CSTS TOP NEWS: • CSTS hosted Pro Silva Italia national excursion • Our Centre involved in a IUFRO excursion • 2004 Scientific Excursions Programme available (preliminary version) • Our Centre to train future German forestry professionals • Our book praised by the Swiss, new edition announced >>> click for more (all) news   CSTS HIGHLIGHTS:  • CSTS expertise sought for by the Council of Europe • Award-winning book "Slovak primeval forests" sold out • Centre for Scientific Tourism in Slovakia hosted HRH Prince of Wales • Primeval Forests in Slovakia - an award-winning video document.

October - November 2003 Editorial

During September 2003, Centre for Scientific Tourism in Slovakia was honoured to host the Pro Silva Italia 2003 National Excursion into Slovak primeval forests. Twenty excursion members – Italian foresters, forest owners and forestry professors – were interested in the results of a 50-year long forestry research Slovak natural forests that could facilitate close-to-nature forestry in Italy. Beside Stuzica, Havesova and Polana the excursion members have also visited Hroncecky Grun and Koprova.

In October, Dr. Pichler in his capacity as the director of our Centre for Scientific Tourism in Slovakia and member of the conference’s Scientific Committee is due to present a paper on the use of natural forests during the international conference Natural Forests in the Temperate Zone of Europe – Values and Utilisation organized by Swiss Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research and the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve. The topic is rather complex and our experience has taught us several important principles. You can view the extended abstract of the paper here (pdf).

These days we are also publishing, in co-operation with Slovak Environmental Agency and other institutions, a brochure called Patterns of Slovak Primeval Forests relevant to The UNESCO World Natural Heritage Selection Criteria. We believe that Slovak primeval forests deserve the World Natural Heritage status as one of the most representative series of natural forest ecosystems in the Palearctic realm. In fact, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Viliam Pichler, director of our center, was heavily involved in the preparation of the IUCN evaluation mission to Slovakia three months ago in his capacity as a forest ecology expert.

We wish you a magnificent fall season with many impressions of colourful forest sceneries.

Sincerely Yours,

Viliam Pichler,
CSTS Director

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