I was attending the Wilderness Working Group meeting on 11 April 2012 where I provided an update about the contribution of PAN Parks Foundation ot the European Agenda for Wilderness (a.k.a. Message from Prague adopted in May 2009, during the EC Presidency conference on wilderness). The progresses are linked to the various recommendations in the agenda.

1. Activities towards implementing the
Prague recommendations since March
2011 Kun
Zoltan
Executive Director
Paanajärvi NP ©Viktor Gritsuk

2. PAN Parks contribution to ‘Poseltsvi’
Policy development
• Setting management benchmark through the
verification process (regular monitoring of PAN Parks
wilderness area network  Dzukija/Cepkelia certified,
Kure Mountains to be certified
• Developing management guideline in the framework of
an EC sub-contract (Alterra and Eurosite)  guideline to
be adopted by May 2012
• Launch of The Million Project: 8 protected areas + 6
NGOs signing agreement with us  400,000 ha
• Wilderness is included in the EU 2020 Biodiversity
Strategy

3. PAN Parks contribution to ‘Poseltsvi’
Awareness building
• 10th Europe’s Wilderness Days in Soomaa
• Developing a project concept to be submitted to LIFE+
on promoting the values of wilderness beyond
environmental services
• Mass communication:
• Social media (facebook, twitter, youtube)
• Visitor centres of park
• PR work in the UK and Netherlands (focused on
travel media)
 New campaign to be launched in Autumn 2012

4. New online applications
One Million Tweets
We Love Wilderness

5. PAN Parks contribution to ‘Poseltsvi’
Information needs
• Participate in Wilderness Working Group to finalise the
definition (see proposal as a separate slide)
• Participating in the creation of Wilderness Register (EC
funded: Alterra, Leeds University, PAN Parks)
• Promoting wilderness throughout the academic sector
 3rd ECCB, 6th MMV, TEEB conference

6. All forms of PAs are contributing to biodiversity conservation!
Wilderness
area (see
definition
next page) Other protected areas
Too small Wild areas (restoration
to be and rewilding)
wilderness
Current stage of natural development (indicated by eg. IUCN category)
Non-intervention (current mgmt practice) intervention

7. PAN Parks contribution to ‘Poseltsvi’
Supporting capacity (20-23)
Further developing FR options through PAN Parks
Launching ‘The Million Project’ which provides a
framework to organisations working on the protection of
wilderness throughout Europe
Assessing the funding opportunities for neighboring
countries

8. THANK YOU!
www.panparks.org