Wild, free-flowing rivers are a beauty of nature that can be rarely found in Europe nowadays. But the Balkans in south-east Europe still have some of the most beautiful rivers on earth, where unique biodiversity
Wilderness
Hydropower tsunami – shouldn’t there be something that we don’t destroy?
The Balkan Peninsula is home to the last wild rivers in Europe. At present, around 3,000 hydropower plants are planned or under construction in the region, more than 1,000 of them in protected areas. One
World Ranger Day: In Memoriam
On July 31st we put the our Rangers across the world in the spotlight. They are the ones on the frontier of conservation that are critical for the planet’s future. They often leave their families
Wilderness Audit in Gorgany Nature Reserve, Ukraine
In the past weeks the European Wilderness Auditors spent several days in Gorgany Wilderness, embeded in the Gorgany Mountains Massif. The area is located in the eastern part of the Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine. Gorgany Wilderness became a member of European Wilderness
Exploring potential Wilderness in Triglav National Park
Last week the European Wildernes Society team hiked high up to the core zone of Triglav National Park to explore the potential Wilderness there. Triglav National Park is Slovenia’s only national park located in the
AMBER – how they are changing rivers across Europe
The European Wilderness Society recently attended the week long Balkan River Defence event for a day. While listening to presentations from the speakers the European Wilderness Society got more information on AMBER (Adaptive Management Barriers
Nature Reserve Val Alba – a hidden Wilderness in Italy
Val Alba is a small nature reserve in north-eastern Italy, right opposite the Potential Wilderness Area in Prealpi Giulie Nature Park. It is a small valley surrounded by high mountain peaks – a perfect place
A visit to potential Wilderness in Prealpi Giulie Nature Park
Earlier this month, the team paid a visit to a potential Wilderness area in Prealpi Giulie Nature Park, situated in north-eastern Italy. There, we went for a four-hour long hike to explore the area and
Meeting Balkan River Defence
Last Thursday, the European Wilderness Society team participated at the Students for Rivers Camp, organised by the Balkan River Defence movement in Kobarid, Slovenia. The event aimed to connect young river conservationists and a kick-off
German Wilderness gets €10 Mio annual investment
The German Federal Ministry for the Environment announced that it will invest €10 Million every year to the ‘Wildnisfonds’. This German Wilderness Fund is to support especially German based non-governmental organisations to secure large Wilderness
New Wilderness in Carpathian Biosphere Reserve
In the past week the European Wilderness auditors spent a few days in the newly proposed Wilderness named Chornohora (Black) Mountain, Ukraine. The area is located at the southern slopes of the highest mountain in
How climate change impacts forests
During the Wilderness Academy Days, which took place in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Lungau, there was a special session on climate change impact on forests. It was a great event with many international experienced and
Wilderness Audit and roadless areas
Experience from conducting European Wilderness Audits confirms that roads are one of the main barriers to designate high quality Wilderness. The good news is that people nature can restore the areas with old or recently
Signed cooperation with Carpathian National Nature Park
The European Wilderness Society continues its cooperation with Protected Area management for the stewardship of Ukrainian Wilderness. Furthermore, we will continue supporting the Ukrainian Wilderness Advocates. As a result, the number of partners in Ukraine
Rapid loss of World Heritage glaciers
There are 46 natural World Heritage sites in which we can find glaciers at this moment. They include some of the most iconic glaciers, such as the Grosser Aletschgletscher (Switzerland), Khumbu Glacier (Himalayas) and Jakobshavn
Wilderness Audits in Ukraine
Deputy Chairman of European Wilderness Society, Vlado Vancura, bases this statement on his first-hand experience gained during last years. He came to this conclusion after several Wilderness Quick- and Full-Audits and following monitoring in the previous years. During this
New project: Multiperspective view on the biodiversity in forests
The European Wilderness Society has started a new project: ‘Multi-perspective view on fauna biodiversity in forests and forest edge areas’. The 2-year project is funded by the Austrian Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism. The pilot
Wilderness in Julian Prealps Natural Park, Italy
The European Wilderness Society just returned from a first visit to discover the Wilderness potential in Julian Prealps Natural Park in Italy. During the 2-day visit, we met with representatives of the Park’s management and
Ongoing river destruction in Romania
The following message from the ‘Group of local Initiative – The Coalition for Biodiversity’ has come to our attention, which requires international attention and acknowledgement to prevent severe damages to important natural systems in Romania.
New natural forests for Germany
In central Germany, within the province of Hesse, a new natural forest will start to develop. Within the designated size of 6 400 hectares, there will be no forestry, solely natural development. Especially this is