Monitoring in Natura 2000 sites
4 – 6 April, Litoměřice, Czech Republic
This monitoring workshop is about deciding what we want to achieve and how to recognise when we have achieved it. It will be focusing on how to translate conservation management objectives into performance indicators in order to measure progress towards reaching these objectives. It is part of the Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process of the continental region. Participation is free of charge but you will have to cover your own travel and accommodation costs.
Please note that registration is now closed!
The workshop is hosted by Eurosite member Krkonoše Mountains National Park and is organised in partnership with the EUROPARC Central and Eastern Europe section.
Photos: © Protected Landscape Area České středohoří
Monitoring of habitats and species is a recurrent issue in the Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process. During the seminars and workshops of the Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process held so far it has been stressed that monitoring is still a key issue in most habitats.
Monitoring of habitats and species is also a recurrent issue for Eurosite members. Therefore, Eurosite has put this topic on the agenda several times in the past years.
The idea to organise a Eurosite workshop aimed at monitoring issues originates from the Eurosite’s Habitat Restoration workshop in Krkonoše National Park held in June 2010. Eurosite and the Countryside Council for Wales have picked up on this idea and organised the workshop “Natura 2000 Monitoring Workshop: Nature, Pictures and People” in Wales in March 2013. This three-day workshop was attended by 110 people, including European Commission representative Angelika Rubin.
In October 2015, a follow-up workshop was held in Barcelona, linked to the Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process of the Mediterranean Region. This workshop focused on monitoring at site level with a particular emphasis on integrating monitoring with conservation management. During the course of this workshop, the delegates agreed a model for the integration of conservation management and monitoring on Natura 2000 sites. This model was subsequently presented at the 13th meeting of the Expert Group on the Management of Natura 2000 (Brussels, 19 November 2015).
One of the actions recommended at the Barcelona workshop was to organise an ‘objective-setting’ workshop to help overcome the decision-making issues that can arise during the course of the objective setting process and to align objectives with monitoring. This workshop, a thematic networking event of the Natura 2000 Biographical Process, acts on this recommendation and aims to provide guidance and case studies to help navigate a logical course through the objective-setting process.
EXPECTED RESULTS
The main output from the workshop will be a guidance document to facilitate meaningful and measurable conservation management aims that can inform the selection of appropriate condition indicators for monitoring projects. The guidance document will be based on the experiences and examples of good practice of the delegates participating in the workshop and on feedback from the breakout sessions.
The main outcome of the workshop should be an increase in the production of clear, concise and measurable objectives for conservation management. These management objectives will contribute to the development of efficient and reliable monitoring projects.
A key purpose of the workshop is to exchange experiences of objective setting for habitats and species on Natura 2000 sites. This will enable a profitable transfer of knowledge and hopefully lead to further networking of the subject between member states of the European Union.
ABOUT THE NATURA 2000 BIOGEOGRAPHICAL PROCESS
The Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process is a vital means to ensure progress to delivering the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy, however, ensuring progress towards implementation of Natura 2000 should also be considered in the wider EU agenda.
The following points highlight key features of the Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process:
- Participation in the Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process is voluntary;
- The Process provides added value means to work collectively towards achieving the legal obligations of the Nature Directives;
- The Process offers a practical framework for networking, sharing information and experience and building knowledge about the most effective ways to reach and maintain favourable status for habitats and species of European Community importance – this includes opportunities to identify and promote the multiple benefits (environmental, social and economic) linked to such actions;
- The Process focuses on practical habitat (and/ or species) management and restoration activities and provides a framework to share best practices, compare approaches, build contacts, exchange information and build new knowledge;
- The Process is supported by follow-up networking events designed to further build practical knowledge and capacity, along with a dedicated Natura 2000 Platform to communicate and share information.
For more information about the process visit the Natura 2000 Communication Platform:
ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/platform/index_en.htm
And subscribe to the newsletter:
europa.us9.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=ac8d4b8c6b271053f5f53f05a&id=40aaee6943
Or contact: natura2000platform@ecnc.org