14th - 17th August 2012, Tapolca, Upper-Balaton region, Hungary

Today, effective monitoring is fundamental to Protected Area management worldwide. This free three day workshop will concentrate on an introduction of data collection methods and analysis of monitoring data and practical experience using protected area management information systems which can provide deeper insight into what is happening in real or near real time in a protected area.

The international workshop will look at best practices and standards related to monitoring options and sources ranging from law enforcement monitoring, ranger monitoring and citizen monitoring. The core vehicle for this workshop, will be the MIST Management Information System which will be introduced theoretically as well as practically.

1. Who should attend this workshop
2. Workshop leaders
3. Languages
4. Goals and scope
5. Program outline
6. Venue location
7. How to reach Tapolca
8. Accommodations
9. Meals and Restaurants
10. Remote Participants
11. Registration

1. Protected Area rangers, managers and decision holders
2. Law enforcement personnel such as park law enforcement, police and civil guards
3. Scientists and researchers interested in storing and analyzing location data
4. Information technology managers
5. Conservationist, Protected Area specialists
6. Civil, environmental and tourists organizations
7. Citizen monitors
8. Policy makers

Kevin Sallee, Ecological Software Solutions LLC
Barbara Sallee, Ecological Software Solution LLC

Primary language of the workshop sessions and documentations: English, with Hungarian and German language support. After the event minutes and the workshop report will be made available.

Protected Areas have daily, weekly and long-term management needs for planning, implementation and evaluation. The quality of these management decisions have to be based upon access to high quality up-to-date information. This is the reason why the management of relevant information should be highly regarded by park management. Information management allows the access to data and information from different sources and the effective passing on of the same toward different interested parties to support qualified management decisions. The management of information results in a tractable organization and the control of structures, processes and results and improves the quality of planning, implementation and evaluation.

Information Management Systems are already installed and are used in many Protected Areas in Asia and Africa, maximizing the management of biotic and abiotic information. Such Management Information Systems carry a huge potential benefit for the Protected Areas of Europe as well. The experience of diverse Protected Areas collected through the introduction of Management Information Systems do make it worth to consider for all regions over the world.

The workshop starts with a field trip introduction training day about concrete data collection, management and analysis in the practice. Than in two follow up workshop days it discusses information management methods and tools for Protected Areas, with divers topics, from data collection and monitoring of resources to planning. At the end of the course, the participants of the workshop will:

• know tools for data collection and methods for monitoring
• know about management analysis in the practice
• overview the importance of key management issues such as civil, ranger based and law enforcement monitoring
• Have experienced in effective monitoring and evaluation principles

The workshop consists of field work at the nearby St. George Hill in the Upper-Balaton National Park and classroom workshops. The aim is to show in practice the power and utility in using monitoring and management tools which can present results achieved through correct implementation in various environments. Participants are offered insight in the overview and use of MIST as such a tool and called to actively participate in the workshop.

Official start of workshop. The class will be hiking the St. George Hill and breaking every few minutes for further discussions, participation, individual trials with data collection, asking and answer question sessions.

Aside of the three day workshop, a Balaton Lake boat tour for Friday afternoon will be offered for all interested workshop participants. Registration and fee information for this social program upon arrival.

To further promote networking among attendees, there will be a reception at 19:00 on Tuesday 14th August at the Hunguest Hotel Pelion, Tapolca, and a local wine tasting with light appetizers at a St. George Hill winery in the later afternoon on Wednesday 15th August. These are both provided free to all workshop participants.

Other nearby attractions may also interest workshop participants while they are in the region, such as a visit to the Hotel Pelion wellness center, an underground boat tour of the Tapolca cave-lake system, local castles self tours, Lake Balaton water sports, health spas, and other local tourist attractions and events.

Hunguest Hotel Pelion Tapolca
Upper-Balaton region, Tapolca, Hungary
H-8300 Tapolca, Köztársaság tér 10.

GPS coordinates: Lat: 46.88533, Lon: 17.44320
E-mail: hotelpelion@hunguesthotels.com
Website: http://www.hunguesthotels.hu/en/hotel/tapolca/
Phone: +36 87-513-100
Fax: +36 87-513-101

Map: http://www.iranymagyarorszag.hu/terkep/I307095

All prices and options provided for accommodation, transportation, events or expenses are not under the workshop organizer's control, are subject to availability and other factors, and may change without warning or notification. Contact the project coordinator if you need assistance with transportation coordination.

Flights to nearby capitols and cities. Travel from the Airports by train, bus or shuttle to the city of Tapolca.

• Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport
• Vienna International Airport
• Airport Graz
• Sármellék International Airport (also known as FlyBalaton Airport). Weekly flights from chosen European destinations to Lake Balaton.

Train time tables and routes in English: http://elvira.mav-start.hu. For instance from Vienna leaving the 14th of August at 09:54 arriving in Tapolca at 15:18, travelling through Gyor. Or from Graz on the 14th August, leaving at 06:08, arriving in Tapolca at 10:44, or leaving Graz at 14:38 and arriving in Tapolca at 19:10, both through Szombathely. From Budapest Airport leaving 14th August at 10:27 and arriving at Tapolca at 15:10.

Volán bus schedules and routes in English: http://ujmenetrend.cdata.hu/uj_menetrend/en/index.php. Combining train and bus may be faster in some cases, such as taking a train from Vienna to Gyor, then a bus from Gyor to Tapolca.

A7 from Budapest to Székesfehérvár, than Route 8 to Veszprém and connection-route to Tapolca.
Distance calculator and route-map: http://www.distance-calculator.co.uk/distances-for-budapest-to-tapolca.htm

A3 from Vienna to Eisenstadt, then Route 84 to Lake Balaton

Special shuttle transport direct from a train station or airport of your choice can be arranged for an additional fee. Contact the project coordinator in the Registration section below for assistance.

The workshop takes place at the Hunguest Hotel Pelion in Tapolca, Hungary, Upper-Balaton Region. All prices and options provided for accommodation, transportation, events or expenses are not under the workshop organizer's control, are subject to availability and other factors, and may change without warning or notification. For current exchange rates see: http://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/

Lunch and dinner can be provided upon request at the hotel or workshop participants may dine at any of the many fine restaurants in Tapolca.

Map of Tapolca in Hungary: http://www.iranymagyarorszag.hu/terkep/tapolca

Price per night for rooms, including breakfast and dinner:

Participants should use the code word "PAMIS Workshop" when making a reservation at the Hotel Pelion to receive these prices.

The hotel's website: http://www.hunguesthotels.hu/en/hotel/tapolca/

1. The Hotel Raven is now fully booked during the week of the workshop. Please register your accomidations at the Hotel Pelion (see above) or see options (2) or (3) below.
   
   Hotel Raven (Varjú Fogadó, webpage: http://www.varjufogado.hu). Five minute walk to the Hotel Pelion.

   Price per night for rooms, including breakfast:

   Single room	7,000.- HUF per person/per night *
   Double room	10,600.- HUF per person/per night *
   * Currency exchange for estimation only: on May 15th 10,000 HUF was about 35 EUR at the interbank exchange rate. The hotel has its own currency exchange rates and you must contact the hotel directly for exact prices in currencies other than Hungarian Forint.

2. Tourist accommodations are available in the nearby village of Hegymagas, 7 km from Tapolca. Costs of accommodation in Hegymagas are 7 to 20 Euro per night/per person. Breakfast extra. Transportation to the venue is available by bus or private taxi. For photos and further information see the following link:
   
   http://www.hegymagas.hu/index.php/szallaslehetosegek
   
   In case you would like help in making your reservation in Hegymagas in English, French or German please contact Mrs. Barbara Sallee using the email contact in the information link below and she will gladly assist you.
   
   

3. For additional accomodation options and prices, or to request further information, please contact Mrs Barbara Sallee using the email contact link in the information link below.
   
   

Except where indicated in the schedule, workshop participants are on their own for Lunch and Dinner meals. All participants may dine at the Hotel Pelion. Additional suggested eating establishments and maps to their location both within and outside of the city of Tapolca will be provided to participants at registration and check-in.

While being at the workshop will provide the best experience, we understand many may not be able to make it to the workshop site do to timing, prior commitments, financial limits or other reasons. So for interested participants there may be additional fee based access to the classroom parts of the workshop via networking options or other methods such as web casts. Use the contact information below for more information and requests for remote workshop information and participation.

For workshop registration, questions about the program, accomidations, or the workshop in general, or for assistance with logistics or technical issues, such as optional special travel services (direct shuttle bus from Vienna, Budapest, from the Sármellék International Airport (also known as FlyBalaton Airport or other nearby airports, local taxi or venues in other cities) please contact:

Participants may make room reservations direct at the hotels (see list of recommended hotels above)

Free on site participation is limited to the first 30 registered participants. Please register as soon as possible.

All prices and options provided for accommodation, transportation, events or expenses are not under the workshop organizer's control, are subject to availability and other factors, and may change without warning or notification. For current exchange rates see: http://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/