Rural Youth meets the Biosphere – Protected Areas Open Day at the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Salzburger Lungau

May 25th, Mauterndorf, Austria - the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Salzburger Lungau celebrated the Protected Areas Open Day on the 5th anniversary of the Rural Youth St. Michael at the Mur island in St. Michael.

In the last few weeks preparations were in full swing and last Saturday the event "Landjugend meets Biosphäre", organized by the Biosphere Reserve together with the Rural Youth of St. Michael, took place. At this event the Biosphere Reserve held the Protected Areas Open Day, one of CEETO project events, and the Rural Youth of St. Michael celebrated their 5th anniversary since its creation.

Thematic hikes

In the morning, three thematic hikes took place in bright sunshine, to familiarize those interested with the special features of the Biosphere Reserve. Starting with the bird hike at 8.30 am along the bird hiking trail, followed by the thematic hike "From the flower meadow into the shopping basket" in the area around the Murinsel. To end with, the hike "witches´ herb and forest art" to the Augustin Chapel took place.

Thematic-hike-from-the-flower-meadow-to-the-shopping-basket.

Thematic hike "from the flower meadow to the shopping basket" - Photo by UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Salzburger Lungau

Exhibitors and tasting with regional products

At 2 pm, the official opening of the Protected Areas Open Day took place at Mur Island, inside the marquee due to the bad weather. In it, numerous exhibitors presented the region and regional products as well as regional projects and initiatives. From nature conservation and agriculture to arts, crafts and regional herbal products, to the Fairtrade communities and projects, such as the bee-friendly Lungau, visitors could learn and enjoy about different aspects concerning Biosphere Reserve Salzburger Lungau.

Fairtrade-communities-Lungau

Exhibitor of Fairtrade Communities Lungau - Photo by UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Salzburger Lungau

For the physical well-being of the guests, the Genusszentrale Lungaugold provided food and the best meat from the region. Likewise, the local peasantry of St. Michael offered regional specialties, cakes and coffee. In the late afternoon, the chairman of the Rural Youth St. Michael, Markus Fanninger, the manager of the Biosphere Reserve, Markus Schaflechner and the landlord, mayor of the market town of St. Michael and chairman of the regional association Regionalverband Lungau, Manfred Sampl, welcomed the guests.

Official-opening-of-the-PAOD

Official welcome by Manfred Sampl, mayor of St. Michael and chairman of the Biosphere Reserve - Photo by UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Salzburger Lungau

The musical part of the event took place in the afternoon, from the hand of Voigas Böhmische and in the evening by the Longa Musi. Later at night, guests were accompanied by DJ Powerpausch and DJ Lenzinger until the early morning hours.

We want to say thank you!

The entire organizing team as well as the mayor of St. Michael and the manager of the Biosphere Reserve would like to thank you for the good cooperation and the smooth running. In the picture below, from left to right: Markus Schaflechner, manager of the Biosphere Reserve, Markus Fanninger, chairman of the Rural Youth St. Michael, Vanessa Bayr, chairman dep. of the Rural Youth St. Michael, Kristin Hauser, CEETO project manager Biosphere Reserve and Manfred Sampl, mayor of St. Michael and chairman of the Biosphere Reserve. We look forward to the next joint event!

Organizers-of-the-Protected Areas Open Day

Organizers of the Protected Areas Open Day - Photo by UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Salzburger Lungau

About the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Salzburger Lungau

Do you want to know more about this park? Get further information on the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Salzburger Lungau webpage, in which you will find the natural values, the challenges concerning tourism management that the Reserve has and an overview of the Pilot Actions that will be implemented in the framework of CEETO project in order to tackle them. Furthermore, you can watch the video-teaser of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Salzburger Lungau below:

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Salzburger Lungau video teaser

Watch the video-teaser of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Salzburger Lungau