Dartmoor National Park Authority

22 September 2009

Dartmoor National Park Ecologist wins International Scholarship

Dartmoor National Park Authority Ecologist Naomi Scuffil has won a prestigious travelling scholarship to study landscape-scale nature conservation projects in two German National Parks.  In 2010 Naomi will visit Mueritz National Park (external link, opens new window) in north-east Germany and Nationalpark Unteres Odertal (external link, opens new window) along the German-Polish border to study nature conservation approaches in these strictly protected areas.

Naomi said: ‘It is a great honour to have been awarded this prestigious scholarship and I am looking forward to visiting European national parks and gaining an understanding of their approach to nature conservation. I will discuss various conservation approaches and see habitats that have been allowed to develop without human intervention. By visiting two different national parks with slightly different approaches to landscape scale conservation and letting natural process prevail, I will gain an understanding of both the positive, and negative aspects of this approach, which will allow me to contribute to landscape scale conservation projects in Dartmoor National Park’. Each year the EUROPARC Federation (external link, opens new window) in co-operation with the Alfred Toepfer Foundation F.V.S. (Hamburg) (external link, opens new window) awards three Alfred Toepfer Natural Heritage Scholarships to promising young conservationists with practical experience in the field of nature conservation and in the work of protected areas.

The programme offers the opportunity of financial support for a study visit to one or more protected areas in another European country and to gather experience which will be both of benefit for the future career of the scholars, and to the EUROPARC Federation and its members.

The programme intends to enhance cross-national co-operation to advance the quality, innovation and European dimension of protected area management.

Ends

For further information

Naomi Scuffil, Assistant Ecologist,

Mike Nendick, Communications Officer, Dartmoor National Park Authority

Tel: (01626) 832093

Notes for Editors

Mueritz National Park is covered in numerous lakes surrounded by moor, heath and woodland. The national park puts a strong emphasis on research and monitoring of large scale habitat restoration projects, such as that of a large area of moorland, damaged by the military after WW2, which is now allowed to regenerate naturally without active intervention. Areas of damaged woodland are also left to heal themselves.

The Nationalpark Unteres Odertal is set in the flood meadows of the river Oder, with associated habitats of wet woodlands, dry meadows, oxbow lakes and ponds. The park uses a zoning approach where core wilderness areas are surrounded by zones with varying degrees of human intervention, the outermost zone being a cultural landscape with a strong emphasis on biodiversity conservation. This approach addresses the potential conflict between natural processes and cultural landscape conservation by geographical separation. The national park also has a large project focussed on enlarging wet woodland.

EUROPARC represents 500 protected areas, governmental departments, NGO's and businesses in 39 countries, who themselves manage the green jewels of Europe's land, sea, mountains, forests, rivers and cultural heritage. EUROPARC facilitates international co-operation in all aspects of protected area management and endeavours to exchange expertise, experience and best practise as well as to collaborate with others to ensure the value and meaning of protected areas is at the heart of Europe.

To find out more about EUROPARC visit www.europarc.org

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There are 15 members of the National Parks family in the UK: Brecon Beacons, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Lake District, New Forest, Northumberland, North York Moors, Peak District, Pembrokeshire Coast, Snowdonia, South Downs, Yorkshire Dales, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, the Cairngorms and the Broads.  National Parks are of special value to the whole nation because of their great beauty, their wildlife and cultural interests and the opportunities they offer for quiet enjoyment.  However, they are not nationally owned - the land is in the hands of many landowners or occupiers including farmers.  Over 34,500 people live in Dartmoor National Park and many millions of visits are made to it each year.

Celebrating 60 years of the legislation that created National Parks and other protected landscapes (external link, opens new window)

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Page updated 21 September 2009