NATURA 2000 site at risk in Italy
Organisations for the protection of the environment take action As a whole, Nature 2000 sites in Italy protect 130 habitats, 89 species of flora and 111 species of fauna (of which 21 mammals, 11 reptiles, 16 amphibians, 25 fish, 38 invertebrates) and about 381 bird species. Lake Vico is a Natura 2000 site created in READ MORE >
Life and Natura 2000 now 30 years old
The LIFE Programme and Natura 2000 have reached the age of 30. On 21 May 1992, the then European Economic Community passed two laws that would forever change the face of nature conservation, the Habitats Directive and the LIFE Regulation, which established the LIFE Programme. The Habitats Directive also established the Europe-wide ecological network of READ MORE >
GEOLAND at the United Nations
GEOLAND Project members participated and presented the project at the Twelfth Session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) at t5he UN Headquarters in New York. The twelfth session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) was held from 3 – 5 August 2022. READ MORE >
GEOLAND to be presented at the United Nations
Members of the European Association of Geographers, Karl Donert, Rafael de Miguel (UNIZAR) and Luc Zwartjes (University of Ghent) will participate and share experiences and expertise about the GEOLAND Project at the United Nations during the Twelfth Session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) in New York in August READ MORE >
Land Cover Datasets Book now available
A new book supporting the landscape work of teachers, students and researchers has been published by Springer. The publication is freely available for download as a pdf or as an EPUB. The book “Land Use Cover Datasets and Validation Tools Validation Practices with QGIS” develops concepts on land use data and provides lessons using the READ MORE >
Natura 2000 network biodiversity maps for Spanish regions
The Natura 2000 protected area network is the EU’s flagship biodiversity conservation initiative. Stretching over 18% of the EU’s land area and more than 8% of its marine territory, Natura 2000 is the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world. It offers a haven to Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and habitats. READ MORE >
GEOLAND Handbook : Technical Annex available
The GEOLAND Project recently published, in partner languages, an Educational Handbook for monitoring European Landscape. To complement this document a Technical Annex has been produced to provide details of the five methodological stages important for Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) by using GIS and public participation. The five stages are: i) Purpose definition ii) Desk-based data collection READ MORE >
Educational Handbook published
The vision of the GEOLAND project is to establish and promote the effective participation of Higher Education (HE) institutions in monitoring actions leading to influencing decision-making for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention (ELC). With this in mind the project has published an Educational Handbook with state-of-the-art information and materials on learning and teaching READ MORE >
Ghent University students test a new landscape assessment observation sheet
As part of the GeoLand project students of Ghent University geography department went beginning May 2022 on a terrain study at the Damvallei, an area near Ghent with a variety of values and land uses, but also registered as Natura 2000 sites. The area is an old meander of the Scheldt river near Ghent, cut READ MORE >
European Natura 2000 day
Did you know that in 2017, 21st May was declared as the “European Natura 2000 day”? The GeoLand Project seeks to establish a learning path for Higher Education students and their professors so that they are able to apply their geospatial analysis and knowledge in decision-making for landscape management, planning and protection of NATURA 2000 READ MORE >
GEOLAND Handbook presented at EUROGEO 2022
GEOLAND was presented at EUROGEO 2022, a conference held on Lesvos island, Island, Greece on 5-6 May 2022 nd the first output – GEOLAND Handbook on Digital Educational Geoinformatic Methodologies for Monitoring Landscape was launched. The event attracted more than 120 educators and researchers from over 35 countries. Over 90 presentations, 5 workshops and 15 READ MORE >
The importance of satellite images
Satellite images are images of Earth collected by imaging satellites that are operated either by governments or companies. Satellite images are one of the most powerful and important tools we have for monitoring the earth. They track the physical environment (water, air, land, vegetation) and the changing human footprint across the globe. Satellite imagery is READ MORE >
What is the Landscape Convention?
The Council of Europe Landscape Convention promotes the protection, management and planning of the landscapes. It organises international co-operation on landscape issues. It was the first international treaty devoted exclusively to all dimensions of the landscape. The Convention is administered by the Council of Europe to address the major challenges in the field of human rights, READ MORE >
Second GeoLand meeting, Ghent Belgium
The second full meeting of the GeoLand consortium took place in Ghent, Belgium on 7-8 March 2022. Due to Covid restrictions a hybrid meeting was arranged as not all partners were able to travel. The two main goals of the GEOLAND project are to develop: 1. an Educational Handbook for monitoring European Landscape 2. a READ MORE >
NATURA 2000 and cultural heritage
The NATURA 2000 network is a European ecological network of sites which are home to significant natural habitats and species at a European level. It is the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world and its aim is to ensure the long-term survival of Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and habitats . READ MORE >
Getting familiar with NATURA 2000 in Bulgaria
Natura 2000 is described as a pan-European network of protected areas aimed at ensuring the long-term survival of Europe’s most valuable and endangered species and habitats in accordance with national and international agreements in the field of environmental protection and biodiversity. This suggests that indeed this network should spread all across the old continent. This READ MORE >
The value of landscape stewardship
Landscapes are a a heterogeneous pattern of natural and human sites supporting natural and social processes. In europe, landscapes are also a serious concern for many members of the public, as the campaigns around many land-use conflicts, for example around mining, quarries, water, construction or renewable energies show. Landscape stewardship is a place-based concept considered READ MORE >
First GEOLAND Project Newsletter Published
Partners in the GEOLAND Project have published their first newsletter. GEOLAND focuses on Digital Educational Geoinformatic Methodologies for Monitoring Landscape. The newsletter contains stories about the presentation of the GEOLAND project in the Technology Forum of Thessaloniki (Greece), the Manifesto on the future of European landscape, introducing the NATURA 2000 sites, the first project meeting READ MORE >
GIS education for schools – focus on Bulgaria
GIS has undertaken a long road of development and its importance has been recognised in many areas, especially in education. Nowadays GIS tools are both accessible and affordable. So, if you are a teacher, mentor or trainer interested in teaching GIS in your school or university and to your students, there is some really cool READ MORE >
Promoting the GEOLAND Project
During the first six months of its implementations, the GEOLAND project was presented and discussed in a number of relevant conferences and events. In an effort to raise awareness of participants from various business and scientific disciplines, Atlantis Engineering SA promoted the GEOLAND project in Technology Forum. This annual event takes place in Thessaloniki (Greece) READ MORE >
Natura 2000 and Cultural Heritage
NATURA 2000 network is a European ecological network of sites which are home to significant natural habitats and species at a European level. It is the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world and its aim is to ensure the long-term survival of Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and habitats. Visit the READ MORE >
Remote sensing and forest landscapes
Landscape surface change can provide important information to land management organisations and conservationists, relating to environmental impacts of various types of land uses and landscape patterns, including forest landscapes. In general, in landscape research and planning, the most commonly used remote sensing datasets are aerial and satellite images. High resolution Remote Sensing has the potential READ MORE >
MANIFESTO ON THE FUTURE OF THE EUROPEAN LANDSCAPE
The Council of Europe’s Landscape Convention is 21 years old. The European Landscape Convention was the first international treaty on sustainable development based on the relationship between the needs of society, economic activity, the environment and culture. Its purpose has been to promote and encourage the protection of landscape, through sustainable management and the planning READ MORE >
Cumbre Vieja lava flows, Palma
Remote sensing data is increasingly being used to monitor and assess active volcanic processes and their risk to life and landscape. Remote sensing can provide a number of different observation and measurement opportunities to examine the dynamics and impacts of volcanic activity by using ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), infrared (IR), and microwave sensors. combine with READ MORE >
GEOLAND Project meeting, Rethymno, Crete
Members of the GEOLAND Project team met in the town of Rethymno, Crete 15-18th September 2021. Due to Covid restrictions the meeting was hybrid with some partners participating online and others able to visit the coordinating institution the research centre IMS Forth. The project focused on administrative and practical actions to deliver the key READ MORE >
Introducing Natura 2000 Sites
Natura 2000 sites are specifically designated to protect core areas for a sub-set of species or habitat types listed in the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive. Natura 2000 are considered of European importance because these species are endangered, vulnerable, rare, endemic or else they present outstanding examples of typical characteristics of one or more READ MORE >
GEOLAND Project Starts
The GEOLAND Project has started with a series of online meetings to establish the activities and working methods of the project. The vision of GEOLAND is to establish a learning path for the Higher Education students and their professors so that they are able to apply their geospatial analysis knowledge in decision-making for landscape management, READ MORE >
Landscape and shallow landslides in Switzerland
The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLhas undertaken research of the impact of forest structure and water balance on shallow landslides. The aim is to provide forest management with practical support in the Davos region of Switzerland. Almost half of Switzerland’s forest is protection forest, meaning that it is used to READ MORE >