Seeing Nature Through Different Eyes

Elisabeth Wiegele, BSc, participant in the Master’s program in Management of Conservation Areas

For me, appreciating nature and recognizing its value is the true art of living.

For Elisabeth Wiegele, nature conservation means far more than protecting individual habitats. Her goal is to preserve biodiversity and pass this knowledge on to future generations. That is exactly why she chose to pursue the Master’s program in Management of Conservation Areas at CU University of Applied Sciences Carinthia.

A field trip to the Caucasus had a particularly profound impact on her. At the Vashlovani Strict Nature Reserve in Georgia, she was reminded once again of how valuable—and deserving of protection—different habitats are. The stunning landscape along the Alasani River, which forms the border, vividly showed her the importance of protected areas for nature and biodiversity.

Today, Elisabeth sees the program as an opportunity to bring together international experience, scientific knowledge, and practical approaches—with the aim of preserving protected areas sustainably and strengthening their importance for future generations.