learn more

Tree Top Walks: Environmental education through integrative architecture

Tree Top Walks are perfect tools to explore and discover landscapes and greenways. Our Tree Top Walks with its spectacular architecture fulfil the task of environmental education and edutainment, particularly in National Parks and Biosphere Reserves. All Tree Top Walks of the Erlebnis Akademie AG are in important corridors and greenways of sites with interesting biological diversity. The powerful and impressive design of our Tree Top Walks in breathtaking landscapes attracts vast numbers of national and international visitors.

With a total of 13 Tree Top Walks, five in Germany, two sites in the Czech Republic and one each in the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Austria, France, Ireland, and Canada, the concept of environmental education reaches more than 1.75 million visitors per year. This way awareness about the importance of protected nature areas gets boosted. The experience and outreach go far beyond conservationists and make many more visitors support the protection of nature.

Klicken Sie hier, um die Inhalte von "google.com" anzuzeigen.
Beim Aufruf gelten abweichende Datenschutzbestimmungen der Webseite "google.com".

Why is this case a good example of linking tourism and conservation?

Tree Top Walks are hot spots of environmental edutainment. They unite information about the surrounding nature, environmental education and edutainment. They support and complement the administration of conservation areas in their management- and education tasks.

A main task of the conservation administration in protected areas is environmental education. Normally it is the work of Rangers in the parks and reserves. The Erlebnis Akademie AG employs certified nature guides who fulfil the mission of the Rangers. This way we are saving staff costs for the administration. At some Tree Top Walks, a part of the revenues flows directly to the park administration. Because the attractiveness of Tree Top Walks generates more visitors, the region and the park administration can also increase their revenues.

At our Tree Top Walks, we invite explorers of every age, tourists, school classes, and scientists to get new perspectives on nature. The five educational aims of the Tree Top Walk are: Inspiring visitors by demonstrating the beauty of different landscapes in National Parks and Biosphere Reserves, informing visitors by ways of nature heritage interpretation, encouraging recreation in a unique and diverse environment, offering visitors an outstanding experience and raising the awareness about the importance of nature and protected areas.

Are there plans to further improve this example of tourism supporting conservation in the future?

The powerful and spectacular design of Tree Top Walks is so successful that the Erlebnis Akademie AG has engaged in cooperation and partnerships with several National Parks, Biosphere Reserves and Regional Parks in eight different countries. Currently, further Tree Top Walks are being planned/are in progress. They will add to the existing ones and will make visitors fascinated by the world of trees. One goal for the future is to make the Tree Top Walks concept also adaptable for other landscapes and greenways.

How could this example be transferred to another protected area and knowledge be shared?

Website with more information: www.eak-ag.de

1/7

back