Training and coaching for better management of N2000 sites

Introduction

The LIFE PLP project “TraiN2k” aims at improving the management of the Natura 2000 Network and the ecological restoration of nature environments by developing and implementing a European training system. The training system will generate new specific working profiles (namely: Natura 2000 Coaches, Eco-Restorers, and Natura 2000 Rangers) and a cohort of trained experts capable of increasing the international coherence of the Natura 2000 network, as well as improving management effectiveness and efficacy in Natura 2000 sites and habitat restoration in protected areas.

Target Audience

The system will be tailored to the different figures/actors involved in the conservation of Natura 2000 sites who rarely cooperate, including:

• Private or public owners of sites
• Public institutions responsible for the management of Natura 2000 sites
• Competent authorities responsible for the implementation of the EU environmental Directives
• Research institutions in charge of the monitoring of protected habitat/species
• Authorities and organized corps dedicated to surveillance and legal control

Moreover, the training system will be designed considering the different biogeographic regions as well as the diversity of protected habitats and species at a pan-European scale.

Benefits of the Training System

The training system will benefit from the following assets:

1. The community made by the project partnership (9 beneficiaries/associated partners, 4 countries), 7 institutions/networks supporting the project, and an established network of land conservation practitioners (EUROSITE).
2. A European Training Institute that will have its physical location in Italy, exploiting an existing structure dedicated to international courses and managed by Arma dei Carabinieri.
3. A platform where to store and have access to training modules, case studies, and best practices.
4. A 2nd level Master in “Natura 2000 expert.”
5. A detailed strategy for the scaling-up of the project outcomes over the participating countries, in order to spread these outcomes throughout the whole EU.