Majella National Park has hosted a Chinese delegation visiting Italy within the China World Heritage Biodiversity Programme.The visit was organized by Federparchi (the association of which most of the protected areas of Italy are members), in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in order to sign international agreements with protected areas representing outstanding management models.

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Another important success in the certified parks this month was the successful verification of principle 4 in Retezat National Park in Romania. PAN Parks lead verifier Jernej Strith conducted a through evaluation of the documents provided and met with new Local PAN Parks Group on a recent trip to Retezat. His visit included field trips to key locations for sustainable tourism development - both within the park and the surrounding in the PAN Parks zone. These included existing and planned nature trails, the Sarmisegetusa roman ruins, the GEOPARC museum in Hateg and local tourism businesses. The outcome of the visit was a recommendation to extend the certification of the Retezat National Park as a PAN Park to Principle 4.

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This month a verification visit was carried out by PAN Parks verifers Jernej Strith and Franco Mari to Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park in Georgia. 4 days of intensive investigation to follow up the detailed studies of material submitted by the park. The verification process was supported by the local expert Dr. Ivane Tsiklauri from WWF Caucasus Programme Office. The hard work carried out by the National park staff was rewarded with a successful verification of the park as the newest member of the PAN Parks family.

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A group of twenty Canon Europe employees have taken part in a work camp in Majella National Park. Working alongside Park staff they worked on several real projects in the stunning scenery of Majella National Park. These included building new steps on a trail to the remote century’s old hermitage of saint bartholemew nestled into the steep cliffs of a stunning river gorge.They stayed with a potential PAN Parks local partner in the historic spa town of Caramanico Terme. This trip was organised by Canon and PAN Parks as part of Canon's commitment both to the environment and to their staff. Recent years have seen CANON Camps in Fulufjallet in Sweden and in Bieszczady in Poland.

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Building on the recent campaign launched in Bulgaria, WWF DCP Romania launched a 3-month awareness raising campaign to save the country’s – and some of Europe’s most important natural heritage. The idea of the campaign originates in the increasing number of illegalities affecting Romania’s natural protected areas and the authorities’ lack of reaction, involvement and financial support necessary for the management of these areas.

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This month saw Vlado Vancura, PAN Parks Conservation Manager on a fact finding trip to the wilds of Scotland in search of a potential PAN Park. An important priority for the PAN Parks Foundation is to develop PAN Parks in Western Europe and Scotland is regarded as a prime candidate. Read more to discover if the traditional habitat of the Haggis can meet the tough principles and criteria to become part of the network.

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In earlier PAN Parks e-newsletters you will have read about the plan to test the PAN Parks principles in Loango National Park in Gabon. A mission from PAN Parks supported by Operation Loango recently visited the area on a consultancy mission to assess the potential for sustainable tourism development and how it fits with the PAN Parks principles and criteria.
Surfing hippo’s, elephants on the beach, gorillas in the trees and thousands of hectares of wilderness and endless stretching empty shorelines. Loango NP is still an undiscovered paradise. A place that has a long history but managed to safeguard some of the world most threatened tropical natural heritage. Will this place become the first PAN Park in Africa?

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Over the last year as part of the work of PAN Parks research network, we have been building on the Cost Benefit Analysis process by working with students undertaking thesis research to carry out the surveys in each of the parks. This is both a challenging and rewarding task for those students involved. It gives them an opportunity to undertake what may be the first commissions of their research careers and at the same time meet the communities surrounding the best of Europe’s wilderness. The reports are available here.  But here we would like to share with you a personal insight of one of the students from Wageningen University in the Netherlands who carried out the research in Retezat National Park.

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Gerben Weening joins the PAN Parks team on the 1st December as the new business development manager for the PAN Parks Foundation. Gerben already has a long connection with PAN Parks though his role as manager of the PAN Parks Accommodation activities of Molecaten. As well as responsibility for the PPA in Fulufjället, Gerben has been in charge of developing the new accommodation in Oulanka NP, Finland and researching opportunities to expand across the PAN Parks network.

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The World Commission for Protected Areas Europe has identified the PAN Parks Foundation as a key partner in its work in implementing its themed area of work in relation to management effectiveness of protected areas. PAN Parks Executive Director Zoltan Kun took part in the recent European programme meeting in Barcelona that agreed the WCPA programme of work until 2008. Zoltan stated following the meeting that ‘this is a real honour for the PAN Parks Foundation and we are really proud that the work we have undertaken so far has been recognised’.

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