Event details

This year Eurosite and EUROPARC will join forces. Our joint Annual Conference will be held from 22 - 25 October 2012 in the Kempen and Maasland Regional Landscape in Genk, Belgium. The protected area encompasses Belgium’s only national park, Hoge Kempen, as well as the nature parks GrensPark Kempen-Broek and RivierPark Maasvallei.

The theme of the conference will be ‘(RE)CONNECTING’. It will explore (Re)connecting nature with nature; people with nature; business with biodiversity; and policy with practice. In other words: (re)connecting society with biodiversity.

Participants of the conference will learn more about the reconnection approach through innovative speeches, workshops and excursions. This concept enables us to think and act outside our own protected area. It puts the focus on a much broader region, facilitates the integration of biodiversity into surrounding communities and encourages cooperation with all stakeholders and target groups. In doing this it ensures responsible regions; an increase in and improved nature and biodiversity; more support & awareness for biodiversity; a higher awareness for ecosystem services and corporate social responsibility; higher economic benefits; and better sustainable policies. This model is now one of the best practices of the IUCN, the EUROPARC Federation and many other organisations.