The Natura 2000 network protects approximately 18% of the European Union’s land area. It is one of the most important European initiatives for biodiversity conservation, but the effectiveness of such a network does not depend only on the protected surface or on the legal status of the sites. It depends, essentially, on the people who manage them.

This is why the project developed by Propark – Foundation for Protected Areas together with BUND Thüringen has an important purpose: training specialists in Natura 2000 site management at European level.

Between 9 and 11 June, the consortium partners met in Brașov for the first in-person working meeting. The three days were dedicated to exchanging experience, clarifying the next steps, and building a shared vision for the training programme to be developed within the project.

The meeting brought into discussion different ways of working with protected areas and Natura 2000 sites: how protected area management functions in Germany, what the specific challenges are in Romania, and how these experiences can be brought together in a training programme that is relevant for several European countries.

Propark co-coordinates the project together with BUND Thüringen, contributing the experience gained in Romania in training nature conservation specialists and developing educational programmes dedicated to those who work directly with protected areas.

One of the central results of the project will be the development of a modular curriculum for Natura 2000 site management. It is designed to be adaptable in different European Union Member States, as well as in candidate countries, where the need for professionalisation and for strengthening management capacity is just as important.

The programme aims to create a common foundation of skills for specialists working in the administration of Natura 2000 sites, taking into account the different realities in the field, the European conservation framework, and the need for solutions that can be applied in varied local contexts.

For Propark, this project is a natural continuation of its mission: to support the people and organisations that care for nature. Professional training remains one of the most important investments in the future of protected areas, because plans, strategies, and regulations become effective only when they are put into practice by well-trained people.

The project is funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation – DBU and runs until March 2027.

Through this collaboration, Propark and BUND Thüringen contribute to strengthening a European community of practice in nature conservation, in which knowledge, experience, and shared learning become resources for better management of Natura 2000 sites.