“Adaptive Conservation Site Management (6 ECTS)”

a step towards sustainable management of natural resources

Are you interested in nature conservation or in sustainable land and resource use? Do you want to learn and apply an internationally applied method of project management? Do you like interactive learning? By using the example of the biosphere reserve Schorfheide-Chorin in the north of Berlin (which we will visit), we will take initial steps for developing an adaptive management plan for this area. For this reason you will learn to apply the "Open Standards for the Practice of Nature Conservation", an international management method for nature conservation projects, developed and used by leading NGO's such as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Conservation International (CI) and more. Practically this means that we will discuss central questions on biodiversity and the sustainability of land use, like for example: What does biodiversity have to do with our wellbeing and how can we protect it? What is the impact from climate change on ecosystems in Brandenburg? What are the conflicts between nature conservation and land uses such as tourism and agriculture? How do interests of nature conservation and the local population interact? How does the German "Energiewende" affect the landscape in Brandenburg and its local population? How can Nature Conservation be integrated in different land use methods? What are possible strategies to protect conservation objects like species or ecosystems? We will work in groups in order to discuss and better understand complex interdependencies between resources, ecosystems, ecosystem services, relevant regional actors and the three pillars of sustainability. In order to structure and visualize these complex contents we will use a planning software called Miradi

TM. This is

helpful when we develop strategies to conserve ecosystems and its services.

Facts: Credits: 6 ETCS (Elective), not graded Relevant for: Bachelor and Master Language: English Exam: Group Presentation and group report (10 pages in total) Format: 2 weekend blocks and excursion, intense group work Application: Until the 18th of November 2016 via mail Room: TU Berlin, EB 418 Learning objectives: "Open Standards" method and terminology, regional and general knowledge about Nature Conservation issues, nature conservation and environmental planning in the Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide- Chorin, "Miradi" software, group work and teambuilding Contact: Anna (anna.steger@hnee.de) and Marion (m.tiemann@posteo.de)

Learning Objectives:

“The Open Standards for the Practice of Nature Conservation”

The „Open Standards“ is a cyclic project planning and management method based on the principles

of adaptive management (http://cmp-openstandards.org/). The tool has been developed by the

„Conservation Measures Partnership“ (CMP), a network of leading international Nature Conservation

Organisations like “WWF International”, „The Nature Conservancy“, „Foundations of Success“,

„Conservation International“ and others. The aim of the network is to increase the efficiency of

nature conservation measures and to create a common base to cooperate beyond political borders.

The method brings together experiences, concepts and approaches from all over the world to

standardize different terminologies as well as planning, management and monitoring practices in

order to share a common language. The result is a five steps management cycle:

Within the Projektwerkstatt we will learn and apply phase 1 (Conceptualization and Situation

Analysis) and phase 2 (Situation Planning and Monitoring) of the cycle for the case study area

Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin in the north of Berlin.

For every single step of the two phases, we will give a detailed introduction followed by the

application of the step by the groups. During phase 1 we will define the framework of the project like

the vision, the scope and the conservation targets based on group discussions about nature

conservation priorities. In the next steps a situation analysis is conducted by determining possible

threats to the conservation targets and the reasons for those threats.

After discussing what we want to conserve in phase 1, we work on the question of how we can

conserve it in phase 2. Therefore goals, strategies and objectives will be developed and the groups

are asked to get creative. We will learn strategic techniques of testing assumptions in project

management to be able to develop an action and monitoring plan.

All the steps of phase 1 and 2 will be spatially arranged in a management model with a special colour

code of the “Open Standards” that helps the groups to maintain an overview about the complex

contents of the model. You can imagine the “Open Standards” as a common language for nature

conservationists.

Case study “Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin” (Brandenburg)

The “Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin” in the north of Berlin is one of the largest conservation

areas in Germany. It is a model region for integrated land, water and biodiversity management,

testing out and demonstrating how to combine the three pillars of sustainability within the same

area. It contains one of the largest remaining continuous areas of woodland in Germany on about

half of the entire conservation area. Furthermore it represents an impressive cultural landscape with

more than 320 lakes, thousands of bogs and mires, extended forests, meadows and arable land. The

surviving near-natural beech forests were declared UNESCO world heritage. In addition, 75

communities and three small towns with a total of 35.000 residents are situated in the protected

area. The main concept is the consideration of human impact on the land in order to encourage

producers to work in a sustainable way. To protect natural resources, priority is given to organic

agriculture and forestry and to an extensive-pasture economy. As not all inhabitants are in line with

the main concept, conflicts between nature conservation and economic land use interest arise within

the region. For further information you can have a look at http://www.schorfheide-chorin-

biosphaerenreservat.de/.

The Biosphere Reserve is a good example for opportunities and limitations of the balance between

social, economic and ecological sustainability and the realization of sustainable land use, keeping in

mind the differing interests of various actors and stakeholders.

We will discuss important nature conservation objects to conserve native flora and fauna as well as

ecosystems and ecosystem services to conserve the biodiversity, keeping in mind contradictory

interests of different stakeholders in the area. In group work, we will develop first steps of an

exemplary management plan for the area. To deepen the knowledge about the Biosphere Reserve

and its stakeholders, we will visit the ecovillage Brodowin and talk to different actors from different

sectors like ecotourism, organic farming, forestry, nature conservation etc.

We will use the case study of the “UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin” to apply the

single steps of phase 1 (Conceptualization and Situation Analysis) and phase 2 (Action Planning and

Monitoring) of the “Open Standards cycle”.

Software MiradiTM

The application of the „Open Standards” is facilitated by the software MiradiTM. All important results

of the planning and management process will be structured and visualized by the software. At every

time it enables the project team to get an exact overview about the project state, required next steps

and the potential need of adapting measures. Moreover it facilitates the exchange of data between

the students. For further information have a look at https://www.miradi.org/.

Teambuilding and group work

The work will be done in groups of 4 to 6 students. All steps of the two phases of the “Open

Standards cycle” are realized in group work sessions within the two weekend blocks. As the group

work can become quite intense we integrate teambuilding measures and energizer to strengthen the

group cohesion and to have some fun together .

Dates:

Friday 26/5/2017 2 pm - 8 pm

Saturday 27/5/2017 10am - 6pm

Sunday 28/5/2017 10am - 6pm

Friday 9/6/2017 (time to be announced)

Saturday 10/6/2017 (time to be announced)

Sunday 11/6/2017 (time to be announced)

Friday 14/7/2017 2pm - 8pm

Saturday 15/7/2017 10am - 6pm

Sunday 16/7/2017 10am - 6pm

Gallery:

Who we are:

Anna (M. Sc. Regionalentwicklung und Naturschutz, Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung

Eberswalde)

Marion (M.A. Environmental Policy and Planning, Technische Universität und Freie Universität Berlin)

Developing a conceptual model (Phase 1)

Developing strategies and result chains to test assumptions (phase 2)

Relaxed working atmosphere..

Transforming the model into “Miradi”

Exemplary agenda and issues of discussion

Teambuilding and having fun..

Excursion to the Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin

Talking to the managing director of the eco farm Brodowin

Talking to cows..

Talking to different stakeholders of the area..

Interviewing the former managing director of the Biosphere Reserve

Interviewing the forester and exploring unmanaged natural forest

Interviewing the ranger and hiking through the core zone of the conservation site

Exploring the ecosystems and biodiversity of the area..

Good job!!

Thanks to all the participating students from the last semesters for their motivation, inspiring and

critical discussions, the good working atmosphere in our course and all the fun we had!