Mushroom Biodiversity in Europe ............................................................... 19 to a wide variety of species that humans can obtain a secure future. To enhance biodiversity education - Asinine Race of Miranda ............................................................................ 20 timber for building, food for nutrition, medicines for and conservation, we need to reconnect people to - Finnish Forest Biodiversity ........................................................................ 22 health and the great outdoors for recreational oppor- nature, promote more in-depth knowledge of biodi- - Forest, Biodiversity and Climate Change ................................................... 24 tunities. Much of today’s world is also dependent on versity, and encourage people to take environmen- - Discovering Diversity ................................................................................. 26 wild resources, of which the best known examples tally-friendly actions. - Biodiversity - On the Edge .......................................................................... 28 are probably marine fisheries. Other economic gains That is why we created this magazine that is filled - YOUPEC 2010 ............................................................................................. 29 derive from our interaction with the natural world. A with articles of young people deeply concerned with - CEEWEB book ............................................................................................ 30 good example of this is the fastest expanding indus- biodiversity. You can read about the results of their - YEE Member Organisations List ................................................................. 31 try and economic value of tourism. Once a species researches on the topics connected with biodiver- becomes extinct, it’s too late to apply conservation sity protection, about biodiversity situation in their methods. So far, about 1.75 million species have been countries and special actions that they organise or identified and classified, many of these are made up attend in order to protect nature. These are the exam- of small creatures such as insects. There are still a ples of activities in which ‘youth is discovering bio- lot of unknown species in the world, and some of diversity’. We believe that they will inspire you to these could hold economic or medicinal value. Scien- discover it even deeper. tists believe that there are actually about 13 mil- We hope that you will enjoy the articles of the lion species, though estimates range from 3 to 100 present issue and we invite you to submit us your million. contribution for our next Magazine. We will soon Current education and leisure patterns lead to on- announce the next topic. Until then, try to find out imprint going alienation of young people from nature. Now- how many species of birds are living in your coun- adays people in European countries live mostly in try... or the song from which one you like the most? Youth and Environment is publication YEE office man-made habitats, so there is a gap between them of Youth and Environment Europe Youth and Environment Europe Youth and Environment Europe is Kobatova 1/32 and nature. Nature plays a minor role in the lifestyle Gjoko Zoroski a network of European youth Praha 10, 102 00 of young people today as their free time is taken up YEE Publications Officer organisations working with nature Czech Republic by computers, games, television and other multime- (DEM-Youth, Macedonia) conservation and environment http://yeenet.eu dia activities. We run the risk of bringing up a gene- [email protected] Editorial board Tel./Fax: +420 271 750 643 Małgorzata Zubowicz Gjoko Zoroski Aisha Hannibal Special thanks to: Layout European Commision and European Małgorzata Zubowicz Youth Foundation for the financial support that made the publication Contribution and support from: of this magazine possible Gjoko Zoroski, Lili Deyanova, Jaime Fernández, Veronika Kiss, Alejandro Martínez Sánchez, Bruna Moreira, Michal Ruman, Mari E. Niemi, Christian Debono, Annelies Roose Pictures from: YEE Archive, www.sxu.hu, Jaime Fernández, Emilia Pippola, Päivi Mattila, Tiina Jalkanen, Alejandro Martínez Sánchez, Gjoko Zoroski, www.sxc.hu Konopa Archive, AEPGA Archive 3 Y&E Magazine December 2009 Youth Discovering Biodiversity Youth and Biodiversity Making Wealth or Choosing Life Living in an age of technological developments, it makes it very hard to Why is the biodiversity important? What is the role of biodiversity? attract the young generation to issues related to environment, and in particular Biodiversity and modern society? How does the socioeconomic system in which to biodiversity. we live influence biodiversity? However, at the same time, tively we are taken care and treat- other living creatures. About the social ecology from our diet to our own survival, from this variety. having so much information at ed today, one could determine to depend on the protection of the Nevertheless, in the socioeco- hand, it is very hard to ignore some extent our future. Youth and We are not alone here Biodiversity is composed of all planet’s biodiversity. Can there nomic system in which we live, what is currently happening with biodiversity are the future of our the vegetable and animal species be any greater motive for human the objective is always to generate our environment and stay inac- planet, a planet that will survive We, as children or students, that populate the planet and whose beings than its very own life? We the maximum profit for an indi- tive. It is quite important that we only if we have educated young have to be aware we are not alone interaction with the environment are being tested on instinct to sur- vidual. We can observe and ex- acknowledge the vital importance people among ourselves, aware in this world and we do not live creates the formation of ecosys- vive… plore how the laws of the current of biodiversity in sustaining our of the problems of today, caring only to satisfy our own needs and tems. Every ecosystem functions It is curious to observe that the market enter into direct competi- lives and making this world an about the other people and species desires, or to achieve our goals at through a dynamic equilibrium, principles on which our socioeco- tion with the conservation of life environmentally sound place for living around us. The significance any price. We have to live respon- which is maintained by the ope- nomic system is based are contra- because of the value of profit. people and nature to live in har- of youth participation in the pro- sibly, knowing there is so much rations of the network, as self- dictory to the very principles on mony. There are various threats to cess of biodiversity protection and more that is outside of our homes organised, inevitable and with which a system of ecological di- Rhythms biodiversity from diverse natures preservation must be noted as well. and we have to respect its way change as a variable constant. In versity is based. and its disastrous consequences Thus, it is very important that in- of growing, living, breeding and the Summit of Rio in 1992, the Life is a process that evolves existing. Namely because we are need to protect biodiversity to I would like to analyse this slowly and is in a constant state of aware of the biodiversity’s vulner- guarantee its future existence was situation thoroughly: change. All the elements that are ability and we are in a position to recognised on an international integrated in an ecosystem have influence its future,