The 30th edition of the traditional Memorial Danilo Re will be hosted by Triglav National Park and will take place from January 22 to 25, 2026, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.

As in previous years, the event will feature the ALPARC General Assembly, held alongside the Danilo Re Trophy sporting competitions. The Ranger Seminar will also take place, offering valuable insights into the work of protected area rangers.

We look forward to getting together, exchanging ideas, competing – and celebrating Alpine friendship!

Established in 1995 following an extensive collective effort, the Chartreuse Regional Nature Park celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025. For three decades, it has worked alongside local authorities, associations, residents, and professionals to combine environmental preservation, quality of life, and sustainable development.

Located in the heart of the French Alps, between Isère and Savoie, the Park is guided by a charter renewed every 15 years, which defines the main directions of its territorial project. The current charter (2023–2038) is built around three core pillars: preserving the many facets of the massif, balancing human activity with environmental protection, and supporting ecological and social transitions. 

 Since its creation, the Park has initiated or supported numerous key initiatives: environmental education programs (raising awareness among 85,000 children), management of the Hauts de Chartreuse Nature Reserve, creation of the Cave Bear Museum, support for the local economy (dairy cooperative, local producers’ shop, Chartreuse Wood AOC), biodiversity conservation (reintroduction of Alpine ibex, black grouse protection), forest promotion (Exceptional Forest label), soft mobility, light pollution reduction, and the maintenance of 1,500 km of hiking trails. 

Through these efforts, the Park aims to nurture the unique identity of Chartreuse, highlight its landscapes, know-how, and living heritage, while carefully maintaining the balance between attractiveness and conservation. It is also committed to future challenges: becoming a positive-energy territory, encouraging alternative mobility solutions, and fostering local innovation.

Over the years, the Park has become a genuine catalyst for local initiatives—a space for collective experimentation where sustainable, concrete responses to today’s challenges are imagined and implemented. In essence, it seeks to create connection, meaning, and a viable future.

Since the beginning in 2015, the Chartreuse Regional Nature Park also participates in the international event Youth at the Top, coordinated by ALPARC. This initiative brings together young people from across the Alpine arc for a shared mountain experience centered around a common environmental theme. Guided by professionals, participants take part in hiking, artistic workshops, nature observation, and intercultural exchange - an opportunity to explore ecological issues and engage with the natural and cultural heritage of their territory.

© photo: Bruno Lavit

As a major destination in the Alps, the Nationalpark Berchtesgaden region is directly facing the challenge of how to address overtourism while staying true to the core mission of every protected area: nature conservation. This issue is shared by many of the parks involved in the LiveAlpsNature partnership, which held its second project meeting on July 10^th–11^th at the Haus der Berge (Berchtesgaden, DE).

The two-day event provided an opportunity to assess the progress of ongoing activities, starting with the two surveys currently underway. Targeting visitors and tourism operators, they aim to better understand the behaviours and interests of these crucial stakeholders concerning protected areas. The surveys are part of the broader context analysis of outdoor activities in the Alpine region, which also covers their impacts on biodiversity and the expected consequences of climate change. The results will represent the basis for the development of tourism offers based on the One Health approach, and the design of measures to manage outdoor practices, including the use of digital tools for visitor guidance. The proposed solutions will be tested during the second half of the project in the partner protected areas.

Once again, the field excursion proved to be a highlight of the meeting. After a visit to the park exhibition at the Jenner cable car summit station and a breathtaking view over the Königsee, the Berchtesgaden park staff presented key aspects of their visitor management initiatives. This sparked crucial discussions among participants on topics such as the visibility of park boundaries and regulations, appropriate signage and infrastructure for cyclists, accessibility for people with disabilities and the ecological impact of new infrastructure, potential conflicts with tourism stakeholders and the role of digital platforms in managing visitor flows.

A heartfelt thank you to all project partners for their commitment and contributions!

LiveAlpsNature continues its journey through the protected areas: next stop, Parc National des Écrins (FR).

For more information about the project: https://www.alpine-space.eu/project/livealpsnature/

The LiveAlpsNature project is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Alpine Space programme, which supports cross-border cooperation projects between seven Alpine countries.

© photo: Nationalpark Berchtesgaden

The 11th edition of Youth at the Top will take place on July 17 and 18 2025 (resp. flexible in the week from 14 July 2025 to 20 July 2025), throughout several Alpine and Carpathian protected areas and natural sites. Kids and teens are invited to join local events to take part in this international initiative. The event is the opportunity to raise awareness on nature conservation and preservation among the youngests. 

Click here to register your local event - registration is possible until April 30, 2025!

The event is focusing on the common theme "Our footprints in the Alps". It invites the young participants to explore different impacts humans have on the Alpine environment. Participants can dive into topics like the effects of outdoor activities on nature and wildlife or explore how human-induced climate change is transforming the Alps – impacting glaciers and permafrost as well as flora and fauna. There is also an opportunity to learn about the cultural landscape of the Alps, focusing on traditional pasture farming and land maintenance that have shaped the region for centuries. Organizers are encouraged to select their own focus areas, offering many more opportunities to explore how we interact with and shape the mountains.

WELCOME - Alpine Parks for All - Living Space and Tourist Destination

Alpine tourism has developed significantly during the last decades into a more and more mass phenomenon, particularly in some parts of the Alps, including in many protected areas. New ways and approaches are needed in the Alpine region and especially in Alpine protected areas for a tourism more respectful of nature.

For this reason and in order to fulfil their mandate of nature conservation and sustainable development, Alpine protected areas must clearly define their position on tourism, promote specific forms of sustainable tourism and act accordingly. The phenomenon of “overtourism” and the boom in outdoor activities mean that the Alps are increasingly and exclusively regarded as a backdrop for sports activities. Users are often unaware that these practices can cause long-term damage to a unique natural environment.

Cooperation with local and regional partners is crucial to develop sustainable and forward-looking concepts that have an added value for nature conservation and tourism in protected areas. International exchange between protected areas is also of central importance to share knowledge, to exploit synergies and to define, implement and communicate joint measures. Alpine protected areas have a leading position in promoting sustainable tourism thanks to their many years of experience. Due to their established position as tourist destinations and their dual responsibility for effective nature conservation and sustainable regional development, they play a decisive pioneering role.

For mor information about the project: Welcome

The PlanToConnect WP2 - Implementing green and blue infrastructure (GBI) networks for connectivity documentation is available for download here below.