In 2014, the EUROPARC Annual Conference:  "Understanding the value of nature", will take place from 28^th September until Wednesday, 1^st October 2014, in Killarney, Ireland.

More than 300 professionals responsible for the management of Nature and sustainable development of Protected Areas across Europe will gather this autumn in Killarney, Ireland to consider the Value of Nature.
Nature needs to have a secure place in our European value system; it is the life support system from which we draw resources for our 21st century society! In 2010, TEEB – The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity report examined the benefits the world gets free from Nature. This autumn, the annual EUROPARC Federation conference, supported by the Irish Ministry of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, seeks to highlight not just the environmental and social benefits of Protected Areas, but also the real economic benefits that can be derived from Nature.
Keynote speakers from Canada, Finland, UK , Belgium and Ireland will gather in Killarney and explore the value of Nature to society, with intensive and topical workshops drawing on best practise from across Europe, debating in detail not just how we protect Nature but the values that underpin that need to conserve Nature.
EUROPARC President Thomas Hansson, (SE) indicated that “Europe’s Nature heritage, including the designated Natura 2000 sites are managed better through international cooperation and we are delighted that our hosts in Ireland, have provided this unique opportunity to not just consider the values of Nature but to show the practical benefits Protected Areas provide for communities across Europe.”

For further details pleace check the Europarc website.