Overview of the year 2010 by ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation.

1. A draft map of the National Ecological Network was presented for comment at the Second National Workshop on Ecological Networks in May. This is an important component of the MAK-NEN project, being carried out in partnership with the Macedonian Ecological Society in FYR Macedonia. (Photo: Lawrence Jones-Walters)

2. In 2010 a biodiversity action planning handbook was produced to assist policymakers, staff and other local stakeholders in 10 Western Balkan municipalities in preparing and implementing action plans. Local biodiversity planning expertise was shared via several training seminars; shown here: the participants of the seminar in Budva, Montenegro. The project is being implemented by ECNC and REC. (Photo: Lawrence Jones-Walters)

3. A regional biodiversity fair in November attracted 400 people and over 100 organizations. The fair showed the economic importance of biodiversity and its value for human well-being and resulted in numerous agreements for future cooperation. ECNC organized the fair together with the Province of Noord-Brabant and IVN Association for Environmental Education. (Photo: Hanneke Wijnja)

4. Participants at the European Learning Network on Functional AgroBiodiversity (ELN-FAB) annual seminar in November discussed how to put the concept of FAB into practice. The ELN-FAB project is implemented by ECNC and DIVERSITAS agroBIODIVERSITY. (Photo: ECNC)

5. As a consortium partner of the European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity, ECNC contributed to the EU 2010 Biodiversity Baseline, which will act as a reference for setting post-2010 biodiversity sub-targets and for measuring and monitoring progress in the EU from 2011 to 2020.

6. ECNC staff regularly travel to conferences and meetings across Europe. In April an Icelandic volcano with an unpronounceable name spread ash and chaos through European airspace, turning what should have been a routine flight home from a European Topic Centre meeting in Istanbul into a two-and-a-half-day adventure across land and sea. (Photos and map: Sophie Condé)

7. Work started on a biodiversity garden in the grounds around ECNC’s headquarters in Tilburg, to create an attractive environment for plants and animals, as well as for the office building’s tenants and visitors. ECNC, Corpac House and the Municipality of Tilburg are working in cooperation to create the garden. (Photo: Hanneke Wijnja)

8. In July the Large Herbivore Foundation was integrated into ECNC. It continues as the Large Herbivore Network, under a new ECNC Programme Area, Ecosystem and Species Management. (Photo: Bas Kers)

9. In September Board meetings were held for ECNC and for the ECNC Group. After the meetings the Board members took a look behind the scenes at the venue, the Natural History Museum in London… (Photo: Astrid van Hemert)

10. …and visited other locations of interest in London. (Photo: Astrid van Hemert)

11. ECNC and EUCC staff enjoyed a day out together in the summer. (Photo: Lawrence Jones-Walters)

12. In October ECNC staff monitored bird migration at a nature reserve near Tilburg, and sent a message to world leaders at the CBD-COP 10 meeting in Nagoya – More passion for biodiversity! (Photo: Mark Snethlage)

13. ECNC staff took time out to enjoy some time in the snow at the end of the year. (Photo: Hanneke Wijnja)