European Wilderness SocietyWilderness Network News

Strong speaker line-up at this year’s Wilderness Academy Days

The only Wilderness Conference focusing on Europe’s last Wilderness will be held May 27-29, 2019 in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Salzburg Lungau. We are proud to announce the participation of exceptional speakers.

For more details, check the Wilderness Academy Days website.

Wild Topics

Three days, 8 sessions including various workshops, a full-day guided excursion in the beautiful Biosphere Reserve Lungau, a Wilderness Film Festival and many more awaits the participants. Sessions will cover Wilderness in the US and Europe, Wilderness Stewardship as well as threats and pressures on European Wilderness. Furthermore, we will talk successful visitor management and the connection of Wilderness and Wildlife. In course of a workshop we will introduce the new and updated European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System 2.0.

Wilderness Academy Days Hohe Tauern 2014
Wilderness Academy Days Hohe Tauern 2014

Speakers from all over the world

In 2019 we honour 5 years of European Wilderness Society, 10 years of Wilderness in Europe and 55 years of the US Wilderness Act. Speakers from USA, Germany, Austria, Lithuania, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, Georgia, Turkey, Italy, and Ukraine will gather to share experiences about key Wilderness topics.

Keynote speakers Max Rossberg, chairman of European Wilderness Society, Dr. John Hausdoerffer from the Western Colorado University. and Prof. Dr. Pierre Ibisch and the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development will open the 3-day conference.

Sessions on Wilderness

In the very first session Garry Oye Wilderness specialist will share experience with Wilderness interpretation across the 4 US national services managing the more than 600 Wilderness Areas. Following the theme Vlado Vancura will cover the Wilderness Standard on European level. We will then look into what the US and Europe can learn from each other through knowledge exchange.

Garry Oye will share his experiences with Wilderness stewardship in the US Wilderness with focus on respecting natural disturbance. We will hear Wilderness Management experiences from Uholka Shyrokyy Luh Wilderness in Carpathian Biosphere Reserve from Vasil Pokynchereda. Moving to Wilderness in the heart of the Mediterranian, Giuseppe Marcantonio will introduce Majella National Park in Italy – it’s location, zoning system and outstanding natural values.

In the next session Yaroslav Petrashchuk from Gorgany Nature Reserve, Ukraine will open by sharing experience about several decades of Gorgany Wilderness conservation. He will be followed by Zerrin Karaarslan, who will present the history and current potential to protect Wilderness in Turkey. Afterward, we will also take a look at Wilderness in Čepkeliai Wilderness Lithuania through words of Mindaugas Lalepé.

History of Wilderness in Europe will be discussed by Ondrej Kameniar talking about the destruction of Primary Forests in the Carpathian Mountains. In addition, Nese Ersöz will speak on the management challenges of Kure Wilderness in Turkey. Tako Khakhishvili will close the session covering the challenges, threats and Wilderness Potential in Georgia.

Visitor management in Wilderness will be covered by Ondrej Vitek from the Nature Conservation Agency of Czech Republic. Gaga Mumladze chief specialist of visitor service at Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, Georgia will talk about sustainable tourism development. After that, Olena Slobodian will share experiences in Carpathian National Nature Park, Ukraine. Afterward, Vlado Trulik will provide us an insight into sustainable nature guiding in most beautiful corners of Northern Slovakia.

The session Wilderness and Wildlife will include speakers Andrea Lesova presenting about the current status of Capercaillie in Slovakia, David Freudl sharing experiences in the Austrian Thayatal National Park and the Wildcat and Joanna Tusznio speaking about the role of European Bison to local communities in Poland.

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