Dear Members, dear readers,

Happy new year to all!

We at IUCN Europe are very excited about 2012 – lots of new projects and activities lined up on the agenda. This year is the year of the IUCN World Conservation Congress, the largest conservation event worldwide, which will take place in Jeju, Korea in September. Rio+20 in June and the meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity in October will also be milestones on the path towards a better management of nature and its resources for all.

This month is very special for IUCN Europe. All eyes are on Europe as the IUCN Global Focus is dedicated to this large region...

What do you know about Europe?

How much do you know about Europe’s biodiversity and efforts to save it? Find out by having a go at our quiz then challenge your friends!

Opinion: The silent crisis

Europe is in a crisis. An economic and euro crisis. Merkel and Sarkozy dominate the front pages of our newspapers. At the moment economists and their analyses seem to interest even more people than the weather forecast. And the euro countries desperately try to collect 500 billion Euro to fill its emergency fund. This crisis is very vocal and hard to oversee.

Denmark and its biodiversity

The southernmost country of Scandinavia, Denmark is made up of the peninsula of Jutland and 443 islands. Its diverse nature is preserved by a solid commitment of Danish people to conserve this heritage. In 1973 Denmark was the first country in the world to implement an environmental law.

Advance Albania

What can be done to help Albania—a country of rich natural wealth but where many people struggle to make ends meet? One plan under way is to get the country’s national parks and other protected areas to support the needs of people as well as nature.

Win a little, lose a lot

Convincing people to save the forests of her native Armenia has become a passion for IUCN’s Luba Balyan. She describes how a love of birds turned into a love of forests and all that they offer.

Europe in pictures

Europe is a continent rich in natural and cultural heritage, with a diverse range of landscapes and habitats and a wealth of flora and fauna.

Check out some of the natural wonders of Europe in the Wild Wonders of Europe's gallery. Wild Wonders has developed application for mobile phones - see here.  

Innovation in European agriculture

In the face of a growing world population expected to reach 9 billion in 2050, global food production will have to increase by 70% according to the FAO, the United Nations agency for food and agriculture. As one of the biggest world food producers and importers, the EU has a key role to play. 

IUCN advice on EU-OCT cooperation on environment and climate change

On 23 January 2012, IUCN provided expert advice on environment, climate change and EU-OCT cooperation to the leaders of the EU Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs). The leaders gathered for their annual OCT Association (OCTA) Ministerial Conference in preparation for the 10th OCT-EU Forum.

Nature Scholarship for Young European Conservationists now open

The Alfred Toepfer Natural Heritage Scholarships 2012 are now open for applications! The award provides three young European conservationists with €3000 to undertake a study visit to one or more protected areas in European countries other than their own. They are awarded by the Alfred Toepfer Foundation and the EUROPARC Federation. The deadline for applications is Friday May 11th 2012.
> Read more

Infrastructure industry sees "green"

Some 200 companies and practitioners have recently gathered at a European meeting to discuss how motorway and railway construction can contribute to biodiversity conservation. Organized by Eiffage, a large construction group, and the University of Paris 1, the workshop was hosted by the European Business and Biodiversity Campaign in Paris.
> Read more

CSOs ready to take action

At the end of 2011 participants of two-day seminar that closed the Building Capacities on EU nature policies project, shared their views and main findings related to CSOs’ action, and drew their way forward. The second day was dedicated to information sharing on funding opportunities enabling implementation of nature protection in the region.
> Read more

Finnish Sports Gala awards Metsähallitus for promoting Outdoor Recreation

On 16th January at the annual Finnish Sports Gala in Helsinki, Metsähallitus was granted a special award for designing facilities that encourage people to enjoy outdoor activities in natural settings across Finland.
> Read more

Latest publication

Crossing borders for nature: now available in Albanian and Macedonian.

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IUCN (The International Union for Conservation of Nature) © 2012

IUCN helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. It supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world and brings governments, non-government organizations, United Nations agencies, companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy, laws and best practice. IUCN’s European region covers the European continent, Russia and Central Asia, and includes the European Union overseas entities. Representing one third of the global membership, this is IUCN’s largest programmatic region.

Photo credits: Hans Friederich, IUCN; Buttercups, Sandra Bartocha/Wild Wonders of Europe; Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy; Flowering heather in the moorland, IUCN; Shebenik-Jablanica National Park, Albania, IUCN/A.Ghiurghi; Luba Balyan studying the local wildlife, Luba Balyan; Wild Wonders of Europe; Hands holding fruits, Matt Barton UKAG/Flickr; St Helena's landscape, St Helena National Trust; EUROPARC Federation, EUROPARC; Paris meeting, EIFFAGE; Closing event participants, IUCN/V.Ferdinandova; Metsähallitus, www.outdoors.fi.