On 18 April 2024, Marián Jasík came to talk to us about national parks. A botanist Daniel Dítě moderated a public discussion with him on this topic. Marián Jasík from the NGO Prales and the Institute for Nature Conservation has long been working on the topics of nature conservation and forest mapping in Slovakia. During the public discussion Jasík shared basic information about national parks in Slovakia and presented reasons for their existence: they are territories providing systemic benefits for the environment, protecting biodiversity, positively influencing the human psyche and providing space for recreation, but also enabling nature research. Together with the moderator, the panelists reflected on the question of how national parks should function and they compared the situation in Slovakia with neighboring countries where national park administrations have greater decision-making powers.

Jasík also pointed out that there are at least two camps in society with different perspectives on nature conservation. The first group trusts nature and, even in the event of disasters, leaves restoration to the laws of nature. The second group prefers active human intervention in the environment. Jasík argued in favour of the first approach, although he admitted that human has been part of nature in the past and it is questionable what kind of natural areas we want to preserve, since some areas such as groves and mountain meadows have been created by human activities.

A recording of the entire discussion is available on the Catholic University's YouTube channel.

This public discussion was organized within the framework of the project No. 101127675 European Perspectives on Climate, Conflict and Migration (EUPECCOM), carried out by a team from the Faculty of Arts and Letters, which was supported by the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Actions in the field of Higher Education: Modules scheme. More information about the project: http://eupeccom.ku.sk

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.