Special Evening Program on PAN Parks European Wilderness Organization

Date: May 28, 2010
Contact: Kyle Patterson, 970-586-1363

PAN (Protected Area Network) Parks, the European wilderness protection organization, works for the protection, greater understanding and appreciation of Europe’s wilderness areas. This organization works to safeguard the continent’s most undisturbed areas of nature. In these areas knowledge and understanding is enhanced for the benefit of nature and humanity alike; people appreciate the pleasures offered by wilderness with the respect it deserves.

Join special guest, Vlado Vancura, Conservation Manager of PAN Parks, as he highlights this important organization on Saturday, June 5, at 7:00 p.m. at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). Vlado is based out of Slovakia and previously worked as a ranger at the Tatra National Park, one of RMNP’s sister parks.

Europe’s wilderness is under huge pressure and has become an extremely scarce resource over past centuries. Less than one percent of Europe’s land surface is protected as wilderness and there is very limited knowledge about the existence of wilderness areas in Europe.

PAN Parks Foundation is the only European organization that exists to focus on wilderness conservation in Europe. The Foundation works to guarantee the long term protection of Europe’s wilderness by creating and managing a network of role model wilderness protected areas. There are currently 11 certified PAN Parks throughout Europe in countries including Italy, Finland, Sweden, Bulgaria, Portugal, Romania and Russia. The target is to have 14 by 2011 and 25 by 2015. New areas for PAN Parks are likely to include Austria and Germany. PAN Parks help ensure the long-term survival and sustainability of wilderness areas in the face of global challenges.

Vlado Vancura is responsible for the verification process, and keeping in contact with protected areas and conservation nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). He attained a forestry university diploma at the Forestry University in Zvolen, Slovakia in 1981 and finished his postgraduate studies on "Management of Natural Resources" in 1986. Between 1982 and 1996 Vlado worked for the National Park Service, Slovakia. To learn about the management of protected areas he spent 24 months working as a volunteer for the National Park Service, USA and 6 months as a volunteer for Parks Canada.

The program will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center auditorium in Rocky Mountain National Park. It is free and open to the public. For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park please call [phone].