The EUROPARC Federation and the European Network of Outdoor Sports (ENOS) are delighted to announce the winner of the 2026 Joint Award for Outdoor Sports and Nature Conservation: the partnership between Barnim Nature Park and HIKING HERO, an outdoor hiking event organised by SCC EVENTS.
At the heart of this collaboration is the “Nature Park Project of the Year” competition, which supports and celebrates local initiatives contributing to nature conservation, environmental education and community engagement in the Barnim region of Germany.
By combining the resources and reach of a major outdoor event with the knowledge and local networks of a protected area, the partnership demonstrates how outdoor sport can go beyond reducing its environmental impact and actively contribute to the landscapes and communities that make it possible.
From outdoor participation to local action
Since 2023, HIKING HERO has brought between 1,000 and 1,500 participants to Bernau, near Berlin, each year to discover the landscapes and cultural heritage of the Barnim region through long-distance hiking.
From the outset, the event was conceived as a sustainability-oriented outdoor experience, prioritising participation and enjoyment over competition. Its approach includes using existing infrastructure efficiently, facilitating access for people of different ages and fitness levels, and working closely with stakeholders from the surrounding region.
Recognising that the long-term success of an outdoor event depends on the health of its host landscape and its relationship with local communities, HIKING HERO and Barnim Nature Park formalised their cooperation in 2025.
The partnership created a direct connection between participation in outdoor recreation and support for locally led environmental action.
Supporting the Nature Park Project of the Year
A central element of the partnership is HIKING HERO’s annual contribution of €1,000 to Barnim Nature Park’s “Nature Park Project of the Year” competition.
This contribution doubled the competition’s available prize fund, allowing it to provide greater recognition and support to local conservation, education and community initiatives. Representatives of HIKING HERO also participate in the jury, while SCC EVENTS uses its communication platforms and media reach to promote the competition and the projects behind it.
The supported initiatives show how environmental engagement can take many different forms.
The 2025 winning project, the Melchow Fairytale Trail, combines storytelling, environmental education and outdoor discovery through a family-friendly walking route. The initiative encourages engagement with nature while contributing to sustainable tourism and strengthening the connection between residents, visitors and the local landscape.
Other projects recognised through the competition have included hands-on conservation and environmental education activities involving primary school pupils in Schönow.
Together, these initiatives give visibility and support to the people already working to protect and enrich the Barnim region.
Addressing a familiar challenge
Outdoor sports events benefit enormously from attractive and well-managed natural landscapes. However, the value generated by these events does not always translate into direct or lasting benefits for conservation organisations and local environmental initiatives.
At the same time, grassroots projects frequently operate with limited funding and public visibility.
The partnership between Barnim Nature Park and HIKING HERO addresses this gap through a simple but effective model: connecting an established outdoor event with a recurring mechanism that generates funding, recognition and communication opportunities for local initiatives.
In the short term, the cooperation provides practical financial support and greater visibility for conservation, environmental education and community projects. It also introduces HIKING HERO participants to the natural and cultural values of the Barnim region.
Over the longer term, it can help strengthen relationships between outdoor sports and conservation stakeholders, encourage more responsible forms of recreation and foster a greater sense of responsibility towards the places where outdoor activities take place.
Collaboration at the heart of the initiative
The success of the initiative lies in the complementary strengths of the two partners.
Barnim Nature Park contributes its conservation expertise, knowledge of the region, local stakeholder network and experience in managing the competition. HIKING HERO and SCC EVENTS provide funding, communication capacity and access to a large outdoor community.
Working together enables both partners to achieve more than either could independently: local projects receive tangible support, nature conservation reaches new audiences, and participants are encouraged to understand the landscape as more than the setting for an event.
This reflects the central purpose of the EUROPARC–ENOS Joint Award: recognising initiatives that create meaningful cooperation between protected areas and outdoor sports organisations while delivering positive environmental and social outcomes.
A replicable model for outdoor events
The initiative offers a model that could be adapted by other outdoor sports events and protected areas across Europe.
Rather than limiting its sustainability strategy to mitigating impacts, HIKING HERO has established a recurring contribution to regional conservation and environmental education. The combination of annual funding, joint communication and stakeholder participation creates a structured partnership capable of developing over time.
It shows that outdoor events of different sizes can use their resources, audiences and visibility to support the places in which they operate—and that even a relatively straightforward mechanism can generate meaningful local value when it is built on a committed, long-term relationship.
Celebrating the winners at Euro’Meet 2026
During the Outdoor Sports Euro’Meet 2026, taking place in Sundsvall, Sweden, from 8 to 10 September, winners of the 2026 Joint Award will be announced. There, the partnership will be formally recognised and will have the opportunity to showcase their work to a European community of outdoor sports and nature conservation professionals.
Congratulations to Barnim Nature Park, HIKING HERO and SCC EVENTS for demonstrating how outdoor recreation can give something meaningful back to its host landscape.
Their partnership reminds us that the future of outdoor sport depends not only on enjoying natural places responsibly, but also on building lasting relationships with the communities and organisations working to protect them.
Learn more about the initiative: