Hans von Sonntag | 04.11. 2024
Above: Durham Cathedral. Photo Hans von Sonntag
The Eurosite Annual Meeting, hosted by Eurosite Member North Pennines National Landscape, took place in Durham, UK, from 22 to 24 October. With 145 participants from 20 European countries, this gathering was the largest in Eurosite’s history. True to tradition, Eurosite’s Annual Meetings feel like a reunion of European conservationists, tackling today’s urgent environmental issues with hands-on insights into the best practices in nature conservation.
Eurosite President Tilmann Disselhoff listens to Chris Woodley-Stewart. Photo Hans von Sonntag
Chris Woodley-Stewart, Director of the North Pennines National Landscape Partnership, welcomes the Eurosite Annual Meeting 2024 participants as their host. Photo Hans von Sonntag
Durham defibrillator. Photo Hans von Sonntag
Harm Schoten, Director of Eurosite, discusses future challenges and strategies with Eurosite Members
The challenges facing the conservation sector are immense. The intertwined twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, plus shrinking health globally, are taking a toll on conservationists mentally and physically. In the UK, Brexit has added further uncertainty to the future of conservation. Yet, a silver lining remains: nature conservation is becoming a central pillar in Europe’s policy, with the potential to breathe new life into a sector that has long been underfunded. To meet the vast needs ahead, financing for nature restoration must shift. Public funds alone won’t suffice for the Herculean task before us. Business models must evolve, partnerships must be strengthened, best practices must be developed, and, perhaps most importantly, bold, heartfelt stories must be told to engage all sectors and everyone else.
Dinner at Ushaw House. Photo Hans von Sonntag
Photo Hans von Sonntag
Tim van Hattum’s inspiring keynote on climate action in Europe underscored the need for change and a switch to Nature-Based Solutions with immediate effect. This message reverberated throughout the conference’s four core themes: conservation policy, finance, management, and partnerships.
Paul Leadbitter, Peatland Programme Manager North Pennines National Landscape, is taking notes. Photo Hans von Sonntag
At the Eurosite Cocktail. Participants bring gastronomic specialities from their country to the annual meeting. Melina Addix (Member of the Eurosite Board) and Henk Zingstra (Chair of the Eurosite Management Planning Expert Group (EMPEG) degust a red wine from France. Photo Hans von Sonntag
Stefan Versweyveld, Natuurpunt, networking at the Eurosite Cocktail. Photo Hans von Sonntag
As a networking hub, Eurosite places great emphasis on partnership-building. Despite the increasing attention to conservation finance, businesses, and policy, partnerships remain the bedrock of the widespread engagement needed to protect, restore, and strengthen Europe’s natural environment. Eurosite believes this is crucial for the conservation sector and a healthier, more resilient Europe. David Renwick of Natural England further highlighted the power of partnerships in advancing conservation goals post-Brexit.
Photo Hans von Sonntag
Workshops: Geoff Smith, Director Specto Natura, explains his collaboration with ESA and what Earth observations can do for nature conservation. Photo Hans von Sonntag
Workshops: Dianna Kopansky, Policy, Programme & Partnership Expert: Freshwater, Peatlands, Forests, Wetland & Dryland Ecosystems at UNEP, explains the challenges of freshwater supply. Photo Hans von Sonntag
This oak stands close to a Roman thermal bath. Photo Hans von Sonntag
Participants listen to the guide’s remarks on Roman life in the shadow of Hadrian’s Wall.
Beyond presentations and discussions, the Annual Meeting included Eurosite’s traditional day-long excursion. Participants explored the North Pennines peatlands restoration sites, met with nature-friendly farmers, and visited Hadrian’s Wall. Standing since 160 BCE, this ancient Roman wall was initially built and painted white to mark the empire’s boundary with the so-called “barbarians” to the north.
The Sycamore Gap Tree or Robin Hood Tree is a sycamore tree (Acer pseudoplatanus) standing next to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, England. Photo: Gordon Leggett/ Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 4.0.
As a lifelong fan of historical sites, I joined the Hadrian’s Wall excursion, which unexpectedly became a profound reflection on nature conservation. In a tragic recent event, the famous Sycamore Gap Tree—an iconic landmark near the wall and 2016’s England Tree of the Year—felled in September in a deliberate act of vandalism. Locals and visitors mourned its loss; this beloved tree was a totem pole for weddings, proposals, and farewells. It was a testament to people’s deep connection with nature, a reminder that conservation is about more than protecting landscapes and advancing one’s health—it’s about giving people something they can relate to.
Participants are wondering why people had cut down this landmark. Photo Hans von Sonntag
A big thank you to the LIFE Programme, the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), and the European Climate Foundation, our sponsors. The 2025 Eurosite Annual Meeting will continue its legacy in Lithuania.
Below: a vista of the Hadrian’s Wall, Northumberland, close to the felled Sycamore Gap Tree. Photo Hans von Sonntag
The Eurosite Annual Meeting is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the contributors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them.
The project “Building the European Peatlands Initiative: a strong alliance for peatland climate protection in Europe” is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).
