The main aim of the project was to jointly develop a transnational framework to demonstrate how Natura 2000 sites can be managed sustainably into the future, integrating them within rural economies, local communities and policy agendas.
- Demonstrating the economic, social and health benefits of nature reserves and developing best practices to encourage more visitors to the sites.
- Extensive research into the economic values of N2000 sites allowed the partners to produce case studies and develop a model for the future.
- Within the theme of connecting people with nature each site has implemented an innovative people engagement program, testing new techniques and sharing the experiences of the partners. To enhance sites with visitors and tourism in mind and develop a strong focus on people engagement through these programs. Improve the overall visitor experience on sites while promoting the importance of N2000 sites and how the project links with this.
- Develop a transnational networks of volunteers and visitors, and partnerships with businesses and organisations to allow integration of N2000 sites in the rural economy. Develop the Ambassador course to increase engagement with businesses.
- Working with tourism businesses to deliver holiday packages. Promotion of N2000 through this sector to encourage a new and wider audience to the sites.
- Disseminate project progress and results through on-line web presence and social media, developing bird migration and mapping tools. Promoting the project through regular press reports and advertising sites in local /national media.

Connecting Businesses, Economics and Nature:
Included both measuring and demonstrating economic value of nature and the development of business networks. In order to do this a simple and easy to understand model to define the value Natura 2000 sites bring to local economies was developed. The partners recognized the importance of local communities and businesses and built a transnational business network, bringing together similar organisations in different countries.
Measuring and Demonstrating Economic Value:
The LP commissioned CE Delft to carry out site case studies at Zwin, Waterdunen and Grevelingen and produce a report on the Economic Benefits and Income Opportunities for Ecosystems in Natura 2000 sites in Europe. The report shows the economic benefits of nature reserves and their relationship to the local economy. The findings from this will be incorporated into the economic manual and promoted as a learning tool to site managers across the 2 Seas areas.
Developing Business Networks:
All partners engaged with local businesses to build closer working relationships. As local entrepreneurs are often the first contact for visitors to an area or nature reserve it is prudent to actively involve them by acknowledging their roles as hosts. An Ambassador course was set up in order to engage with these organisations in the tourist sectors, where they are presented with information about nature, landscape, culture, history and other facts about the area. They in turn share this information with their own business contacts and become an Ambassador for the area. Furthermore, during the courses they form a network between each other which has led to several new joint initiatives and partnership working for the areas.
Results of the project were disseminated through a series of conferences and seminars. Team building days were arranged with local businesses at Minsmere reserve.

Activity 1 Results as Planned:
- Dissemination of one economic model to N2000 managers via NP workshop in April 2014.
- CE Delf study demonstrating use of the economic model and the social & economic value of N2000 sites, comparison of sites and assessment of the economic value of a network of N2000 sites compared with single sites.
- Seminars held to present the economic model - 2 in Netherlands, 2 in Belgium & 2 in UK. Transnational network of businesses set up in the Zwin region & development of cross border tourism products.
- During meetings and project visits partners were able to establish a robust transnational framework resulting in the CaRe-Lands cluster project where the results of past projects are disseminated & further areas of project development discussed.
- Throughout the project the partners gained expertise & knowledge in the fields of economic business development, including that of N2000 sites, ecoSystem services & visitor monitoring.
Activity 2 Results:
- People Engagement Strategy developed & implemented for each site.
- Innovative engagement techniques developed using digital media, apps, i-pads & digital science platforms.
- Development of Zwin as a scientific hotspot, providing cutting edge information & communication opportunities.
- Development of Minsmere through Discover Nature program providing enhanced activities, learning programs & facilities to attract new audiences, particularly families & students.
- An overall increase in visitor & volunteer numbers by at least 10% (except for Waterdunen - not yet open).
- Eurosites Conference report compared people engagement techniques at different sites.
- 3 joint events held connecting the Flemish & Dutch parts of Zwin at the Nature Parent day Sept 2011, World Migratory Bird Day May 2012 & Come-back day for Zwin Ambassadors March 2014.
- Online network set up via Facebook.
- Joint promotional materials produced in the form of project posters, leaflets, banners & website.

Communities: All 4 sites developed sustainable ways of attracting more visitors through development of facilities & engagement activities.
Tourism Businesses: Belgium/Netherlands created the Ambassador courses for local businesses & SMEs providing advice & action networks. Minsmere hosted business familiarisation visits engaging with Chamber of Commerce & local business partnerships.
Local Tourists: Ambassadors passing on knowledge & information to tourists & local communities to promote the project sites. Lead Partner developed a Where to Eat, Drink and Stay near Minsmere leaflet to promote local tourism businesses to visitors.
Managers of N2000 sites: N2000 site managers attended the Eurosites workshop in April 2014, and the CaReLands conference in June 2014, where project results were disseminated. Minsmere hosted visits for other site managers from RSPB and partner organisations in Britain & Europe.
Visiting Tourists: Tourists coming from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands had the opportunity to view the temporary visitor centre that Waterdunen will become. Also had available information on the other sites. Sites had better and more inspiring visitor engagement tools and improved information for visitors through the local Zwin ambassadors functioning as mini touristic offices.
Benefits for each Territory:
A Temporary visitor centre
A Visitor strategy
An outline for youth nature
A bird counting point
The Economic Report
Set up and an economic monitoring program
Inspiring examples of other sites

The outcomes from NP are consistent across territories. The outcomes partners hoped to achieve were concerned with making connections between N2000 sites & the communities & stakeholders who can benefit from having special protected places nearby. The project has delivered the outputs described in this & previous reports, leading to the following outcomes:

1. Enhancing the wellbeing of people as family & community members. The N2000 network is a vital part of the EU, & the project activities have modified people’s attitudes towards N2000 sites, nature conservation & iconic species. The partners have provided high quality visitor experiences, engaging & inspiring people to appreciate & value project sites. Research shows time spent in the natural environment & a real time connection to nature has positive impacts on mental & physical health, child development & success in learning. These quality experiences have encouraged local communities to enjoy & become involved with N2000 sites.

2. This quality experience has also encouraged tourism visitors to these sites and the surrounding areas. The project has encouraged tourism &, therefore, tourist spend within specific project localities &, we hope, in other wider parts of the Programme Area, as tourists visit more N2000 sites. This outcome is enhancing people’s well being & enhancing local economic activity through tourist spend.

3. Natura People has worked with local businesses to encourage appreciation of N2000 sites & the role they play in helping businesses & the local economy. The partners will continue to use the data from their research into N2000 sites & the economy in communications with business & decision makers.

We have been able to collaborate on approaches to visitor engagement and modelling ecomonic value; co-operating on joint challenges with partners from other countries has be very rewarding. Sharing different ideas, concepts, approaches, experiences, expertise and tools from each other has been hugely beneficial to all partners.
We have appreciated cross border working, gaining best practice, new ideas and sharing experiences & gained expertise on visitor centre development, educational programmes and shared economic knowledge.
We have learned a great deal from the joint development of the Ambassadors concept. We found that promotion of a reserve site is far more effective if all stakeholders, entrepreneurs and local community in the area were to promote them, alongside the site staff. Given this insight the Ambassadors course was developed and run, the results of these course have been extremely positive.

Three of the Natura People partners – RSPB, Province of West Flanders and Natuur- en Recreatieschap de Grevelingen – are partners in the CaRe-Lands cluster project. Natuur- en Recreatieschap de Grevelingen are the Lead Partner of the project, which also includes four partners from other IVA 2 Seas projects, STEP, MultiFor and Balance. The RSPB are bringing their expertise from both Natura People and Balance to the project. This project is sharing knowledge about carbon reduction options on protected nature areas, including using biomass as an energy source.

The partners are also involved in a number of other Interreg projects, including REECZ (PP2 – Recreation and Ecotourism in the Zwin Area). The partners are sharing information on the findings of the Natura People project with their colleagues and partners in other projects, to ensure the results, particularly around Ecosystem Services, can be used elsewhere when appropriate.

It is important to have face to face meetings & visit each others projects for clearer understanding. To have a professional project manager prepare the project application and have all key players involved at the application stage. This would have given the project clearer aims and objectives with specific deadlines.
It would be ideal for all partners to be more or less at the same stage of development/delivery, enabling them them to share issues and solutions as they arise.
To ensure that all partners have the necessary building permits, architects, planning permissions and business plans in place prior to starting the project, having this information would better inform the deadlines.
For NP partners to have similar aims & stakes in the project, be of a similar size with comparable levels of expertise. This attributed to the smooth running of the project.

The implementation of our visitor engagement strategies & business development plans created by the project will ensure long lasting effects of the project.
A post-Project Communication Plan will provide the structure for the dissemination of the project's results to 2016 in partner sites/countries.
Minsmere has grown income significantly across all streams to ensure sustainability of delivery post funding.
Belgian & Dutch partners will continue to develop the ambassador schemes & networks. Business ambassadors are keen to participate in development of the project areas. LP will explore the potential of setting up an ambassador scheme at Minsmere.
For the coming years logos & cartouche will continue to endorse the program, the website will remain live & reports, leaflets, future communications will continue to acknowledge the project.
NP led into the CaRe-Lands program & it is hoped will lead to new Interreg projects being developed in the future from the experiences & benefits gained.

Provincie West Vlaanderen, Provincie Zeeland and Natuur – en Recreatieschap de Grevelingen have been working with local businesses to develop tourist packages for their regions. These three partners have been working together to develop a transnational network of business contacts in the form of Ambassador courses for local entrepreneurs, encouraging local businesses to act as hosts and welcome guides for the region. The infrastructure for this way of working is in place now and will continue in to the future.

NP Partners are continuing to work together on the CaRe-Lands cluster project funded by Interreg 2 Seas.

As the partnership has been very successful & beneficial to all partners, and as new working relationships have been formed, we will continue to seek ways to work together, share experiences, and look at potentials for developing new Interreg projects with each other in the future.

As part of the CaRe-Lands Cluster project results, partners will continue to work together to draw up action plans and further project ideas for future European projects.
For now Minsmere is forecasting to self-finance the legacy left from the project and has expanded on areas of income generation with new and innovative fundraising ideas to significantly increase its expendable income to enable it to sustain and maintain the new facilities into the future.