UNESCO Chair
Our Mission
Our mission: To conduct excellent research and provide inspiring learning experiences for nature conservation in the 21st century in order to “support individuals, institutions and societies in the management of protected areas.” This is the mandate of the UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Management of Protected Areas at CU Carinthia University.
The UNESCO Chair is headed by University of Applied Sciences Professor Michael Jungmeier. He is a professor of nature conservation and sustainability. He has more than 30 years of international professional experience in nature conservation, particularly in the planning and management of protected areas, such as nature parks, national parks and Natura 2000 sites.
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It launched the UNESCO Chairs Program in 1992. CU Carinthia University is therefore an active member of the global UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Program. This program currently includes 850 institutions in 117 countries. We are proud of these partnerships.
The UNESCO Chair was established in 2020. It has developed into an internationally recognized center of excellence, innovation and new technologies in nature conservation. The Chair’s activities are based on an interdisciplinary, holistic and integrated understanding of protected areas, as represented and exemplified by UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, UNESCO World Heritage Sites and UNESCO Geoparks. In this way, biodiversity, climate protection and sustainable development (SDGs) are supported through research and continuing education.
Continuing Education & Training Programs
We offer our students unique learning experiences in the areas of biodiversity, climate and nature conservation, as well as sustainable development.
Through engaging learning formats, innovative teaching methods and a professional learning environment, we aim to inspire students and faculty alike. We learn indoors, outdoors and in virtual spaces. All Educational programs are developed and offered in collaboration with international partners from various fields and an interdisciplinary team of instructors (scientists, trainers and experts).
Here are our programs:
Successfully plan and manage national parks, nature parks, biosphere reserves, World Heritage Sites and Natura 2000 areas.
Your high-level education for an exciting career field.
More details about the Master’s Degree program.
Help shape ecological, economic and social transformation processes in a sustainable way through data engineering, digitalization and expertise in the natural sciences and technology. Learn
more about the Bachelor’s Degree program.
Successfully and effectively implement measures to protect biodiversity on construction sites, at infrastructure facilities and on company premises.
More details about the Certification Course.
We're currently developing additional training formats - let's stay in touch.
News
Policy Brief - Interreg Italy-Austria project INDIALPS
CU Carinthia University has published a policy brief on the Interreg Italy-Austria project INDIALPS. The initiative is dedicated to promoting…
Research
Protected areas have increasingly become model regions, both for the conservation of biodiversity and for equitable and sustainable development. UNESCO sites such as biosphere reserves, World Heritage sites and geoparks are based on and directly linked to UNESCO’s goals and values. As a result, these areas have become learning environments where international policies and standards are applied in real-world contexts.
This gives rise to important and exciting research questions that the UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Management of Protected Areas is intended to address.
- Research on protected areas with a focus on UNESCO World Heritage Sites, UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, UNESCO Geoparks, nature and national parks, and Natura 2000 sites
- Scientific support and accompanying research on the planning, establishment and management of protected areas and protected area systems
- Applied nature conservation research with a focus on biodiversity, global change, ecosystem services and natural processes
- Applied research and development of nature conservation technologies, concepts and standards
- Scientific support for sustainability processes in organizations, regions and countries
A special focus will be placed on transdisciplinary and transcultural research designs, new methods and technologies, and equitable formats for citizen science. The chair’s research activities are intended to contribute to strengthening protected areas at the local, national, regional and global levels. UNESCO sites and UNESCO programs are to benefit directly from the expanded capacities, research findings and experience gained through the chair’s work.
Projects
Spotlight on the Capercaillie
The project focuses on developing smart conservation strategies for subalpine biodiversity through effective monitoring and management practices.
Partnerships
Metschacher Moos: SKS Field Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Partnership with the Carinthian Savings Bank Foundation In the near future, the Metschacher Moos will be available to students and researchers at CU…
Carinthia Nature Tech
The new scientific journal *Carinthia Nature Tech* is being launched as part of a long-term collaboration between the Carinthian Natural Sciences…
Team & Contact
Archive
Golden Toad Award
The Golden Toad Award is a prestigious competition that recognizes and promotes innovation in nature conservation in the field of construction.
UNESCO Chair Brown Bag Session - “Have lunch with us”
Conservationists should never eat alone. The UNESCO Chair in Management of Conservation Areas at CU Carinthia University invites partners and friends to have lunch.
Every Wednesday at lunchtime (12:30 p.m. CET), we meet virtually for our Brown Bag sessions. Various representatives from grassroots initiatives, international organizations and academia provide brief insights into nature conservation in the 21st century and enrich our lunchtime discussion.
The sessions are recorded and remain available for download even after the lunch break has ended. If you’d like to participate virtually in a Brown Bag session, please contact Nina Nestler by email at n.nestler(at)fh-kaernten.at.
- Goodbye, butterfly net: Will we just be washing flowers in the future, Bettina?
May 20, 2026 | Bettina Thalinger | TRIDENT Group Leader, WasserCluster Lunz, Austria - Are we protecting children, or erasing their roles in society, Camilla?
May 13, 2026 | Camilla Morelli | Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the University of Bristol, UK - Is data quality the overlooked step in ecological modeling, Marta?
May 6, 2026 | Marta Rodríguez-Rey | Assistant Professor and researcher at the University of Alcalá, Spain - What can protected area managers do to improve habitats and ecological connectivity for large carnivores, Polona?
April 29, 2026 | Polona Zakrajšek | Junior Researcher at the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Management of Conservation Areas - How can we safeguard urban biodiversity, Isa Klee?
April 22, 2026 | Isabella Klebinger | Öko Campus Wien, multispecies urbanist, biodiversifier and artist - Do Alpine ibexes need a law degree to cross the border, Hanna?
April 15, 2026 | Hanna Öllös | Head of Projects, CIPRA International Lab, Austria - Anna, can the Box Breathing Approach also be applied to nature conservation?
April 8, 2026 | Anna Hollerer | Junior Researcher at ConNA (Construction Needs Nature) at CU Carinthia University, Austria - Could environmental DNA monitoring become so powerful that it changes who controls conservation decisions - and how, Teja?
April 1, 2026 | Teja Muha | Strategic Project Developer at the ICEB Research Center, CU Carinthia University, Austria - Arks of Plant Diversity: Why Are Gene Banks Essential for Our Future Nutrition, Sylvia?
March 25, 2026 | Sylvia | Curator of Austria’s Largest Plant Gene Bank at AGES, Linz - How can we communicate climate science without doomsday scenarios, Helene?
March 18, 2026 | Dr. Helene Hoffmann | Postdoctoral Researcher, Alfred Wegener Institute, Germany - Can bracken support biodiversity, Barbara?
March 11, 2026 | Barbara Turk Niskač | Postdoctoral research fellow, Institute of Anthropological and Spatial Studies, ZRC SAZU, Slovenia - How can we monitor pollinators without ever seeing them, Ilja?
March 4, 2026 | Ilja Svetnik | Junior researcher at the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Management for Conservation Areas and Science Communication & Outreach Officer for ICEB - Interdisciplinary Center for Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity, Villach - Do restoration measures in the Danube really improve biodiversity - or is it just “all for the fish,” Thomas?
February 25, 2026 | Thomas Hein | Head of the CD Laboratory at MERI & Head of the Institute of Hydrobiology at BOKU University, Austria - Can green infrastructure save our cities, Paolo?
February 11, 2026 | Paolo Viskanic | CEO of R3GIS, Italy - Why does nature conservation need a new international designation, José?
February 4, 2026 | José Brilha | Holder of the UNESCO Chair on Geodiversity and Geoconservation at the University of Minho, Portugal - Are Asia-Pacific national parks really safe homes for pandas, orangutans, and Asian elephants - or are we just telling ourselves they are, Liyuan?
January 28, 2026 | Liyuan Qian | Associate Professor in the Landscape Department, School of Architecture, Southwest Jiaotong University, China - Does “good lighting” always mean a “bad night” for a bat, Chiara?
January 21, 2026 | Chiara Carucci | Founder of Noctua Cultural & Natural Heritage, Italy - Life at 3,100 Meters: Who Knew Bugs Could Be This Chill?
January 14, 2026 | Sarah Marie Wagner | University of Salzburg - Can peatlands save the world, Harald?
December 17, 2025 | Harald Zechmeister | Senior Scientist, University of Vienna, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, Vienna, Austria - When Does Biological Intelligence (BI) Outsmart AI?
December 10, 2025 | Leopold Slotta-Bachmayr | Wildlife ecologist, head trainer, Naturschutzhunde, Austria - City Life vs. Country Life? How a Bird of Prey Adapts to Urbanization.
December 3, 2025 | Gianluca Damiani | Naturalist and wildlife photographer, currently a PhD student at the Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (University of Tuscia), Rome (Italy) - Do the echoes of land restoration speak louder than the silence of degradation, Frederik?
November 26, 2025 | Frederik Sachser | Researcher, Austrian Research Center for Forests, Austria - Do we really need another study on green exposure and well-being, Ludovica?
November 19, 2025 | Ludovica Sparro | Master’s student at La Sapienza University of Rome - Harmony or Hype? Media Discourses on the Coexistence of Alpine Farming and Tourism
November 12, 2025 | Christoph Pachucki | Postdoctoral researcher, University of Innsbruck, Austria - How is it possible that we know almost nothing about the largest ecosystem in the Alps, Christian?
November 5, 2025 | Christian Komposch | CEO and zoologist at ÖKOTEAM - Institute of Animal Ecology and Landscape Planning, Austria - Mapping wolves in Austria: What can environmental models predict - and what can human-shaped landscapes prevent, Sara?
October 29, 2025 | Sara Aref Zahed | Research staff at WIFO (Austrian Institute of Economic Research) - How can recognizing the invisible value of mangroves contribute to sustainable management and conservation in Mozambique?
October 22, 2025 | Noemi Bernardini & Davide Crescenzi | Sapienza University of Rome, Italy - How can Arduinos be used as a low-cost sensor network for high-resolution microclimate monitoring in natural environments, Adam?
October 15, 2025 | Clark, Adam Thomas | Associate Professor, University of Graz, Austria) - Is intangible heritage becoming too intangible - vanishing faster than we can document it, Rūta and Lote?
October 8, 2025 | Rūta Muktupāvela & Lote Katrīna Cērpa | Professor, Leading Researcher, The Institute of Arts and Cultural Studies of the Lavian Academy of Culture, Latvia, and Representative of Latvia to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions | Research Assistant, The Institute of Arts and Cultural Studies of the Lavian Academy of Culture, Latvia - How close are we to having a reliable model for predicting bird species diversity based on acoustic monitoring, Daniel?
October 1, 2025 | Daniel Dalton | Senior Researcher, CU Carinthia University, Austria - Why should we use visual participatory methods with young research participants, Chi?
September 24, 2025 | Kim Chi Tran | Researcher at the International Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands and UNESCO Chair at the CU Carinthia University in Austria - What can bats teach us about changing conservation norms, Rym?
July 2, 2025 | Rym Nouioua | Doctoral researcher and lecturer at the University of Vienna - Are you going wild about nature, Andreas?
June 25, 2025 | Andreas Kaufmann | Managing Director, GoWild Intl. - Zoo & Wildlife Consulting Services, Austria - Running from the weather: How Mother Nature Became the World’s Rudest Eviction Notice, Isidoro?
June 18, 2025 | Isidoro De Bortoli | Senior researcher and environmental lawyer at the Institute for Regional Development of Eurac Research (Italy) - Can we combine biodiversity conservation and climate protection with food and resource production through agroforestry, Mario?
June 11, 2025 | Mario Molinar | Science communicator and innovation developer for environmental strategies, Alpen-Adria University and other institutions in Carinthia, Austria - A light pollution record - but do we really need to go to all that trouble?
June 4, 2025 | Christopher Rogi | Dark Sky advocate and member of “Paten der Nacht - Österreich,” Austria - How does the fungus end up in the database, Erik?
May 28, 2025 | Erik Aarden | Researcher in science, technology and society at Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt - How do dietary niche changes and the filling of vacant niches shape the success of invasive Ponto-Caspian amphipods outside their native range, Denis?
May 21, 2025 | Denis Copilas-Ciocianu | Senior researcher, Nature Research Center, Lithuania - How do portable tools enable the assessment of freshwater biodiversity in protected areas using eDNA, Vid?
May 14, 2025 | Vid Švara | Senior researcher at CU Carinthia University - How Do You Measure Visitor Impact on Hiking Trails?
May 7, 2025 | Jakub Chromcak | Researcher at the University of Žilina and lead partner of the INTERREG Central Europe project HUMANITA - How can we use remote sensing technologies to assess soil erosion on mountain trails, Alessandro?
April 30, 2025 | Alessandro Valetta | Researcher at the University of Parma - What is a Miyawaki forest?
April 23, 2025 | Mojca Nastran | Assistant professor at the Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Ljubljana - World Heritage Glaciers in the Era of Climate Change: What Will Happen If They Disappear?
April 16, 2025 | Tales Carvalho Resende | Project Officer at the UNESCO World Heritage Center - What factors influence forest ecology and the amount of carbon stored in temperate primary forests?
April 9, 2025 | Ralhan Dheeraj | Postdoctoral researcher, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague - Why not come down from those silly summits? - On some pros and cons of alpine biodiversity monitoring
April 2, 2025 | Harald Pauli | International GLORIA Coordination at OEAW/IGF-Mountain Research and BOKU/Botany - Can Butterfly Monitoring Contribute to Evaluating the EU Restoration Law?
March 26, 2025 | Rüdisser, Johannes Markus | University of Innsbruck - Beneath the Pavement: What Are the Hidden Truths of Land Cover Segmentation?
March 19, 2025 | Petschnigg, Christina | Fraunhofer Austria Research GmbH - Why Should the Daffodil Meadows in Ausseerland Be Protected and Preserved?
March 12, 2025 | Franziska Miller-Aichholz | Ecologist and Head of the Association for the Protection and Preservation of Daffodil Meadows, Austria - Good or bad memory: How can open-access tools help us understand ecological connectivity, Zaira?
March 5, 2025 | Zaira Valgi | Junior Ecologist at the COREBIOM Project and intern at the Natural History Museum, Mozambique - Will autonomous robots come to the rescue of endangered ecosystems, Thomas?
February 26, 2025 | Thomas Schmickl | Professor at the Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Austria - Why should global conservation strategies prioritize youth programs like Nature Guardians, Augusto?
February 19, 2025 | Augusto Júnior Nhampossa | Junior Project Manager at Associação Natura Moçambique - The end of the night is near. How can we save the naturally dark night, Clemens?
February 12, 2025 | Christian Schnaitl | Spokesperson for “Paten der Nacht - Austria” - How do visitors plan, navigate and track their adventures in conservation areas, Lilia?
February 5, 2025 | Lilia Schmalzl | Senior researcher at the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Management of Conservation Areas - What is the role of citizen science in biodiversity research in Austria, Daniel and Florian?
January 29, 2025 | Daniel Dörler; Florian Heigl | Senior scientists for citizen science at BOKU University, Austria - No kangaroos in Austria (or maybe not just yet?), but Australian IT infrastructure for Austria’s biodiversity portal?
January 22, 2025 | Christian Lettner | Project staff member at the Austrian Biodiversity Hub, University for Continuing Education Krems, Austria - What are traditional sustainable forms of land use in the Donau-Auen National Park, and if there are any, should we preserve them all?
January 15, 2025 | Susanne Leputsch | Coordinator for the Donau-Auen National Park in Vienna, Austria - Is it still ecologically justifiable to eat ruminants? Do we have to choose between climate protection and the preservation of mountain pastures and meadows?
January 8, 2025 | Susanne Aigner | Ökologiebüro Aigner, Austria - Is there a way to bridge the gap between university education systems, funding, and talented researchers, Ruth?
December 18, 2024 | Ruth Swoboda | Director of the inatura Erlebnis Naturschau in Dornbirn, Austria - Higher and bigger: Can bat population dynamics signal ongoing climate change?
December 11, 2024 | Marta Polizzi | Junior Researcher at the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Management of Conservation Areas - Did the Austrian minister save Europe’s degraded natural environment?
December 4, 2024 | An Cliquet | Professor of Biodiversity Law at Ghent University, Belgium - What can narratives on human-nature interactions tell us about risks, Paola?
November 27, 2024 | Fontanella Paola | Program Associate, Global Mountain Safeguard Research (GLOMOS) - Should we combine conventional and eDNA data to select priority areas for freshwater conservation, Joana?
November 20, 2024 | Joana G. Nogueira | PhD student at Biopolis/CIBIO-InBIO research group APPLECOL, FRESHCODE - The 30×30 biodiversity target: mirage or reality?
November 13, 2024 | Jo Mulongoy | President of the Institute for Enhanced Livelihoods - Can international experts, activists, and scientific expeditions help Komarnica Canyon achieve UNESCO protection against hydropower threats, Andrijana?
November 6, 2024 | Andrijana Mićanović | Researcher and project coordinator at the Montenegrin Ecologists Society - Brochures, butterflies, and more - What drives businesses to participate in and adapt to protected areas’ branding initiatives, Maren?
October 30, 2024 | Maren Kleinau | Ph.D. candidate at Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg - How can we categorize the extinction risk of species, Peter?
October 23, 2024 | Zulka Klaus Peter | Senior expert at the Austrian Environment Agency - Protected Area Labels for Agri-Food Products: A Real Solution for Biodiversity, or Just Another Fancy Sticker, Athina?
October 16, 2024 | Athina Koutsouki | Ph.D. candidate at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - How can the barcoding community respond to global conservation needs?
October 9, 2024 | Adriana Radulovici | Executive Secretary of the International Barcode of Life - Can conservation research findings really become the next billion-dollar startup - with a little help from the Gründergarage, Petra? October 2
, 2024 | Petra Hössl | Senior Researcher in the Industrial Engineering program at CUAS - How did one tree conquer an entire continent, Anna?
September 25, 2024 | Anna Kovarovics | Expert on conservation areas at the E.C.O. Institute of Ecology - Which whinchat are you still hearing in the Vaud Alps, Jean-Christophe?
July 10, 2024 | Jean Christophe Fallet | Executive Secretary at Alpes vivantes - How can we address overtourism in national parks?
July 3, 2024 | Mateusz Rogowski | Chair of Tourism and Recreation at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland - When should environmental restoration begin in Ukraine?
June 26, 2024 | Bohdan Vykhor | Executive Director at WWF Ukraine - Can stink bug control be done with robots and drones, Manfred?
June 19, 2024 | Manfred Hartbauer | Professor at the University of Graz - How Can Free Conservation Tools Help Turn the Tide for Endangered Species, Adam?
June 12, 2024 | Adam Turner | Wildlife Ranger and Conservation Biologist - 30x30: Can we learn from the past, or are we doomed to repeat the same mistakes, Olivier?
June 5, 2024 | Olivier Hymas | Senior Researcher at the University of Lausanne, Coordinator of the IUCN-WCPA OECM Europe Working Group - Wolfgang, what are the facts about the European Restoration Law?
May 29, 2024 | Wolfgang Suske | Expert in nature conservation and Executive Director of Suske Consulting - 20 Years of the Carpathian Convention. What are its strengths and weaknesses, Harald?
May 22, 2024 | Harald Egerer | Head of the UNEP Vienna Program Office - Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention - How can we design a transdisciplinary exploration of a national park, Monika?
May 15, 2024 | Monika Auinger | Junior Researcher at the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Management of Conservation Areas - How can we track the unintended spread of neophytes in protected areas using eDNA, Vid?
May 8, 2024 | Vid Švara | Senior Researcher at the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Management of Conservation Areas - How can we strengthen transnational cooperation on Alpine biodiversity issues, Claire?
April 24, 2024 | Claire de Kermadec | Project Officer at the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention - What is the current legal basis for ensuring safety on visitor trails in Austria’s national parks, and what criteria can be used for managing hazardous trees in a way that is adapted to the requirements of the protected area, Karoline and Ernst?
April 17, 2024 | Karoline Zsak, Ernst Karner | Staff members at the Donau-Auen National Park; Professor of Civil Law at the University of Vienna - Legal Implementation of Biosphere Reserve Concepts: Is There a “One-Size-Fits-All” Solution, Anna?
April 10, 2024 | Anna Kovbasniuk | Youth Representative on the EuroMAB Steering Committee - Is it possible to develop a credible regional narrative and a compelling brand story for a nature destination all at once, David & Johannes?
April 3, 2024 | David Osebik, Johannes Terler | experts in tourism and regional development - Why do we need to save old-growth forests, Zoltan?
March 27, 2024 | Kun Zoltán | Member of the WCPA Europe Leadership Group - What on earth is the EUROPARC Federation and how is it connected to national parks, Michael?
March 20, 2024 | Michael Hošek | President of the EUROPARC Federation and expert on international biodiversity conservation - What are the innovative and hands-on practices of nature conservation engineers, Elisabeth?
March 13, 2024 | Elisabeth Wiegele | Junior Researcher at CU Carinthia University - How can we create green toad breeding habitats using citizen science, Lukas?
March 6, 2024 | Lukas Landler | Researcher at the Institute of Zoology at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna - How can cooperation between universities and national or biosphere reserves support regional development, Svetlana?
February 28, 2024 | Svetlana Buko | Head of the “Intercultural Management” Degree program, Vice Dean, School of Management, CU Carinthia University - How can we reconcile biodiversity conservation and agriculture, Bea?
February 21, 2024 | Bea Maas | agroecologist, conservation scientist, and advocate for equality at the University of Vienna - What are the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of new varieties of root chicory, Maria?
February 14, 2024 | Maria Hingsamer | scientist and project coordinator at JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH - From the events and heritage of World War I to the cross-border Walk of Peace, what difference does a century make, Maša?
February 7, 2024 | Maša Klavora | director of the Walk of Peace in the Soča Region Foundation - How can we support protected area staff in achieving the 30x30 target of the Global Biodiversity Framework, Olga?
January 31, 2024 | Olga Biegus | Program Manager at the Universal Ranger Support Alliance - What is it like to work as a shepherdess on alpine pastures in Tyrol, Maria?
January 24, 2024 | Maria Naynar | University of Vienna - How can we restore wild bee habitats that have been lost, Ilja?
January 17, 2024 | Ilja Svetnik | Junior Researcher at CU Carinthia University - How do you monitor plant, insect, and habitat diversity on Austrian farmland, Kathrin?
January 10, 2024 | Kathrin Pascher | Senior researcher specializing in biodiversity and ecological risk assessment of genetically modified organisms, lecturer at the University of Vienna and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), as well as coordinator of the National Hub Biodiversity & Water (BiodiWa) - Is humanity a “Homo destructor” that destroys its environment everywhere and all the time?
December 20, 2023 | Werner Bätzing | Professor Emeritus of Cultural Geography at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg - Is more better? Can diversity increase the productivity and resilience of ecosystems, Sandra?
Dec. 13, 2023 | Sandra Duarte Guardia | PhD in Applied Sciences and postdoctoral fellow at Cientifica del Sur University - Should there be networking among mountain biosphere reserves, Thomas?
December 6, 2023 | Thomas Schaaf | Director of Terra-Sana Environmental Consulting - Why Good Connectivity Is Vital in Remote Conservation Areas.
November 29, 2023 | Bruce Jones | Conservation Technology Ambassador and Solutions Architect - What is “Nature for Peace,” Olesya and Elisabeth?
November 22, 2023 | Elisabeth Wiegele, Olesya Petrovych | CU Carinthia University, Reform Support Team of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine - How can international migration contribute to the prosperous development of rural areas, Marika?
November 15, 2023 | Marika Gruber | Senior Researcher and Lecturer at the School of Management, CU Carinthia University and Deputy Head of Research at the Department of “Demographic Change and Regional Development,” Institute of Applied Research for Ageing, Austria - Can garden owners counteract the negative effects of urbanization on biodiversity in their gardens, Brigitte?
November 8, 2023 | Brigitte Braschler | postdoctoral researcher at the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity (iDiv) - Wolves and sheep - can they understand each other, Eva-Maria?
October 25, 2023 | Eva-Maria Cattoen | certified mediator, mediation trainer, and managing director of the consulting firm “Ingenieurbüro Cattoen - LechtAlps” - How can we stop the loss of biodiversity in the next decade, Franz?
October 18, 2023 | Franz Essl | professor of biological invasions, global change and macroecology at the University of Vienna - What is that noise beneath the surface of the Mediterranean Sea that is disrupting internal communication among cetaceans (dolphins and whales), and can we humans still do something about it?
October 11, 2023 | Ana Štrbenac | international expert on marine biodiversity conservation. - How Were UNESCO World Heritage Sites Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic?
October 4, 2023 | Anna Spenceley | tourism expert with over 20 years of international experience; founder of STAND Ltd, a boutique consultancy - Are Corporations on Track for Biodiversity and Climate Protection, Ronald?
September 27, 2023 | Wuerflinger Ronald | Secretary General, BILLA Charitable Foundation - What’s it like working in the field in South Africa, Federico?
July 5, 2023 | Federico Massetti | PhD candidate at Stellenbosch University - Can snow avalanches really cause soil erosion, Michele?
June 28, 2023 | Michele Freppaz | Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin - What is the current status and future of the world’s major rivers, Helmut?
June 21, 2023 | Helmut Habersack | Professor of Hydraulic Engineering and Modeling at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna - Mind the gap - reaching 30 x 30 but failing to conserve biodiversity, Marc?
June 14, 2023 | Marc Hockings | Professor Emeritus in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Queensland - Close-to-Nature Forestry: Environmentalist Utopia or a Tool for Future-Proofing, Thomas?
June 7, 2023 | Thomas Waitz | forester, farmer, beekeeper, Member of the European Parliament, and Co-Chair of the European Greens - How do we achieve sustainable development while valuing the ecosystem services provided by our environment, Daniel?
May 31, 2023 | Daniel Dalton | Senior Researcher in the UNESCO Chair Team - How does the new come into the world, Michael?
May 24, 2023 | Shamiyeh, Michael | UNESCO Chair and professor at the Center for Future Design at the University of Art and Design, Austria - Is natural disturbance a reason to log primary forest, Ondrej?
May 17, 2023 | Ondrej Kameniar | PhD in forest ecology, activist with the “My sme les” (We Are the Forest) initiative in Slovakia - Why is youth important for UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program?
May 10, 2023 | Anna Kovbasniuk | LLM, MAB Youth Network Coordinator for Europe and North America - 99 Ways to Learn About Sustainable Education?
May 3, 2023 | The UNESCO Chair team celebrates the 100th Brownbag Session with reflections, insights, and outlooks on this extraordinary format. - Why can the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) be a game-changer for global conservation, Barbara?
April 26, 2023 | Barbara Engels | Federal Agency for Nature Conservation in Germany; German Focal Point for CBD SBSTTA - How can we protect conservation areas during times of war, Karen?
April 19, 2023 | Karen Hulme | Professor at the School of Law, University of Essex - How and why are military legacies compromising sustainable development, Verena?
April 12, 2023 | Verena Winiwarter | Retired professor of environmental history at the University of Natural Resources - What happens to the limits to growth in an exponential world, Markus?
April 5, 2023 | Markus Petzl | Founder of the strategy consultancy disruptive - beyond your strategy; the European expert in “disruptive strategy” and “corporate disruption” - How can we save birds from collisions with glass, Dominique?
March 29, 2023 | Dominique Waddoup | Founder and CEO of BirdShades - Are protected areas suitable as extracurricular learning sites?
March 22, 2023 | Thomas Böhm | Managing Director of the Nature Parks Burgenland Association and Vice President of the Austrian Nature Parks Association - What have been the key factors in the success of establishing the 5-country Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve, Arno?
March 15, 2023 | Arno Mohl | Program Coordinator at WWF Austria - What made 1970 a pivotal year for global environmentalism, Frank?
March 8, 2023 | Frank Uekotter | Professor of History at the University of Birmingham; Author - Do young people even care about wetlands, Hugo?
March 1, 2023 | Hugo Ferreira | Biologist; European Regional Representative of Youth Engaged in Wetlands - What are the advantages and challenges of biodiversity monitoring using environmental DNA, Vid?
February 22, 2023 | Vid Svara | Biologist and Senior Researcher at CU Carinthia University - Can the Global Biodiversity Framework actually solve the biodiversity crisis, Csilla?
February 15, 2023 | Csilla Tragner | Founding members and chapter coordinators for the Austrian Youth Biodiversity Network; youth delegates at CBD COP 15 (the UN Biodiversity Conference) - Is Finland on the right track in implementing international standards for eDNA and other molecular monitoring methods, Tiina?
February 8, 2023 | Laamanen Tiina | Researcher at the Finnish Environment Institute; expert in eDNA and environmental monitoring - Why are diversity and inclusion important in global science, Ismael?
February 1, 2023 | Rafols Garcia, I. (Ismael) | Senior researcher at the Center for Science and Technology Studies at Leiden University; Chair on Diversity and Inclusion in Global Science - How can we organize a biodiversity monitoring program in an Alpine region, Elia?
Jan. 25, 2023 | Elia Guariento | Entomologist in the biodiversity monitoring project at Eurac Research - How can we make the Wadden Sea a model for sustainable development, Ingo?
Jan. 18, 2023 | Ingo Mose | Professor and Head of Applied Geography and Environmental Planning at Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg - How can access to justice advance environmental law, Paul?
Jan. 11, 2023 | Paul Kuncio | Environmental Lawyer at Umweltdachverband and Managing Director of CIPRA Austria - How can computer vision and deep learning transform aquatic monitoring, Mikko?
Dec. 21, 2022 | Impiö Mikko | Researcher at the Finnish Environment Institute, expert on automating and upscaling aquatic monitoring - How can ecological and sociocultural values be integrated into conservation planning in a biodiversity hotspot, Katharina?
December 14, 2022 | Katharina D'Avis | Ecologist, graduate of the University of Lisbon, expert on integrated conservation planning - How do Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms influence conservation efforts in protected areas, Carolin?
Dec. 7, 2022 | Carolin Scheiter | Head of the Communications Department at Berchtesgaden National Park (Germany) - How has the image of the Alps changed over the decades, Dominik?
November 30, 2022 | Dominik Siegrist | Geographer, former professor of landscape architecture at the University of Applied Sciences Eastern Switzerland, Rapperswil - How did the GDR adopt a nature conservation program at the very last minute, Michael?
November 23, 2022 | Michael Succow | Right Livelihood Award Laureate and Founder of the Michael Succow Foundation - Protected areas in Central Africa: too large and costly to manage, Paul?
Nov. 16, 2022 | Scholte, Paul | GIZ Senior Advisor, Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority - Can we promote natural heritage at the archaeological park, Irena?
November 9, 2022 | Irena Lazar | Head of the UNESCO Chair in Interpretation and Education for Enhancing Integrated Heritage Approaches and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Primorska - How does the war in Ukraine affect nature and protected areas, Bohdan? And what urgent measures are needed?
Nov. 2, 2022 | Bohdan Prots | CEO of the Danube-Carpathian Program - What can we learn from sampling initiatives like the Joint Danube Survey, Astrid?
Oct. 19, 2022 | Astrid Paulitsch Fuchs | Lecturer, Principal Investigator, and Project Coordinator of EnHeGi (Environmental Health and Geoinformation) at CU Carinthia University - Are the rights of nature the missing piece in addressing environmental crises, Alex?
10/12/22 | Alexander Putzer | UN Harmony with Nature Expert and PhD Student at the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania - How does the Karawanken UNESCO Global Geopark enhance the value of its water resources, Lilia?
Oct. 5, 2022 | Lilia Schmalzl | Geographer and Junior Researcher at CU Carinthia University - What solutions do protected and conserved areas offer for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, Marie?
September 28, 2022 | Marie Fischborn | Partnership Coordinator of the PANORAMA - Solutions for a Healthy Planet initiative at IUCN - How’s it going, Chair? What is the status after two years of the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Management of Conservation Areas at CU Carinthia University?
July 20, 2022 | Michael Jungmeier | Ecologist and Human Geographer at CU Carinthia University; UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Management of Conservation Areas - How can we provide visitors with an engaging look into complex themes and relationships such as nature, biodiversity, history, and science, Brigitta?
July 13, 2022 | Brigitta Schmid | Expert in Protected Area Management, Biologist and Paleontologist at the Natural History Museum Vienna - Do the boundaries of protected areas contribute to their social effectiveness, Nikoleta?
July 6, 2022 | Nikoleta Jones | Associate Professor at the Institute for Global Sustainable Development, University of Warwick - How can common mountain pastures in the Black Forest be sustained, Florian?
June 29, 2022 | Brossette, Florian | Project Manager at the UNESCO Black Forest Biosphere Reserve; PhD candidate at the University of Hohenheim - How can portable labs operate in a muddy jungle and ensure wildlife conservation, Ana?
June 22, 2022 | Ana Rodriguez Prieto | Biologist; CEO and co-founder of WonderGene - How can biosphere reserves promote creative approaches that foster socio-ecological transitions, Nils?
June 15, 2022 | Nils Unthan | PhD candidate, university assistant, and member of the working group on development studies and sustainability research at the University of Innsbruck - How can we use the intergenerational nexus to foster dialogue between generations in biosphere reserves, Aida?
June 8, 2022 | Aida Mammadova | Associate Professor at Kanazawa University - UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in the VUCA* world.… - do they need a wake-up call, Pierre?
June 1, 2022 | Pierre Ibisch | Professor of Nature Conservation at Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development - What opportunities does radio technology offer for protected areas, Hannes?
May 25, 2022 | Hannes Gütler | Project Manager at KELAG Energie & Wärme GmbH - Who can advocate for nature conservation in Europe, Jan?
May 18, 2022 | Jan Darpö | Professor Emeritus of Environmental Law at the Faculty of Law, Uppsala University, Sweden - Is social media becoming the key marketing tool for heritage destinations, Engelbert?
May 11, 2022 | Engelbert Ruoss | Lecturer at the University of Italian Switzerland (USI) & Research Advisor at the USI UNESCO Chair - Is (wetland) conservation important for the management of conservation areas?
May 4, 2022 | Tobias Salathe | Senior Advisor at the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands - How can protected area managers develop effective monitoring programs, Daniel?
April 27, 2022 | Daniel Dalton | Entomologist and Senior Researcher at CU Carinthia University - What is the reality of a green corridor in a city, Nikos?
April 20, 2022 | Nikos Pangas | Technical Director of the Mt. Hymettus Aesthetic Forests, Athens; Project Manager of the LIFE PRE “Urban Greening Plan” - What are the benefits of point clouds from terrestrial laser scanning for assessing forest ecosystems?
April 13, 2022 | Günther Bronner | CEO at Umweltdata.at - What about the principles of a sustainable brown bag, Ignace?
April 6, 2022 | Ignace Schops | Director of the Belgian NGO Regionaal Landschap Kempen en Maasland - The problem with human development: why should conservationists think about their lunch, Andrew?
March 30, 2022 | Andrew McGregor | Human Geographer and Director of Research in the School of Social Sciences at Macquarie University - How can healthy forests benefit our health, Barbara?
March 23, 2022 | Barbara Wiegele | Expert in Protected Area Management, Founder and Head Guide at TrailAdventure.at - How can tourism contribute to nature conservation, Günter?
March 16, 2022 | Günter Mussnig | Geographer, CEO of Trail Angels GmbH - How can the Common Agricultural Policy influence biodiversity in Austria, Nina?
March 9, 2022 | Nina Weber | Independent consultant and environmental engineer specializing in regional development, agricultural policies and the environment - How can UNESCO Global Geoparks contribute to the SDGs 2030, Oliver?
March 2, 2022 | Oliver Gulas | CEO of the UNESCO Global Geopark Styrian Eisenwurzen, Head of the Austrian Geopark Forums - How can we use nature-based solutions to build a better future, Olesya?
February 23, 2022 | Olesya Petrovych | Conservation manager at WWF Ukraine - Can you inspire people to conserve nature through the power of optimism, Julia?
February 16, 2022 | Julia Migné | Director of Conservation Optimism (a program of the University of Oxford) - How can “drones” contribute to environmental monitoring of the four elements - “Earth, Fire, Water and Air” - Gernot?
February 9, 2022 | Gernot Paulus | Professor of Geoinformation at the Department of Geoinformation and Environmental Technologies at CU Carinthia University - How does heritage interpretation attract visitors to museums, zoos, and nature parks, Nataliia?
February 2, 2022 | Nataliya Hudkova | Associate Professor at the State Ecological Academy of Postgraduate Education and Management - Does long-term monitoring always turn into a data-management disaster, Alexander?
Jan. 26, 2022 | Alexander Maringer | Head of the Department of Nature Conservation & Research at Gesäuse National Park - How can we achieve effective biodiversity conservation that is also just and inclusive, Robert?
Jan. 19, 2022 | Robert Fletcher | Associate Professor in the Sociology of Development and Change group at Wageningen University, Netherlands - January 12, 2022 | Michael Jungmeier | Ecologist and Human Geographer at CU Carinthia University; UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Management of Conservation Areas
- Why is monitoring cold environments so useful for understanding the effects of climate warming?
Dec. 22, 2021 | Andrea Lamprecht | Vegetation ecologist and Senior Scientist at the University of Natural Resources in Vienna - How does Parks Canada protect visitors to Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island, Peter?
December 15, 2021 | Peter Scholz | Former Senior Planner with the Nunavut Planning Commission and Parks Canada - How can we develop feasible scenarios for reconnecting alluvial forests in river restoration, Susanne?
Dec. 1, 2021 | Susanne Glatz-Jorde | Head of the planning team; landscape planner at E.C.O. Institute for Ecology - What can be investigated using DNA methods in protected areas, Corinna?
Nov. 24, 2021 | Corinna Wallinger | Ecologist, co-founder of SINSOMA, scientist at the University of Innsbruck - How can we use digital twins in forest monitoring, Vanessa?
Nov. 17, 2021 | Vanessa Berger | Ecologist and junior researcher at CU Carinthia University - How can biodiversity be surveyed in quarries in a standardized way, Tobias?
November 10, 2021 | Tobias Köstl | Vegetation ecologist; Head of the nature team at E.C.O. Institute for Ecology - How can we value forest ecosystem services, Michael?
Nov. 3, 2021 | Michael Getzner | Professor of Public Finance and Infrastructure Economics at the Vienna University of Technology - October 27, 2021 | Thea Wiesli | Senior researcher and lecturer at the Center for Development and Environment, University of Bern
- October 20, 2021 | Zuwena Kikoti | Environmental and Protected Areas Expert at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism
- How do you become an expert in EU funding (for environmental projects), Joanna?
Oct. 13, 2021 | Joanna Tabone | Environmental Protection Officer at ERA (Environment and Resources Authority), Malta - What’s happening in Sagarmatha, Sunita?
September 29, 2021 | Sunita Chaudhary | Ecologist and Ecosystem Services Specialist at ICIMOD - How do you deal with free-riders in wildlife protection zones, Marcel?
September 22, 2021 | Marcel Hunziker | Head of the Social Sciences in Landscape Research Group at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) - What are the main challenges shared by World Heritage Sites from a global perspective?
July 14, 2021 | Stephan Doempke | Founding Chairman and Executive Director of World Heritage Watch - Why is salt flower important for conservation, Andrej?
July 7, 2021 | Andrej Sovinc | Civil engineer, hydrologist, and ornithologist; former Regional Vice Chair for Europe, IUCN WCPA - How do local residents benefit from the Entlebuch Biosphere Reserve, Florian?
June 30, 2021 | Florian Knaus | Scientific coordinator at the UNESCO Entlebuch Biosphere Reserve - How can you recognize a homo urbanus, Elisabeth?
June 23, 2021 | Elisabeth Oberzaucher | Biologist and evolutionary psychologist at the University of Vienna - How can social media data be used in protected areas, Marius?
June 16, 2021 | Marius Mayer | Geographer, Professor at Munich University of Applied Sciences - What are the successful changes in management planning for the Brazilian Protected Areas System, Erica?
June 9, 2021 | Erica De Oliveira Coutinho | Expert in protected area management - How can we further improve the training of future biosphere reserve staff, Michael?
June 2, 2021 | Michael Adams | Ecologist, educator, and researcher - What are the successful changes in management planning for the Brazilian Protected Areas System, Erica?
May 26, 2021 | Daniel Dalton | Entomologist and Senior Researcher at CU Carinthia University - What can we learn from the UNESCO Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve?
May 19, 2021 | Volker Häring | Geographer at Ruhr University Bochum - What would a Cradle to Cradle model region look like in Carinthia, Michael?
May 12, 2021 | Michael Braungart | Professor of Cradle to Cradle & Eco-Effectiveness at Leuphana University Lüneburg, CEO of BRAUNGART EPEA - How can communication facilitate sustainable action, Eike?
May 5, 2021 | Eike von Lindern | PhD in social and environmental psychology; Researcher at DIALOG N - Susanne, what kinds of interventions would biosphere reserves really need to become incubators for sustainable development?
April 28, 2021 | Susanne Stoll-Kleemann | Chair of Sustainability Science and Applied Geography at the University of Greifswald - How do you teach nature conservation online, Neil?
April 21, 2021 | Neil McIntosh | Project leader of the lIEF e-nature2000 edu project at the EUROPARC Federation - How do permaculture and nature conservation go hand in hand, Mario?
April 14, 2021 | Mario Molina-Kescher | Permaculturist and climate researcher - How does climate change affect mountainous regions in the Alps, Klaus?
April 7, 2021 | Klaus Steinbauer | Biologist and Senior Researcher at CU Carinthia University & E.C.O. Institute for Ecology - What can visitors learn about nature conservation at the Sablatnig Swamp, Matthias?
March 31, 2021 | Matthias Burtscher | Expert in protected area management, Chairman of the Sablatnig Swamp - What’s being done to conserve nature in the Wienerwald, Christian?
March 24, 2021 | Christian Diry | Expert in protected area management, project manager at the UNESCO Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve - What’s happening in the Julian Alps UNESCO Biosphere Reserve?
March 17, 2021 | Stefano Santi | Agricultural scientist, Director of the Julian Prealps Regional Nature Park - How do you assess forest ecosystem services?
March 10, 2021 | Vanessa Berger | Ecologist at CU Carinthia University - What’s important for the sustainable development of mountain regions, Theresa?
March 3, 2021 | Theresa Tribaldos | UNESCO Chair on Natural and Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Mountain Development; expert in Critical Sustainability Studies - Why should we eat wood, Artur?
February 24, 2021 | Artur Cisar-Erlach | Woodland ecologist, food communications expert, cabinetmaker and author - What does the Latin American and Caribbean roadmap for the sustainable management of protected areas look like, Augusta?
February 17, 2021 | Maria Augusta Almeida Ferri | Geographer and protected area manager - How can we keep nature connected when planning transportation infrastructure, Cristian?
Feb. 10, 2021 | Cristian Remus Papp | Biologist, National Manager for Wildlife and Landscape at WWF Romania - How do we combat the devil’s tree, Jean-Marc?
February 3, 2021 | Jean Marc Dufour-Dror | Consultant in applied ecology, expert on invasive alien plants in Israel - What’s so exciting about a BRIM, Mike?
Jan. 27, 2021 | Michael Huber | Globetrotter and landscape planner, E.C.O. Institute for Ecology - What are the biggest threats to biodiversity loss in the West Bank, Iman?
Jan. 20, 2021 | Iman Al-Hirsh | Forest and environmental scientist - What do students need to know about Science_Link, Alex and Selina?
Jan. 13, 2021 | Alexander Thamer and Selina Strasser | Student assistants at CU Carinthia University and Alpen-Adria-University Klagenfurt - What does a harvestman taste like, Chri?
Dec. 16, 2020 | Christian Komposch | Zoologist at ÖKOTEAM Graz - Institute for Animal Ecology and Landscape Planning - How do you play a Game of Clones, Anneliese?
Dec. 9, 2020 | Anneliese Fuchs | Landscape planner at E.C.O. Institute for Ecology - What is a Landscape Lab, Lilia and Thomas?
Dec. 2, 2020 | Lilia Schmalzl and Thomas Schauppenlehner | Geographer and Junior Researcher at CU Carinthia University; Landscape Planner at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna - Book Launch: Biosphere 4.0
11/25/20 | Axel Borsdorf and Michael Jungmeier | Geographer at the University of Innsbruck; Ecologist and Human Geographer at CU Carinthia University
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