The Eurosite Economics and Ecosystem Services Working Group (EESWG) requests your help in gathering some data regarding the awareness on the concept of ecosystem services and their value:

Ecosystem services are all the products and services from nature that are or can be used by humans. They are indispensable for human life on Earth – they deliver nature’s products (such as forest fruits, crops, materials), regulate the environment (e.g. quality of water and air), enable nature-based tourism and recreation, but also make people experience various spiritual and aesthetic values.

On the second day of this years’ Annual Meeting (Nov 3) we organise a workshop about using ecosystem services in nature management. Our aim is to further the practical use of this concept for the sake of sustainable use of nature.

In preparation of this workshop we would like to learn more about experience with the practical implementation of the ecosystem services concept. Therefore, we kindly ask you to provide the answers on the questions below. Since we are using the method of multiple choice, this will take only five minutes of your time. At the bottom of this questionnaire you will also find an opportunity for personal remarks about ecosystem services in general and their (assumed) importance for human beings.

Your information will be used in an anonymized way only, so that your privacy is guaranteed. We hope to present some of the outcomes in the above-mentioned workshop, as well as use the information provided to improve / direct the future endeavours of the Economics and Ecosystem Services Working Group.

Thank you for your help! Please find the survey here.

About the working group:
The concept of ecosystem services can be useful for site managers. However, the application of the concept is not yet straightforward or already incorporated in the strategic decisions or day to day activities of site management organisations. Therefore, Eurosite’s Economics and Ecosystem Services Working Group helps and supports the Eurosite members to take action and make ecosystem services work for them.

The main goals of the Economics and Ecosystem Services Working Group are to:

• raise awareness of the ecosystem services and natural capital concepts among the managers of protected sites;
• build capacity among site managers on how to implement ecosystem services in their day-to-day work by finding and sharing examples of practical applications;
•  find ways to utilise the ecosystem services approach to generate additional funding for site management. 
  
  The Working Group was formed in 2013. It meets regularly throughout the year and holds annual demand-driven workshops on relevant topics.

Photo credit: Clive Hurford