2010: positioning connectivity by a wider public

At the outset of the Ecological Continuum Initiative special emphasis was laid on communicating the added value of cross-boundary collaboration especially for key actors in pilot regions and among experts and practitioners. Raising the public’s awareness on the importance of protecting biodiversity was also a very important aspect in the project’s communication.

Crucially, interested categories would have to be made aware of the new approach towards nature conservation based on the implementation of ecological network in the Alps. Therefore project results and solutions were disseminated broadly to decision-makers, experts, key actors (e.g. representatives of Protected areas, planners, etc…), and the interested population of pilot regions. 
As the Continuum Initiative developed also the focus of our communication activities shifted.
The project partners elaborated a detailed communication strategy, aimed both at local and regional target audiences. This communication campaign will be implemented in the course of 2009 and 2010. Its goal is to emphasize the importance of connectivity for the protection of biodiversity (in the frame of the 2010 Year of Biodiversity) and to move local and regional actors to action.

In the course of 2009 communication tools and other media material will be created ad hoc in order to facilitate the work of journalists, media people, and other interested actors. This work will lay the ground for a wide communication drive that will take place in 2010, in the frame of the UN-mandated Year of Biodiversity. In 2010 some wide-impact ideas will be implemented with the aim of “positioning” the topic “connectivity” by the wider public. To that purpose, stories and articles will be prepared and journalists contacted both in the specialized and in mainstream media.

Throughout this effort, pilot regions will remain in the spotlight as we will work with local and regional actors to constantly emphasize the relevancy of the connectivity topic for their respective areas. The aim in this case will be to, first, create a positive environment for future initiatives and, in the most advanced situations, to actually start implementation of in-the-field work.
Collaboration with other initiatives, namely ECONNECT and the Platform Ecological Network is paramount and will be at the centre of Continuum communication activities.

You can download different communication tools (brochure, poster, newsletter) in the frame of the Continuum Initiative here. Please come back and check regularly as new tools and material will be posted as they are created.