ASCENT - APPLY SKILLS AND CONSERVE OUR ENVIRONMENT WITH NEW TOOLS

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The ASCENT project will bring together Local and Environmental Authorities to collectively address the environmental challenges facing the conservation and enhancement of Areas of Natural beauty in the partner regions. The ASCENT project will develop management plans across the programme area to assist Local Authorities and other stakeholders to monitor these sites and implement innovative measures to ensure their economic and environmental sustainability. The project will look at how to use and manage the mountains and upland areas responsibly, will examine new ways to deal with the sites, learn from other regions using a teacher learner principle, examine habitat damage and habitat restoration, and introduce appropriate site specific mitigation measures. The project will create living laboratory situations, explore new concepts for balancing tourism, cultural and economic interests with environmental needs. The project will disseminate and generate knowledge on the impacts on the environment, local biodiversity resources and promote civic pride among communities of their environmental resources, and unique local cultural heritage. Project outputs include learning, exchange of ideas and measures to arrest the decline and degradation of Natura 2000 sites and other sites (SACs) caused by unregulated / unrestricted access to mountains. Objectives 1. To undertake international learning and knowledge exchange and transfer across the partner regions, This objective seeks through the teacher to learner principle to build knowledge and skills through the transfer of learning and expertise across the partner regions. Research, site and exchange visits and thematic seminars will provide added value. 2. Designing solutions and interventions for sustainable environmental management, Project ASCENT will put in place management plans and models across the 5 partner regions and provide tools and techniques which wil create a lasting legacy and enhance the skills, knowledge and competencies of local communities and stakeholder groups. 3. Trialling of practical initiatives for sustainable environmental management, Project ASCENT will utilise the teacher:learner principles in partner regions to implement a range of innovative solutions to path and upland management, including new management models, environmental low impact solutions; capacity building, ICT tools.

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