National Park Gesäuse

Unique biodiversity: the endemics

Endemics are animal and plant species that only have a very small distribution area due to their ecological niche. This makes them particularly susceptible to environmental changes. In view of climate change and human intervention in nature, many of these specialized species are endangered to varying degrees.

Gesäuse National Park

As one of Austria's most important biodiversity hotspots, the Gesäuse National Park provides a habitat for a large number of endemic species. With its continuous research efforts, the National Park makes a decisive contribution to better understanding the ecological relationships in its area in order to develop and implement effective measures for the conservation of its biodiversity.

Public relations work

In 2017, the Gesäuse National Park initiated a campaign to raise awareness and interest in the endemics native to the area. Through the creation and presentation of high-quality scientific illustrations of selected animal and plant endemics and the preparation of species portraits, they have since offered visitors and nature lovers a unique opportunity to get to know these species up close. This not only serves to convey the beauty and uniqueness of these otherwise hidden species, but also to emphasize the importance of protecting their habitats - not least for us humans.

Our part

As part of this project, we illustrated a total of 6 zoological endemics. The drawings were made on A3 paper using pastel and colored pencil techniques. The originals hang in the office of the national park administration in Weng near Admont and are also on display at various exhibitions.