Kick-off for more inclusion: Swabian Alb Geopark launches new cooperation project

On February 26, the kick-off meeting for cooperation in the area of inclusive geoparks took place at the Rottenburg University of Applied Forest Sciences. The meeting was initiated by the UNESCO Global Geopark Swabian Alb under the leadership of Julian Stolz, who is responsible for education at the Geopark.

Reiner Fritz, Head of the Dettingen-Metzingen Open Help and Support Center of BruderhausDiakonie, and Prof. Dr. Heidi Elisabeth Megerle, Chair of the Advisory Board of the Swabian Alb Geopark and Professor at Rottenburg University of Applied Sciences, also took part. The aim of the meeting was to develop a high-quality geopark product as part of the Interreg project and to promote inclusion and sustainable regional development.

The focus is on three core areas: promoting the inclusion of disadvantaged groups, developing an innovative geopark product based around a time travel story and sustainable visitor management. Each participating geopark focuses on specific groups. For the Swabian Alb, these are people with low incomes, young people at risk of emigration and people with physical or mental disabilities.

Rottenburg University of Applied Sciences and Bruderhausdiakonie are involved as strategic partners, represented by Prof. Megerle and Silke Fehrenbach respectively, and there is the possibility of expanding the network to include other experts or interested parties in the future.

Talks have already been held with potential partners and initial contracts have been signed. The kick-off meeting served to concretize the cooperation, clarify expectations and draw up a joint agreement on the goals and framework conditions of the cooperation.

This agreement is intended to set out in writing the joint intention to work together and define the basis for further action.