From November 27th to 29th, 2023, DANUBEPARKS was presented at the ELBE PARKS Conference in the picturesque setting of Bad Schandau (Saxon Switzerland National Park). ELBE PARKS members from Germany and Czechia participated in this face-to-face meeting, with the hope to deepen their cooperation through new initiatives and projects.
DANUBEPARKS was invited as an external partner (experienced river-based network of protected areas), and our project manager, Matej Marušić, presented the essence of DANUBEPARKS — our network, ongoing projects (DANUBE4all, LIFE DANUBE FREE SKY, LIFE WILDisland...), and the vast potential for collaboration between these two river-based networks.
The conference became a platform to not only showcase the current initiatives but also to forge pathways for future partnerships. Mr. Benjamin Heberling from the H2Org announced the CLEAN ELBE project with a presentation and discussion moderation about the Swimming project 2024 with Prof. Andreas Fath. In the spring of 2022, this chemistry professor already swam the length of the Danube to raise awareness about plastic waste. More info HERE.
Also, besides our DANUBE4all project, another Horizon Europe project was presented by Ms. Ute Susanne Kaden. The call for the Associated Region was especially interesting for participants because Protected Areas from the Czech Republic are eligible partners for this call. You can find more about the project HERE.
On the second day of the conference, a field trip along the Elbe was organized with the amazing panoramic views of the Elbe River and the region from above (Lilienstein and Bastei).
At the end of the conference, the final workshop was dedicated to discussion and brainstorming about the reapplication of the joint Erasmus+ project „Elbe and Danube - Learning Riverscapes Learning Network Connecting two European Natural River Landscapes“.
As the rivers unite us in a shared commitment to the preservation and celebration of our protected areas, we anticipate the exciting collaborations between these two river-based networks!