Dear colleagues,
We are pleased to inform you that the International Symposium «Spatial approach to nature conservation on the European North: from theory to practice» (8th International Scientific Conference "Geographic basis of the Ecological Networks establishment in Northern Eurasia") will be held in
Murmansk Province in April 2020.
Appreciation of the importance of the green corridors between nature conservation areas (protected natural territories) has been growing across the globe in recent years. The countries of Europe and the Caucasus successfully form the Emerald Pan-European Network of important sites protecting biodiversity, including the EC Network Nature-2000. In 2010, the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment, the Ministry of the Environment of Finland, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the development of the Green Belt of Fennoscandia.
Our Symposium will evaluate the success of the ongoing projects on ecological networking as well as identify factors and challenges affecting their progress. It aims to bring together stakeholders from the sectors of research, conservation, and industrial management as well as governmental policies, in order to increase mutual understanding and elaborate solutions for the possible conflicts of interests.
The Symposium will be organized in the Kola Science Center, in Apatity, Murmansk Province, Russia, in the preliminary dates are 20–24 April 2020.
Main Organizers:
• Kola Science Center RAS
• Institute of North Industrial Ecology Problems of Kola Science Center RAS
• Polar-Alpine Botanical Garden of Kola Science Center RAS
• Institute of Geography RAS
• Russian Geographical Society
• Murmansk branch of Russian Botanical Society
• The Project Office for the Development of the Arctic (PORA)
Preliminary topics for sessions:
1. Territorial nature conservation as an important component for regional development. Patterns
of ecological networks in different areas and under various geographical conditions.
2. Problems of guaranteeing the efficiency of the protected areas.
3. Establishment and functions of regional networks of protected areas.
4. Establishment of the Pan-European Ecological Network and Inter-Regional Ecological
Networks: Emerald Network / Natura-2000, Green Belt of Fennoscandia.
5. The state of the largest natural wilderness systems and ecological corridors of Northern
Eurasia. Trans-boundary conservation areas.
6. Territorial problems of rare species protection, and the Red Data Books.
7. Ecosystem services of protected areas and the concept of regional ‘green economy’.
8. Urban nature conservation and its place in the regional natural ecological framework.
9. Environmental education and schooling, ecological tourism in the protected areas.
Preliminary topics of round tables:
1. Integration of the protected natural areas into the economy.
2. Territorial nature conservation and mining industries: compatibility of the incompatibles.
3. Environmental aspects of tourism in the protected territories.
More ideas and topics for the Sessions and Round Tables are very welcome; please contact the
Organizing Committee.
The official languages are Russian and English, including talks and papers. Oral presentations
30 minutes long in plenary session, 15 minutes in other sessions, 5 minutes in a poster session.
Key dates:
31 January 2020 – submission of the registration forms
20 February 2020 – submission of the conference short papers
15 March 2020 – notification of short papers acceptance
5 April 2020 – second Information letter (preliminary program, details of accommodation and
fees).
Please fill in the on-line registration form by 31 January 2020. Your early registration is highly desirable as it will help with obtaining funds for the
conference and decrease of the registration fee. Information about registration fees and the accommodation will be circulated in the 2nd Information letter.
Materials for publication
Short papers in the required format (see below) are to be submitted by email to the conference address: bryo.kpabg@list.ru by 20th February 2020. The short papers will be published until the conference at the website of the Institute http://inep.ksc.ru. Notifications on short papers acceptance will be sent by e-mail up to March 15, 2020.
If you have to apply for a Russian visa, please check with the Russian Visa Center in your country as documents required could differ. A tourist visa can be obtained via tourist agencies in your country; this usually required the accommodation to be booked in advance. A business visa will need an official invitation from the Conference organizers. Please contact the Organizing Committee for assistance.
Travel Information.
Night train from St.-Petersburg to Apatity takes 24 hours, and from Moscow – 33 hours (www.rzd.ru). Flights from St. Petersburg and Moscow to Murmashi airport (Murmansk) take 2–2.5 hours; the then-coach trip from Murmansk to Apatity is about 3.5 hours.
Flights from St. Petersburg or Moscow to the Khibiny airport (Apatity) take 1.5-2 hours (https://hibiny.aero)
Accommodation
There is a big choice of hotels and apartments in Apatity; information is available at http://www.booking.com
The hotel nearest to the Conference venue is ‘Ametist’ Hotel (http://hotel-ametist.ru), which is situated in the center of Apatity. It offers standard single, double or twin, and standard quadruple rooms.
Excursions
We offer guided walks around Kirovsk city center, visiting the Museum and Exhibition Center of PhosAgro Group (http://en.mvc-apatit.ru/), the Museum of Development of the North in Apatity, and Geological Museum of Kola Science Center in Apatity.
Address of Organizing Committee: 184209, Apatity, Akademgorodok, 14а, INEP KSC RAS.
Phone +7(81555)79378; Fax: 8 (81555) 74964; e-mail: bryo.kpabg@list.ru.
