Making a difference

PAN Parks ensures guaranteed protection for
Europe’s wildernesses

Wilderness in Europe is a concept many do not recognise – yet, untamed, wild natural areas still exist throughout Europe. Wilderness survives in virgin forests, along meandering rivers, in extensive marshlands, high mountains or caves, and under the sea. However, compact, un-fragmented and well-managed wilderness areas are very scarce. We are constantly losing the last fragments of our European wilderness heritage.

PAN Parks Foundation works to change this aiming to safeguard European wilderness, the continent’s most undisturbed areas of nature for future generation.

Through its efforts for wilderness protection PAN Parks Foundation

• has already ensured guaranteed protection for 240,000 hectares of the most precious wilderness areas of Europe by increasing the management effectiveness of existing protected areas
• enlarges the size of untouched areas in Europe providing safe refuge for diverse wildlife
• initiates a European wilderness movement that will also contribute to bringing wilderness among the mainstream conservation issues
• represents the cause of wilderness protection on a European level and by creating a common voice of wilderness helps influence policy making
• has already ensured the European Parliament’s recognition of the issue of wilderness
• increases community involvement and understanding of wilderness values on a local level
• helps prevent unsustainable development projects in order to minimise damages to wilderness values

PAN Parks Foundation, the only Europe-wide organization focusing on the protection of the last remaining wildernesses on our continent, in co-operation with local and international NGOs, protected area managers, local communities and the European public, works to bring about fundamental changes in public attitude towards wilderness by broadening people’s views on and educating them about the various benefits of wilderness.

Click here to read more about what we do in the frame of ’The Million Project’ to protect Europe’s wilderness

Check out ways of how you could get involved by clicking here!