PAN Parks reaches new frontiers

Archipelago National Park in the Baltic Sea has received recognition this week of being one of the best managed wilderness areas in Europe. As a result of undergoing an intensive independent assessment of its conservation, visitor management and sustainable tourism development it received the coveted status of being a certified PAN Park. Oulanka National Park was the first Finnish national park in the PAN Parks network. This means that it now joins the PAN Parks network that brings together some of the most outstanding wilderness National Parks across Europe that are working to combine nature conservation with developing a future for local communities through sustainable tourism development. Archipelago National Park is the first marine park in the network and the 10th park to be certified.

Archipelago National Park in the Baltic Sea between Åland and mainland Finland is part of one of the largest archipelagos in the world. The National Park itself includes more than 2,000 islands and rocky islets shaped by waves and the ice sheet during the Ice Age. Inside the co-operation area of the park, there are about 8400 islands and islets altogether.

PAN Parks is working to create an eco-tourism brand that guarantees visitors a quality wilderness experience where they can be sure that their visit is supporting the protection of these stunning and beautiful areas. The network of certified parks stretches from the Arctic Circle, to the Mediterranean and across to the Caucasus – but is growing every year. PAN Parks was originally set up by WWF in a response to the need to improve the management of protected areas across Europe.

Archipelago National Park is managed by Metsähallitus Natural Heritage Services. The PAN Parks certification is recognition of the excellent management standards they have achieved but they are not content to stop there. Park Superintendent Laura Lehtonen said ‘Archipelago National Park has applied for the PAN Parks brand for several reasons. One aim is to raise the profile of Archipelago National Park; to send a stronger signal for local and other people about the valuable and unique nature we have here. Since this brand includes high standard for the nature protection we also forced to evaluate our work in this field both above and under water along this process. This is good and may even lead into some improvements in our work. This process possibly also raises the level of general knowledge considering this area’

Valere Tjolle