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Guidelines for Parks By the Europarc federation

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." - John Muir

What would we be without nature?

It is part of our very being. We depend on it for numerous reasons: our mental and physical health, our food production, the air we breathe…yet our relationship with nature is out of balance. As a result, we are losing not just our natural areas, but also our sense of belonging.

In nature, even the smallest of creatures can make a difference. So imagine what we humans can do when we all get together to RETHINK our relationship with nature and RESTORE & RECONNECT with our beautiful natural heritage.

That's exactly what we ask Parks to help with this European Day of Parks! Protected Areas are ideal places for restoring nature AND our connection to it. In an ever urbanised Europe, it is in these places that we can truly ground ourselves and feel that we are part of nature too. As such, we must protect them – now and in the future.

These beautiful places are for everyone to enjoy - so lets celebrate them on the 24th of May during the European Day of Parks!

Join the conversation! #EuropeanDayOfParks

What can your Park do?!

EUROPARC asks all its members and the wider network to organise events and activities on and around the 24th of May. You are the key to the success of this year’s European Day of Parks! You can register them on our website.

After two mostly digital celebrations of the European Day of Parks, we hope that 2022 lets us get out into our Protected Areas again. You can start by looking at some of these activity ideas:

RETHINK

  • Partner up with local schools, in a playful manner help children, discover how each of us is connected and dependent on nature. Tip: reach out to more urban areas where contact with nature is less frequent.
  • Nature is everywhere, we just need to notice it! Organise a tour in your Park and give people handouts with common animals and plants that they can also find in their backyard. Once at home, they can continue the nature discovery.
  • Set up an event with local sustainable farmers, where visitors can see the process of food production up close.
  • Organise an event on sustainability practices, like reducing our trash, or practising proper behaviour in nature, that people can also incorporate into their daily life.

RESTORE

  • Create an exhibition with before and after examples of restored natural areas, to highlight the importance and effectiveness of nature restoration.
  • Take visitors on an exclusive tour of a restored area in your Park to bring them up close with the work of Protected Areas.
  • Organise a litter picking event to get people directly involved.

RECONNECT

  • Organise a forest bathing event.
  • Create a social event in your Park with small businesses.
  • Take visitors on barefoot walk.
  • Hold an informative event on how we all benefit—and are part of—nature.
  • Organise an outdoor sports event, following the 10 good principles of outdoor sports.

If your Park has Junior Ranger or Youth+ groups - be sure to get them involved as well!

You can let your imagination run wild, this day is all about celebrating our Protected Areas. So set up your events and let us reconnect with, rethink and restore nature together!
The official logo for the European Day of Parks 2022

Download the promotional materials

On the EUROPARC website, the official banner + a poster to which you can add your event is available in many languages. Are you missing your language? No worries, just write an email to communications @ europarc.org with the translation, and we will get it to you.

Join the conversation!

Are you organising an event or activities? Then help us make some noise on social media: we'd love to hear from you! Use #EuropeanDayOfParks and be sure to tag us on Facebook & Twitter @EUROPARC or Instagram & LinkedIn @EUROPARC_Federation

About the European Day of Parks

Imagine a day when all Parks and Protected Areas come together across Europe, celebrate their successes and declare the value and benefits of Europe’s Protected Areas to communities, decision-makers and the wider public. That's EUROPARC’s European Day of Parks!

Every year European Day of Parks takes place on and around 24th of May. It aims to bring people closer to nature and raise public awareness on the importance of the natural beauty preserved in Protected Areas and the importance of conservation and sustainable management of those places.

Created By
EUROPARC Federation
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