When research aids biodiversity

With the aim of strengthening Alpine biodiversity across borders, the AlpsLife project partners met in mid-June 2025 in the Swiss National Park at Zernez. Over two days, they presented their progress, exchanged ideas in workshops and discussed the next steps together. Their goal: the project results should not only generate knowledge, but also serve as a basis for political decisions. The highlight was an excursion to the national park, where the national park team presented methods for the long-term observation and measurement (monitoring) of natural diversity. Such insights into practice strengthen the exchanges between Alpine protected areas and contribute to the long-term coordination of monitoring approaches across the entire Alpine region.

Just a few weeks later, AlpsLife was also present at the political level: in early June 2025, CIPRA presented the interim results of the project at the meeting of the Alpine Biodiversity Board (ABB) of the Alpine Convention in Ruggell (FL). In dialogue with representatives from the fields of science and politics, the project team discussed how AlpsLife can strengthen the work of the ABB – and how, conversely, political structures can contribute to the implementation of the project results. An excursion to the “Ruggeller Riet” peat bog area illustrated how closely protected areas, monitoring and political control are interlinked. The Rugeller Riet, for example, is a newly designated protected area in Liechtenstein within the international Emerald Network.

AlpsLife is still in its infancy, but the course has been set: “The close cooperation within the consortium and the high-quality exchanges with political bodies will create a strong basis for protecting Alpine biodiversity jointly, in the long term, and in a coordinated and effective manner”, says project manager Hanna Öllös.

Get current project insights on the AlpsLife LinkedIn page. 

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