FINALLY, A GESÄUSE CALENDAR AGAIN - GRAWE MAKES IT POSSIBLE!
After a long dry spell for our Gesäuse friends, a picture calendar for the living room was presented on 1 December at GRAWE's traditional calendar festival in Admont.
The calendar with the most beautiful Gesäuse pictures by Christoph Huber, Heinz Peterherr, Stefan Leitner, Andreas Hollinger and Gert Schweinberger is aimed at GRAWE customers and all those who want to become one.
AUSTRIAN NATIONAL PARKS AT THE INTERPÄDAGOGICA IN SALZBURG
Austria's leading education trade fair "Interpädagogica" was held this year in pre-Christmas Salzburg - as the only trade fair for the educational sector and thus the most important information platform for educators and all those interested in education. Right in the middle: A great presentation by the six Austrian National Parks.
From 23 to 25 November, numerous visitors, especially professionals from the education and training sector, were able to get an idea of how diverse and colourful the educational mission is implemented in the individual protected areas. Interested teachers were able to see for themselves that the professional educational and project week offers of the respective national park administrations provide nature education at the highest level and make it a tangible experience.
In addition, with a lot of creativity and wit, a successful overall portrait of the Austrian National Parks was created on the common, large exhibition area, ranging from the steppe lake to the ice giants of the Hohe Tauern.
FOUNDING OF THE ASSOCIATION
The Limestone Alps and Gesäuse National Parks have formed an association together with the Dürrenstein Wilderness Area. The new association is called "World Natural Heritage Beech Forests in the Northern Limestone Alps - Eisenwurzen". Although the Gesäuse has not contributed any beech forests to the World Heritage Site because they are not present in sufficient quantity and quality, it is nevertheless an important partner in the implementation of goals such as the conservation of valuable forests and their ecological connectivity.
DRONES (UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES) IN THE NATIONAL PARK
Nature has priority in the National Park. This also applies to the airspace. Support our goal of leaving the airspace to birdlife, which has been able to use it without disturbance up to now. Studies show that drones have a disturbing effect on various animals, especially birds. In the worst case, this leads to the loss of young birds (abandonment of a nest, abandonment of a breeding territory, etc.). The Gesäuse National Park therefore does not grant permission for drones to take off and land in its entire area.
And after all, we as visitors also want our peace and quiet! No whirring high-flyers and certainly no aerial photos showing us as unsuspecting hikers.
NP COÄUSE PODCAST
The Gesäuse National Park now has its own podcast.
Every second Friday we publish a new episode where we give insight into the topics around the National Park and the region in talks, discussions and lectures.Listen in now & subscribe for FREE:
iTunes: https://goo.gl/DX5trL
Soundcloud: https://goo.gl/m4vqkP
The first 4 episodes are already available online
Every second Friday we publish a new episode where we give insight into the topics around the National Park and the region in talks, discussions and lectures.Listen in now & subscribe for FREE:
iTunes: https://goo.gl/DX5trL
Soundcloud: https://goo.gl/m4vqkP
The first 4 episodes are already available online
STUDY TOUR
Senior national park staff from Russia were under the leadership of Svetlana Belova was a guest in the Gesäuse. The delegation was particularly interested in the cooperation between the National Park and the Tourist Association.
WHATS ALP (VIENNA - GESÄUSE - NICE)
From 3 June to 29 September 2017, the Whats Alp group around Dominik Siegrist marched from Vienna to Nice. After 25 years, this was a second "walk" along the Alps and at the same time the hiked inventory of a change. What has changed for the attentive hiker can be read here: www.whatsalp.org
In any case, a mechanisation of the Alps has taken place: Motorways, ski slopes, car parks, hotels, settlement space: every kind of infrastructure puts an ever stronger stamp on the Alps. In June, Whats Alp was a guest in the Gesäuse National Park (we reported). In view of the changes taking place throughout the Alps, the national parks are becoming oases of wild nature and their conservation zones are even becoming preservers of time-honoured cultural landscapes.
EXPEDITION_HOME # 1
From 22-24 September 2017, expedition_heimat # 1 took place, led by Jens Badura (www.bergkulturbuero.org) was curated and moderated. In the course of three day hikes, the topics of mobility, associations and cultural agriculture were discussed with different actors in the region - as a contribution to a joint reflection on the question of how the homeland should look and develop. A flash mob of associations or the founding of a regional agricultural cooperative were just some of the ideas that emerged here and will now be further considered in different formats. expedition_heimat # 2 is planned for September 2018.
With support from the federal government, the state and the European Union (LEADER).
IN THE GSEIS - NEW ISSUE!
09 October 2017.
The winter 2017 issue of the twice-yearly National Park Magazine "Im Gseis" has been published and will be sent out soon. For all those who would like to read issue 29 in advance - the online version is already available for download here on our homepage!
You can also subscribe to the magazine free of charge: Just send an e-mail with your name and address to Karin Lattacher - karin.lattacher@nationalpark.co.at or fax to +43 3631 21000 18.#
RED DEER IN WINTER
Recordings from one feeding site are transmitted daily. Follow the animals feeding here throughout the winter.
Want to be there yourself? Find out in the event programme about the Wildlife watching in the Gesäuse National Park.
Why the red deer are fed here is explained to you by our Cloven-hoofed Game Management Plan.
CHAMOIS CENSUS IN THE GESÄUSE - HALLER MAUERN AREA
In relatively wet weather conditions, but with sufficient visibility, this year's chamois census of the chamois game community "Gesäuse - Haller Mauern" took place on 6 September 2017, during which selected chamois habitats from the Haller Mauern in the west to the Lugauer in the east were counted simultaneously. The comparison with the census results of the last 3 years allows the following cautious interpretations:
- Compared to the years after the heavy snowy winters with high losses, the populations have stabilised again and have increased slightly.
- The increase in fawns is encouraging, but the number of yearlings suggests a higher natural mortality.
- The low number of strong old bucks is probably due to the rather stealthy behaviour of the loners at this time of year, while among the bucks, we were pleased to observe vital and old bucks throughout.
- Strong packs are found in areas away from tourist use and heavily frequented trails.
In the future, this time series will be used to derive statements on the development of the chamois population, on changes in the habitat behaviour and their adaptability to tourist use - especially in the winter half-year.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all participating active staff, professional hunters and volunteers for their participation!
SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION!
Last weekend, 15 and 16 September, the final examination took place for a total of 17 prospective rangers of the first joint certificate course for the Gesäuse and Kalkalpen National Parks! First of all, they had to pass the written questions, and immediately afterwards they had to complete the practical excursions in the field! After a total of 42 days of training over the last one and a half years, an extremely intensive and at the same time entertaining course came to an end, which at the same time represents a milestone in the cooperation between the two national parks!
Angelika Stückler from NP Kalkalpen & Martin Hartmann from NP Gesäuse wish you all the best and lots of fun on your future assignments in our two national parks!
FREEDOM FOR BEARDED VULTURE LEA
The directors of all 8 Austrian national park administrations escorted a bearded vulture to freedom at the foot of the Großglockner. LEA was released on the occasion of 25 years of the Hohetauern Tyrol National Park. This bearded vulture had been rendered unable to fly due to a plumage injury sustained in a collision. The bird spent the time until its feathers grew back (moult) safely in an aviary and since 15 September 2017 it has been soaring freely through the skies again.
Photos: NP Hohe Tauern and NP Gesäuse
TRANSNATIONAL PARK - BY BIKE THROUGH 2 NATIONAL PARKS
450 km & 11,500 metres of altitude through Austria's wilderness. This is what the recently opened route "Transnationalpark" offers. And the special feature: the Transnational Park can be booked! You ride individually but organised by mountain bike. The organiser takes care of luggage transport, accommodation, etc.
You can find all the details here: www.transnationalpark.at
GAMS YES, BUT HOW MANY?
The chamois is considered a characteristic species of our mountains. But how many animals are there really and how is the population developing? The hunting industry estimates the population development on the basis of shooting figures. To really know, a large-scale census has been organised in the Ennstal Alps for several years. Coordinated by the Steiermärkische Landesforsten, a census is carried out simultaneously at the same places every year. Although the results of these counts do not reflect the actual size of the population, because not all animals are counted (especially the bucks like to keep to themselves when counting takes place at the beginning of September), they do allow conclusions to be drawn about the development of the population. However, well-founded statements will only be possible in a few years, as the time series is still too short.
Photo: Chamois goat with fawn in the Haindlkar, photographed through the telescope during the count
RESEARCH JUNGLE
Are you interested in research from the National Park but can't see the wood for the trees? The meta-database www.parcs.at now appears in a new look. In addition to a full text search, projects, GIS data and other data types can also be queried. Here you can find out "what's going on". You can still obtain the finished pdf reports directly on our homepage or via a request to the Department of Nature Conservation & Natural Space.
XEIS PUTZ 2017
At this year's Xeis-Putz, quite a bit of rubbish was collected and disposed of again. Despite rain and floods, 16 committed Gesäuse National Park employees put themselves to work to ensure a cleaner environment and a litter-free Gesäuse. Unfortunately, there are always considerable amounts of rubbish along the main road and the riverbank, carelessly disposed of or washed up by the Enns.
While several small groups collected bottles, cans and countless cigarette butts along the road, one brave group ventured into the wild water to clean up the Enns shore from a rafting boat. The result: 14 full rubbish bags, two canisters and a car tyre!
At the end of the day, the hard-working helpers were treated to a warm meal - happy faces and a sun that finally showed itself were beaming.
A big thank you to the Strobl family for their support with rafting boat and guide, as well as to Robert and the pavilion team for the food and a roof over our heads - and of course to everyone who helped so diligently!
CALL FOR TENDERS PROJECT MANAGEMENT PUBLIC RELATIONS
The Association National Parks Austria is looking for a Project Manager "Public Relations & Communication National Parks Austria".
Nationalparks Austria is the umbrella organisation of the Austrian National Parks Donau-Auen, Neusiedler See - Seewinkel, Thayatal, Gesäuse, Kalkalpen and Hohe Tauern. Together they represent six of the country's most ecologically valuable regions, where nature conservation has top priority and nature can develop largely undisturbed. Nationalparks Austria has set itself the goal of promoting the further development and cooperation of Austria's national parks through the coordination and implementation of joint projects. Further information at www.nationalparksaustria.at
The invitation to tender can be downloaded here:
NATIONAL PARK RESEARCH AIMS HIGH
This year's GEO Nature Day on 29 July took us high up in the Gesäuse National Park. The highest Gesäuse peak, the Hochtor, was the destination and study area for 23 biologists from a wide range of research disciplines. Along the approach via the Josefinensteig, plants and animals were observed and documented. The alpine habitat promises exciting results with regard to the species lists compiled. Part of the group did not head for the highest peak, but to the Ebersangeralm, an alpine pasture that has been abandoned for more than 100 years below the Hesshütte (in the direction of the Wasserfallweg). Thanks to the intensive research on GEO Day, some new finds were recorded for the study area here as well.
The results of the GEO Days are published annually in the Gesäuse National Park publications. The scientific articles and species lists are accompanied by interesting contributions on topics related to the respective study area. The results of the GEO Day 2015 in the Hartelsgraben have now been presented in the latest edition, volume 13 of the publication series: "Natura 2000 European Protected Areas - The GEO Day in the Hartelsgraben". The new volume is available at the Infobüro in Admont, as well as online on Amazon soon.
You can find more information about this volume and the series on our homepage.
Ö1 SCENE AVALANCHE CHUTE
Last week, biologist Alexander Maringer was featured on the Ö1 radio programme "Vom Leben der Natur".
The contributions are still available online for seven days:
http://oe1.orf.at/vomlebendernatur
CLIMB THE JOHNSBACHER ALPS WITH THE MOUNTAIN BIKE
In the National Park, cyclists can enjoy the challenging tour over the Hochscheibe. The Rauchboden and Ennsboden trails have considerably fewer metres in altitude and are 7 easy mountain bike kilometres along the Enns.
The Johnsbacher Almenrunde was also newly signposted in 2017. So if you want to combine altitude gain with a visit to a hut and a nature experience, you will find excellent opportunities between Kölblalm, Ebneralm, Huberalm and Zeiringeralm.
SHORT TOURS AT THE WILLOW DOME
The Pasture Dome team reports daily at 12:30 and 15:30 on the struggle for survival in a pasture, eating and being eaten in a pond and the wild goings-on in a beehive. Discussions are more than welcome in this 10-minute programme, which is free of charge!
Photo: Stefan Leitner, Gesäuse National Park
WITH THE NATIONAL PARK RANGER AT THE HUT
The Gesäuse mountain hut is very popular in summer. Delicious delicacies from the region, impressive views of the mountain landscape, as well as the cosy, rustic hut flair attract hikers from the most diverse regions. During the summer months you now also have the opportunity to meet our National Park Rangers at the huts and let them introduce you to the Gesäuse National Park. Equipped with binoculars and a tripod, eagles and other bird species can be easily observed. The National Park Rangers are available to answer questions about the Gesäuse and its special features.
You have the opportunity to meet a National Park Ranger on the following dates:
Haindlkarhütte: Thu 13 July
Hesshütte: Tue 25 July, Thu 3 August and Tue 8 August
Ennstaler Hütte: Sat 22 July and Tue 1 August
Buchsteinhaus: Thu 20 July, Sat 29 July, Sat 5 August and Sat 12 August
Admonterhaus/Grabneralm: Thu 27 July and Thu 10 August
UNKNOWN ROBBER BARONS OF THE SOIL!
Pseudoscorpions are small eight-legged predatory knights. Resembling a scorpion at first glance, they are quickly noticed for their lack of a tail and venomous sting. Their small body size of just a few millimetres also makes them seem more exciting and bizarre than dangerous to humans. Nevertheless, they possess a venom with which they prey on other small animals. In the Gesäuse National Park, they inhabit all altitudes, from the riparian forests of the Enns to dead trees in the middle altitudes and the scree slopes of the highest peaks.
So far, 15 species have been recorded from the Gesäuse. Allowing natural dynamics in forest stands is the most important management measure to preserve rare and endangered species.
The most exciting results of the current research on the endemic fauna of the National Park are those of the common moss pseudoscorpion Neobisium carcinoides. Genetic analyses show that up to 7 species from this conglomerate could occur in the national park alone, including endemic forms! This sensational finding illustrates how important and beautiful basic research is. At the same time, it is the best proof that we do not necessarily have to travel to the tropical rainforests to discover species that are new to science, but should first take a closer look at our Hochtor, the Lugauer and Tamischbachturm.
Photo: Ch. Komposch
COUNTING BEETLES IN THE NATIONAL PARK...
The Gesäuse National Park is one of the most important endemic hotspots in the Eastern Alps. A multi-year research project on the subject of endemics provides us with new knowledge about the rare special features of our animal and plant world. Initial results from this project confirm the special importance of the National Park for the protection of these small-scale species. The occurrence of 24 beetle endemics was confirmed and 456 beetle species were detected in the area. Among them are two new records for Styria and the rediscovery of the endemic Styrian alpine leaf beetle on alpine pastures in the Gesäuse National Park.
More on the topic can be found in the fact sheet Endemites:
STONE EAGLE CAMERA 2017
Several recordings are transmitted daily from an eagle's nest in the National Park. Follow the development of the young eagle here until it flies out.
The young eagle will now train its flight muscles for a few more weeks and the adult birds will regularly bring food to the eyrie.
GRABNERHOF PROJECT WEEK IN THE GESÄUSE NATIONAL PARK
Pupils of the Lfs Grabnerhof spend their project week in the Gesäuse National Park.
Under expert guidance, the Gsengscharten path was cleaned and fixtures at the "traverse" were renovated during the project week. In addition, the pupils were able to significantly improve the habitat of the black grouse by "laying rats" in the Waag area.
GRAWE SIDEBYSIDE YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL
The Youth Advisory Council, founded in 2017, has already launched two projects: Biotope care with refugees and the photo competition The Little Crawl.
But who is behind the Youth Advisory Council? They are young people from the region who are committed to social issues. Since they manage their projects themselves, they also learn a lot for their future lives: Nora Landl, Sabrina Leitold and Jasmin Maunz from Admont, Fabian Gruber from Ardning, Anja Gruber from Gstatterboden and Teresa Garstenauer from Gaflenz.
ON FOOT THROUGH THE ALPS
It takes Dominik Siegrist, Christian Baumgartner and Harry Spiess 120 days to complete their journey. From Vienna to Nice! Exploring the state of the Alps and the changes since a similar hike 25 years ago. During a stopover on 18.06.2017 at the Gstatterboden National Park Pavilion, the three spoke with Jens Badura and skyrunner Christian Stangl about their "thought processes", their thoughts while walking.
Jens Badura had already quoted from the works of writers and thinkers on the Kroisn-Alm and read out what comes to mind when Johann Gottfried Seume, Friedrich Nietzsche, Thomas Bernhard and many other great minds walk. Jens Badura will also accompany the Gesäuse in September 2017 as an impulse generator during Expedition_Heimat, when the Gesäuse will be explored on foot to develop scenarios for the future.
The writer Paulus Hochgatterer will also be present and contributed the following quote from child development on 18 June: "Walking away also begins, and although the first steps usually lead towards the mother, they are at the same time the start of a path in the opposite direction. If mothers were aware of this, they would probably not react as euphorically in this situation as they generally do. It benefits the children in any case, because it signals to them in this way: it's wonderful that you're leaving!"
10 YEARS OF SOURCE RESEARCH
For the 10th time, researchers met to explore water bodies in the National Park. This time, from 5-8 June, the habitat "ponds" was examined more closely. With the exception of the Sulzkar Lake, the stillwaters in the area are rather small. They range from small forest ponds, puddles in boggy areas, wet meadows and seepage springs to high-altitude meadow ponds at over 1,700 m above sea level. They are particularly important as spawning waters for amphibians such as newts, toads, frogs and toads, but dragonflies, beetles, bugs and various other insects also cavort in them. Among the smallest representatives of the aquatic fauna are water mites, copepods and mussels. The investigations carried out should provide information about the diversity of species and their distribution and complete the overall picture of the aquatic fauna in the National Park.
THE LITTLE CRAWL - PHOTO COMPETITION
The newly founded Youth Advisory Council of the Gesaeuse National Park presents its first project: "The little crawl" - a photo competition in which attention is drawn to the small animals of the National Park. We are looking for the best photos of insects and spiders!
Entries until 30 November 2017 to office@nationalpark.co.at
A Camera worth €699 and other great prizes are up for grabs! All age groups are eligible to participate! Prizes will be awarded at the Gesäuse Photo Summit in April 2018.
You can find more information about the Youth Advisory Council here.
LYNX AT A GLANCE
Styrian Regional Hunting Association and Nature Conservation Department Dept. 13 are the publishers of a new brochure of the Styrian Lynx Group.
On a compact 24 pages, the brochure provides interesting information about the habitat, prey behaviour and regional occurrence of lynx in the Northern Limestone Alps. An overview deals with typical crack features and refers to the crack assessors who have been trained to assess such findings.
IN GSEIS - ISSUE 28
02 May 2017.
The summer 2017 issue of the biannual National Park Magazine "Im Gseis" has been published and will be sent out soon. For all those who would like to read issue 28 in advance - the online version is available for download here on our homepage!
You can also subscribe to the magazine free of charge: Just send an e-mail with your name and address to Karin Lattacher - karin.lattacher@nationalpark.co.at or a fax to +43 3631 21000 18.
SMART HEADS TAKE NOTE!
National Parks Austria Science Award 2017
National Parks Austria, the umbrella brand of the six Austrian national parks, is offering the National Parks Austria Science Award for the second time this year! Young scientists who have written a diploma or master's thesis or dissertation on a topic relevant to national parks are eligible to apply.
In the Gesäuse National Park there are several master's theses every year, which are an important part of National Park research. The prize is intended to motivate young people to use the National Parks as a research facility with numerous exciting questions and to make an important contribution to the development of the exceptional protected areas with their work
The winners receive prize money of € 500 (dissertations € 1,000) as well as an invitation to the National Parks Austria Research Symposium 2017 in Salzburg.
Application start: 1 May 2017
Application deadline: 1 August 2017
Award ceremony: November 2017, Salzburg
For more information see www.nationalparksaustria.at/Wissenschaftspreis
KAZAKH DELEGATION VISITS GESÄUSE NATIONAL PARK
On 11 April, the Gesäuse National Park welcomed a delegation from Kazakhstan. The delegation consisted of National Park Directors who wanted to gain an insight into the Austrian National Parks. They were also particularly interested in the National Park Partner Network. After a short theoretical introduction about the National Park and the network, we visited some partner enterprises to give the guests an insight into the regional diversity. After a visit to the Styrian Provincial Forests, we had lunch at the Kamper Inn and a short stop at the Admont Information Office, before heading to the Veitlbauer cider cellar and the Laussabauer equestrian farm and organic farm. On the second day we visited the Admont Abbey Museum and the Willow Cathedral.
PROTECTING TOADS MAKES SENSE...
The migration season in the National Park has begun again! At least the common toad, grass frog and Alpine newt are on the move again with warmer temperatures. In the National Park they can do so safely thanks to the amphibian fence on the road near the Weidendom. Since this year, they have been guided through a tunnel for small animals under the road. Unfortunately, roads are often deadly traps for amphibians. In other places around the National Park, numerous traffic victims among the amphibians continue to occur. We hope that wildlife will also be taken into consideration here during the next road renovation. The figures below show that protection has steadily increased the migratory population in the National Park.
Anyone who wants to learn more about the topic, or also report traffic victims from the animal world: http://roadkill.at
GESÄUSE NATIONAL PARK PARTNER BUSINESSES - QUITE SOMETHING GOING ON!
Within the framework of the project "National Park Partner 2.0" and with a view to world domination, the training offensive for 2017 has begun.
The start was made with a seminar on the topic of "Correct copywriting". The partners were shown how to write effective texts. This was followed by two seminars on "Graphics, images and colour" and "Photography and search engine optimisation".
The various seminars are intended to help the partners improve their external image, be it for the individual websites or various print products.
WINTER SURVIVAL
Survival in winter - the new winter folder informs about the (survival) life of wild animals during the harsh winter months, as well as about the sensitive habitats in the Gesäuse National Park. In addition to the interesting facts about wildlife and observation opportunities, the Gesäuse classics among the ski touring routes are of course also presented. Nature-compatible winter sports are a major goal in the Gesäuse National Park, in order to provide wildlife with sufficient resting areas and still offer enough opportunities for winter sports enthusiasts seeking recreation.
More information about ski touring in the Gesäuse National Park can be found on our homepage.
The new folder "Survival in Winter" is available for download and can be obtained at the starting points of the ski touring routes.
NATIONAL PARK AND NATURA 2000 HABITAT MAP NEWLY DRAWN UP
The latest results from research in the National Park show an exciting picture of the distribution of habitats in the Gesäuse. The Gesäuse National Park overlaps to a large extent with the Natura 2000 site Ennstaler Alpen - Gesäuse. In total, the two protected areas cover an area of 154 km², the National Park including its planning zone has about 125 km² and is thus roughly as large as the city of Graz.
Of particular importance in the area are the so-called FFH habitats (FFH = Flora-Fauna-Habitat), which are specially protected throughout Europe. These cover ¾ of the total area. Almost half of the area is covered by forests, 20% by rock and debris, on 15 % colourful grasslands are in bloom, 10 % are overgrown with bushes (mainly mountain pines), and the remaining 5 % are vegetationless or unnatural.
The distribution of the FFH habitat types can be seen particularly well on the pie chart. It is precisely the habitats with a relatively small extent that make the area so special: For example, the natural gravel banks with pioneer and shrub vegetation on the Enns and Johnsbach (0.03%), or the low-lying scree slopes with the endemic ornamental feathered pink (2%).
THE CUCKOO AMONG THE BUTTERFLIES
The caterpillars of Quendel's ant blues are adopted by "red ants" (various Myrmica species). They imitate the sounds of a queen, are thus fed by the ants and can even eat their larvae in the nest unmolested. However, the subject of National Park research in summer 2016 was not the complicated biology of this species, but the distribution of the protected butterfly species. Christina Remschak examined various avalanche gullies near Hieflau that are favoured by warmth and surveyed the status of the species. Her assessment of the population according to EU criteria is "good". Food plants such as thyme and oregano grow there. However, no statement could be made about the number of nests of host ants; they are difficult to find and have only been detected in a few areas.
WILD MOUSE
You have to have quite an ego to survive as a mouse in the wild Gesäuse. It may gnaw at you even more if you are not a real mouse at all. Nevertheless, five species of shrew - insectivores related to the hedgehog - are found in the National Park. It was no surprise that the wood shrew hides in the forest and the alpine shrew further up. But the evidence of the marsh shrew and the water shrew are small sensations. The dwarf shrew is only small, but more common. And for those who don't like mice at all, let me tell you once again: a shrew is not a mouse at all!
IN CONVERSATION - THE NATIONAL PARK FORUM
The Stiegenwirt in Palfau was the venue for the National Park Forum on 2 February 2017. After the opening by Deputy Mayor Franz Johannes Mayer, NP Director Herbert Wölger and the department heads Daniel Kreiner (Nature Conservation), Martin Hartmann (Education), Isabella Mitterböck (Infobüro) and Andreas Holzinger (Forest & Wildlife Management) answered questions about the first 15 years of the National Park and its further development.
It was moderated by Andreas Hollinger, Head of Communications. The positive mood in the round and the good feedback allow the management team of the National Park to look to the future with confidence. With regional specialities, Stiegenwirtin Dagmar Zwettler demonstrated that the partner businesses of the National Park produce food of the highest quality and finest enjoyment.
CURRENT NEW PUBLICATION - COMMUNICATING NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE
Mediating between the national park and its visitors is one of the central tasks of the national park rangers. Interpretation", a concept formulated by Freeman Tilden as early as the 1950s, offers a good conceptual approach to this work. Markus Blank, a ranger in the Gesäuse National Park, is on the board of Interpret Europe and is responsible for disseminating the interpretation technique in Austria. As part of a project by Nationalpark Austria, it has now been possible to offer a standard work by Freeman Tilden in German translation for the first time.
"Communicating Natural and Cultural Heritage - the Concept of Interpretation" (original title: Interpreting Our Heritage) is a highly readable introduction to the subject, can also be read in sections and "crosswise" and belongs in the library of everyone who works as a nature guide or in the museum sector.
The best way to learn in depth is through Interpret Europe courses, e.g. from 7 April 2017 in the Gesäuse National Park (link to the event).
Freeman Tilden: Communicating Natural and Cultural Heritage - the Concept of Interpretation, oekom Verlag, Munich 2017. Edited by Thorsten Ludwig and translated by Daniel Fuchs.
6 NATIONAL PARKS - 16 OPPORTUNITIES!
"So the resolution is:that man has to learn something.
- Not only the A-B-C
brings man to the heights."
Wilhelm Busch (Max and Moritz, 1865)With this in mind, the National Parks Austria Education Academy is once again offering a colourful selection of training and further education courses for National Park Rangers and staff. From communication training to special pedagogy to specific technical courses such as feather science, there is certainly something for everyone. Of course, the training courses of the National Parks Austria Academy of Education are also open to all other interested persons. National Park rangers and staff can participate in all training courses free of charge; for external persons, the costs listed in the programme apply.
It's definitely worth taking a look at the programme!
22. MEMORIAL DANILO RE
The "22nd Memorial Danilo Re Trophy" - an international ranger sports competition - was successfully held in the Gesäuse National Park.
We present a few impressions of the successful event:
THE GESÄUSE THROUGH THE AGES
The fascinating landscape history of the Gesäuse can now be discovered digitally. A so-called story map allows a historical tour of the Gesäuse. Numerous pictures and image comparisons provide insight into the world of then and now. Particularly interesting are the interactive maps in which the changes caused by the regulation of the Enns and agriculture in Johnsbach can be viewed. For example, you can navigate and zoom in and out of the maps yourself and show or hide the former or current state. The image comparisons are also precisely localised in an interactive map. Entertaining texts accompany the maps and images.
The contents are based on the illustrated book "Gesäuse - Landschaft im Wandel" (Gesäuse - Landscape in Change), which is devoted in great detail to the subject of landscape change.
DAILY WINTER VIEW OF THE GESÄUSE MOUNTAINS
Our new webcam brings sunshine home from time to time and informs ski tourers about the current weather situation in Johnsbach.
The panorama (click on the picture to open) shows the view from Gscheidegg to the north into the Gesäuse National Park, with the Hochtor group on the left and the Lugauer on the far right.
By the way, you can find snow depth, temperature and other climate data on the Neighbouring page.
The route to the Gscheideggkogel is a largely avalanche-safe ski tour in the Gesäuse National Park. Please note the winter resting areas of the capercaillies.
Further tour information at the starting points in Johnsbach or at the Homepage of the Gesäuse National Park.
