All of us who cherish Wilderness and want to protect it for the future generations have much to do in the field of education. Every person, regardless of age, needs to be aware of how to treat nature respectfully, how to have deep nature experiences with as little impact as possible, and what guidelines to follow when doing so.

We’re not always aware, or refuse to be aware of how our actions might have far-reaching and long-lasting impacts, be it in nature or any other environment. Having a close bond to nature and enjoying it in a respectful manner is something most societies manouvering in the 21st century have forgotten. Guidelines on how to respect nature needs to be taught and practiced.

A workshop on building respect

That’s one main aim of the “Respect Nature” Workshop organised on 6th in Castle Finstergrün, Ramingstein, made possible by the Interreg Volunteer Youth. During this day, there will be various workshop sessions, presentations and a field excursion, to show the locals how important it is to respectfully treat nature. During a full-day workshop, participants will learn key principles about how to respectfully treat nature and will have the chance to put their newly acquired knowledge into practice during interactive group sessions. Moreover, local organisations, involved in projects supported by the European Cohesion Policy will meet with locals and youth to promote awareness on the benefits of the European Cohesion Policy on local development.

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Early October European Wilderness Society will conduct Austrian-Ukrainian Youth Green Conference 2019. The conference is now under active preparation jointly with our Ukrainian partner – Agency for Sustainable Development of the Carpathian Region “FORZA”. The Project is financially supported by the Erasmus +  Programme. Namely,  KA3 – Support for policy reform, KA347 – Dialogue between young people and policy makers.

Participants identification

During previous months project partners actively promoted project and its idea in both target countries: Austria and Ukraine. Consequently, we had a number of meetings with youngsters and teachers, encouraging them to apply for participation in the Youth Green Conference 2019. In such a way, Austrian and Ukrainian youngsters had to submit an Application for participation in English, as a common project communication language. In their Applications young people had to state their ecological actions as well as to substantiate their participation in the Conference.

For example, in Ukraine we even had to conduct a second level competition, since there we received even more application, than it was foreseen by the project. A second level completion was an interview of youngsters in English about environment, climate change, human impact, resources use efficiency etc.

As the result, a great group of interested youngsters from Ukraine and Austria are invited to participate in the Conference.

What is green future?

In their applications as well as during interviews youngsters already shared their knowledge and experience, as well as their ideas towards Green Future achievement in Europe. Among them:

• Waste recycling and separation
• Bicycle, feet and public transport use
• Trees planting
• Participation in eco-educational activities
• River banks cleaning
• Visits to the forest and re-union with the nature
• Visits to the forest and re-union with the nature, etc.

In  2018 I understood  that biology is my life, it’s not only a “school subject”. Ecology – it’s like a rhythm of my life, this is something that always will have a special place in my heart.

Anastasiya Banoi,

student from Ukraine

During the Conference youngsters would like to:

• Exchange experience
• Learn new about nature
• Meet new friends and like-minded
• Practice English, etc.

I want to participate in the Youth Green Conference, because I want to lean something new. And, I want to learn from nature.

Celina Scheicher,

student from Austria

Parents meeting

On 28^th of August parents meeting was conducted at the office of the Ukrainian Project partner “FORZA”. Among all, there detailed agenda of the Conference, instructions and preparatory issues were presented and discussed with participants´ parents. As well as needed papers, permissions and documents were introduced and collected.

Next steps

Already next week a preparatory meeting for Ukrainian participants will take place in Uzhhorod, Ukraine. On the meeting participants will be acquainted to each other and, will get instructions of more active preparation for the Youth Green Conference.

It is a good sign, that Maria Symkovych: a teacher, specialist of Educational Department of Uzhhorod City Council will join the Conference. Among other, Maria is the coordinator of Uzhhorod Schools Students´ Self-government and is introducing sustainable development subject for Uzhhorod students. She will also get a chance to communicate with her Austrian colleagues there.

Decision-makers and volunteers from different European countries will also join the Conference. Their will share their experience as well as increase knowledge of youngsters, which “Green” jobs exist in Europe.

During September, partners will finalize all preparatory logistics, paper and Conference content issues. And, already during 07-09 of October will conduct the first Austrian-Ukrainian Youth Green Conference in old castle for youngsters: Burg Finstergrün  in Austria.

This will be a 3-day event in nature surrounding with a lot of body & brain exercises and field trip. Youngsters, experts and decision-makers from Austria and Ukraine will jointly discuss in English sustainable Green Future for Europe and our input to it.

says Iryna Shchoka,

European Wilderness Society´s manager

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There has been a drastic decline in elk numbers in Vail, Colorado from over 1000 to just over 50. Scientists say that this is due to an increase in the number of visitors and recreationists in the area. In fact, trail use in the area has more than doubled, with people being present nearly 24 hours a day, each day. Additionally, the visitors are coming deeper and deeper in the forests, leaving less undisturbed areas for the wildlife.

To see what impact human presence might have on elk, a study was done where people were deliberately sent close to radiocollared elk. If an elk mother was disturbed seven times during calving, the calve had a 30% chance of dying. The reason for this result is not entirely clear. However, it is likely that the disturbed mothers run too far away for their calves to catch up, weakening them. Additionally, meeting humans also leads to greater stress for the mothers, resulting in lower milk production.

Increase in visitor numbers

The increase in the number of national park visitors is due to visitation campaigns as well as explosion of social media, where the natural gems become viral sensations. Due to an increased number of visitors many also go deeper in the natural areas to escape the crowds, reducing the area available for wildlife. Besides, visitation campaigns often focus on off-season visits, leading to the parks teeming with visitors at all times of the year. The outdoors tourism also brings a lot of economic profit to the local communities. For example, the value of outdoor recreation is $62 billion in Colorado’s economy this year. Therefore, discussions on reducing the number of visitors to reduce their impact on wildlife are very controversial.

In 2017, building of a new path through the elk calving area was proposed. This would have a severe effect on elk populations. Even if the path was closed during the calving season, some visitors would likely disregard the closure. By using it nonetheless, elk disruption would occur. To solve this issue, a group called the Vail Valley Maountain Trails Alliance launched a trail ambassador programme. They posted more informative signs at trail closures, and even used volunteers to explain the closure to hikers. This successfully led to a reduction in closure violations in 2018.

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Researchers fear a fast decline in bird populations in Germany, according to a study that has shown that the number of breeding pairs has fallen by 120,000 over 30 years in the Lake Constance area.

According to a study by the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Biology, the number of breeding pairs in the southern German lake fell by 25 percent, from 465,000 to 345,000, between 1980 and 2012. Several species, including the sparrow and the blackbird, have been particularly affected. Populations of many other bird species have also fallen below the levels needed to survive.

The habitats are changing

The diverse landscape at the foothills of the Alps provides an excellent environment for birds. However, though the past decades major changes have occured, that are typical in densely populated areas with intensive farming and forestry.

“This means that the rapid decline in the populations of many species that we have observed around Lake Constance is sure to be happening in other regions as well,”

Hans-Günther Bauer

Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Biology.

The data are based on the results of a bird census, which was first carried out in 1980-81. It was since repeated every ten years using the same methodology, latest in 2012. At first glance, the data collected shows a balanced picture. 68 of the 158 bird species around the lake increased, 67 decreased, representing 43 %. The diversity of the species has even increased. Although eight species have died out, there have been 17 newcomers, including the eagle owl, white stork and the peregrine falcon.

Farmlands are hostile to birds

This contradiction is mainly due to the decline of the populations of the most common species. Six of the ten most common species showed a significant decline, two remained same and only two increased. For example, the number of house sparrows has fallen by almost 50 %.

Birds disappear mainly from areas under intensive use, mainly from agricultural areas. 71 % of the species that inhabit fields and meadows have declined in numbers, in some cases quite drastically. The partridge, for example, which was once a common inhabitant of the region’s farmland, has completely died out, together with the great grey shrike, the meadow pipit and the little owl.

One of the main reasons for this is the lack of food. Species feeding on flying insects have decreased by 75 % and species feeding on terrestrial invertebrates by 57 %. This confirms the assumption that “the human extermination of insects is having a massive impact on our birds,” says Bauer.

The harvesting procedures also have a role to play. Unfortunately there is hardly anything remaining for the birds to feed on after the machines finish their work. Monoculture, drainage of natural waters and the shortage of fallow land also limit bird habitat. However, birds are also disappearing from the towns and villages around the lake. As locals feel the need for having increasing control over their surroundings, nests are becoming less welcome in gardens and houses. Therefore even the species that are able to settle almost anywhere have declined. For example the blackbird, chaffinch and robin populations have suffered greatly.

Measures to support the bird populations

Scientists are urgently calling for a change in agricultural and forestry policy in order to counteract the rapid loss of biodiversity.

• Paying attention on the value of insects, thus restricting the use of insecticides and herbicides in commersial forestry and agriculture, as well as in public spaces and gardens
• Significantly reducing the use of fertilisers
• Converting at least ten percent of agricultural land to ecological conservation areas
• Respecting that the arable land and grassland needs to be left uncultivated in winter and during the breeding season
• Considering late mowing after the breeding season
• At least five percent of woodland should be completely unused
• Creating natural permaculture gardens using indigenous plants

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We know the beaver as one of the ecosystem engineers. Their presence can influence the habitat around them quite drastically, and with it the biodiversity. In many countries, the beaver went extinct years ago. Reintroduction efforts of the Eurasian beaver resulted in a fairly healthy population of about 1 million individuals across Europe nowadays. Still it is understudied what the impact of beavers is on other animals. Researchers from Finland recently published the results of their study, indicating that many land- and water-based animals benefit from the beavers’ presence.

Natural architects

The beavers are able to change their environment structurally, as they build their beaver dams. The wetlands slowly turn into flooded areas, promoting different patches of wet and dryer grounds. Researchers identified that frogs, fish, waterbirds and bats benefit directly from the new waterbodies. The otter is also benefitting, especially in winter times, by finding places where fish can still be hunted. The benefits to other mammals was still largely unknown.

In their recent study, the scientists performed an analysis on sites in Finland, including camera trapping and show tracking. The results showed that in areas with beavers, the presence of other mammals was significantly higher.

Rich beaver meadows

Especially the places on the banks, where plants and herbs flourish next to the beaver pond, are a hotspot for other animal species. Most noteworthy was the increased presence of moose. The moose seemed to benefit from the young saplings of deciduous trees that grew in the beaver area. Even the bark and branches from trees that beavers felled, provided food sources for moose and deer during winter times. Also on the banks of the meadows, otters and minks would be able to spot and hunt for the abundant invertebrates, fish and frogs.

Not everybody is happy with the return of the beaver. There are places where people destroy the beaver dams, to avoid flooding of their lands. However, as this study confirms, the role of beavers is important for many other species out there. Fortunately, beavers are dispersing to new regions. Last year, the first beavers re-appeared in Italy after 450 years of absence for example. It is important that we provide enough room for these ecosystem engineers to reclaim their place in the ecosystem, and that we support efforts in doing so.

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