History - PAN Parks

Photo: PAN Parks

History

W W F, the conservation organisation founded PAN Parks in partnership with the Dutch leisure company Molecaten in 1997.
The years between 1997 and 2002 were primarily used to develop a long term strategy and to form a strong institutional base in order that PAN Parks would gain widespread international respect and support.
The preparatory phase ended in 2002 when verification of protected areas according to the Principles and Criteria (P&C).
The year 2002 saw the first certifed PAN Parks in Finland, Poland and Sweden, and the network is expected to grow year after year.

PAN Parks timeline

1996
January - First concept of verifying protected areas

1997
August - PAN Parks started as a WWF project in Europe

1998
January - Molecaten Groep becomes PAN Parks founder partner
   - PAN Parks strategic planning meeting with IUCN
December - First edition of PAN Times: quarterly magazine fo PAN Parks, later PAN Parks Courier

1999
February - Canon Europe sponsors public introduction of PAN Parks: photo exhibitions throughout Europe
August - PAN Parks Foundation founded.

2000
January-May - Field test of verification scheme: self-assesment by 17 pilot parks.
May - E-commerce project launched with 20 local partners in Bialowieza
August - Appointing 12 partner protected areas: 7 Candidate and 5 Prospective Candidate PAN Parks

2001
June - 1st PAN Parks Candidate Conference
September - Principles 1,2, 3 and 4 approved by the Supervisory Board
October - Verification Manual approved by the Supervisory Board
November - First training of verifiers

2002
May-July - Verification of the first three Candidate PAN Parks
September - 2nd PAN Parks Conference
       - Certification of the three first PAN Parks
       - PAN Parks International Launch

2003
January - E-commerce project co-ordination taken over by WWF Poland, Bialowieza Project office, visit www.park.bialowieza.com
April - Local PAN Parks Organizations' meeting in Bieszczady
October - Certification of Central Balkan, Bulgaria
             - Europe's Wilderness days - the 3rd PAN Parks Conference
              - Canon volunteer camp in Bieszczady, Poland
November - Annual monitoring of Certified PAN Parks completed

2004
April - the Dutch SNP Nature Travel signs partnership contract with PAN Parks
         - first PAN Parks trips on the market
May - Certification of local business partners in Fulufjället, Sweden
July - The Dutch Trailfinders signs partnership contract with PAN Parks
October - Europe's Wilderness Days, the 4th PAN Parks Conference in Italy
December - Certification of Retezat, Romania

2005
April - Network Meeting
May - Toyota volunteer camp
June - Paanajärvi, Russia is the sixth Certified PAN Park

September - Canon volunteer camp in Fulufjället
                 - Rila National Park, Bulgaria is certified
                 - Majella National Park, Italy is certified
                 - Local partners in Oulanka, Finland are certifed
November - Europe's Wilderness Days
                 - Local partners are certified in Central Balkan,
                   Bulgaria

2006
- Verification of at least 8 protected areas

2011
- Verification of at least 18 protected areas