Conference presentations
Conference presentations
The main purpose of the conference was to promote the value of old growth forest, and provide recommendations for a coordinated European strategy to protect it.
This strategy is currently being developed, using inputs from the conference and the four year consultation period which preceded it.
It will be available for circulation shortly.
Day 1
SESSION 1
Setting the scene
Session Chair – Toby Aykroyd, Wild Europe
Welcome from our hosts, the Committee of the Regions
Welcome from the Director General of DG Environment EC
Daniel Calleja – by video (he was in Beijing)
Old growth forest – An EC perspective on Europe’s precious natural heritage
Humberto Delgado-Rosa, Head of Natural Capital, European Commission
Text to follow
Old growth forest protection, a united European endeavour for global benefit
Isabelle Anatole-Gabriel, Head of Unit, Europe & North America, UNESCO World Heritage Centre
SESSION 2
The current situation with old growth forest
Session Chair – Eladio Fernandez-Galliano, Head of Biodiversity and Heritage, Council of Europe
Old growth forest – towards a definition
[A definition structure is currently being developed, incorporating all key approaches into a single format]
Ana Marin, Malaga University
Presentation to follow
Where is it located – how much is left, mapping for protection (PDF)
Francesco Sabatini, Humboldt University, Berlin
An interactive mapping platform (PDF)
Steffen Fritz, International Institute for Applied Statistical Analysis (IIASA) Vienna
Levels of protection (policy and legal): filling the gaps
Catherine Weller, Senior Lawyer, ClientEarth
Presentation to follow
SESSION 3
The values of old growth forest
Session Chair – Luc Bas, Director IUCN Regional Office for Europe
Natural Capital explained (PDF)
The ecological value of old growth forests (PDF)
Daniel Vallauri, WWF France
Old growth forests and climate change – the PES agenda (PDF)
Steve Prior, Director Forest Carbon
The non-extractive socio-economic value (PDF)
Neil Birnie, Managing Director, Conservation Capital
SESSION 4
Threats to old growth forest
Session Chair – Erika Stanciu, Chair ProParks Foundation
Former Secretary of State for Forests, Ministry of Environment, Romania
Threats to old growth forest (PDF)
Hanna Aho, FERN
People power to protect Europe’s last old growth forests [Illegal logging] (PDF)
David Gehl, Environmental Investigation Agency
Bio energy
Sini Erääjä, Birdlife International
Presentation to be supplied
SESSION 5-6
Workshops to develop key elements of the Protection Strategy
Session Chair – Zoltan Kun, Wild Europe
Outputs from the workshops are being incorporated into the Old Growth Forest Protection Strategy, which is currently being developed and will be circulated shortly.
Please send any requests regarding individual workshops to Toby Aykroyd: tobyaykroyd@wildeurope.org
Policy and legislation: what’s needed
Coordinators: Catherine Weller, Senior Lawyer,
ClientEarth / Kees Bastmeijer, University of Tilburg
Devising an Early Warning System, with interactive map
Coordinators: Bernhard Kohler, WWF Austria/Steffen Fritz, IIASA
Management: best practice & training for protection
Coordinator: Erika Stanciu, Chair ProParks Foundation, Former Secretary of State for Forests, Ministry of Environment, Romania
Funding sources
Coordinator: Ben Delbaere, Delbaere Consultancy
Addressing illegal logging
Coordinator: David Gehl, Environmental Investigation Agency
Wrap Up – developing the Strategy
Ladislav Miko, Chairman Wild Europe,
Former Director, Natural Environment (DGE) European Commission
Text available on request
EVENING EVENT
Visions for ancient forest in Europe
Ladislav Miko, Chairman Wild Europe
Former Director of Natural Environment, European Commission
Christoph Promberger, Director Fundatia Conservation Carpathia
A presentation on the remarkable Conservation Carpathia Foundation (Romania) initiative, now becoming Europe’s largest non-state funded purchase and protection programme for old growth forests and their unique wildlife; how this benefits local communities and landholders. With award winning ancient forest films.
Old growth forest in the Carpathians (PDF)
CCF, a conservation initiative in the Romanian Carpathians (PDF)
Reception and seated dinner in the Dinosaur Gallery at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
DAY 2
SESSION 1
The Importance of partnerships – presentation and panel discussion
Session Chair – Jürgen Tack, Science Director, European Landowners Organisation
Bulgarian forests (PDF)
In 2016 the Bulgarian government extended protection to 108,000 hectares of old growth forest
Nikolay Vassilev, Director, Bulgarian Executive Forest Agency
Incentives for landholder protection (PDF)
Matt McLuckie, Conservation Capital
A perspective from forest research (PDF)
Theresa Frei, European Forest Institute
Corporate responsibility (PDF)
Katarina Schabasser CCA Administrator, JAF International Corporation
SESSIONS 2-3
Workshops to develop key elements of the Protection Strategy
Session Chair – Anne-Marie Bastrup-Birk, European Environment Agency (EEA)
Outputs from the workshops are being incorporated into the Old Growth Forest Protection Strategy, which is currently being developed and will be circulated shortly.
Please send any requests regarding individual workshops to Toby Aykroyd: tobyaykroyd@wildeurope.org
Incentivising the private sector in practice
Coordinator: Matt McLuckie, Conservation Capital
Ecosystem services and bio-energy
Coordinators: Steve Prior, Forest Carbon
Mapping and research requirements
Coordinators: Francesco Sabatini, Humboldt
University, Berlin / Bart Steen, Joint Research Centre, EC
New approaches to long-term protection
Coordinator: Toby Aykroyd, Wild Europe
(In lieu of Andras Krolopp, The Nature Conservancy)
Communication and representation
Coordinator: Matthias Schickhofer, Founder Supporting Change Consultancy
SESSION 4
Global conservation perspective
A new initiative, and why old growth forest protection strategy in Europe will have wider impact (PDF)
Virginia Young, Steering Committee, IntAct Primary Forest Network (Global)
SESSION 5
Highlighting initiatives in the field – case studies with panel discussion
Session Chair – Bernhard Kohler, WWF Austria
Protecting primeval forests in Romania (PDF)
Erika Stanciu, Chair ProParks Foundation, Former Secretary of State for Forests, Environment Ministry, Romania
Presented by Matthias Schickhofer, Founder Supporting Change Consultancy
Ukrainian Carpathians, protecting Europe’s last wilderness areas (PDF)
Michael Brombacher, Director Europe Frankfurt Zoological Society
Old growth forests in Belarus (PDF)
Viktar Fenchuk, APB-BirdLife Belarus
Presentation to be supplied
Spanish old growth forest initiatives (PDF)
Oscar Schwendtner, Genea Consultores Consultancy
Advancing the European Beech Forest Network (PDF)
Marcus Waldherr, Coordinator European Beech Forest Network
Setting aside forest as wilderness – a vision from Ireland (PDF)
Bill Murphy, former Head of Environment & Recreation, Coillte Irish Forestry Agency
SESSION 6
Presentation and discussion of the emerging Protection Strategy
Toby Aykroyd and Zoltan Kun
Protection strategy, elements for implementation (PDF)
This Strategy is currently being developed, using inputs from the conference and the four year consultation period which preceded it. It will be available for circulation shortly.