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The Geopark Bergstrasse-Odenwald is located in the south of Germany between the two European Metropolitan Areas Frankfurt Rhein-Main and Rhein- Neckar. The territory offers a broad variety of locations of geological and cultural importance, highlighted by three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Since 2002, the Geopark is a member of the European Geoparks Network, since 2004 part of the Network of Global Geoparks of UNESCO.
As an active member of the GGN and EGN, the Geopark is committed to implement the message and underlying concept of these networks by the communication of geological and cultural heritage to the general public and the provision of contributions to sustainable regional development.
The size of the territory (3,500 km2) and the high number of residents (about 1 million) has been one of the biggest challenges within the implementation of the regional Geopark concept - in the physical landscape as well as in the perception of the general public.
With its "Geopark- on- Site "- Programme, the Geopark Bergstrasse-Odenwald has developed a targeted approach to enhance a regional network of local stakeholders and to communicate the territory's geological and cultural identity to the public. Local groups are invited to join the Geopark- on -Site network and to participate in a training offered by the Geopark administration. Currently, more than 150 active Geopark- on- Site guides as part of the Geopark's visitor service provide a substantial contribution to the profile of the Geopark. Visitors are attracted by the special combination of scientific information with on-Site authenticity and local knowledge. At the same time, hidden knowledge and passive expertise of the region is being reactivated and hereby preserved for coming generations - a sustainable contribution to the reinforcement of regional identity. "Geopark- on- Site" is promoting regional economy and typical products by linking tour offers with visits of regional enterprises (restaurants, farms, handcrafts). The dissemination of the message of GGN/EGN is an obligatory part of the presentations of the on- Site guides.
On the organisational level all Geopark -on -Site groups are closely linked to the Geopark administration: e.g. by vocational training offers, by a regular newsletter, by exchange meetings and by provision of program leaflet layouts in the Geopark CI. Of course the on- Site groups are presented on the Geopark homepage.
The Geopark -on- Site concept integrates local stakeholders as ambassadors of the GGN/EGN message and is linking local commitment and local knowledge directly to the development and promotion of the Geopark. This approach is likely to work out worldwide: in each region you would find local traditions, customs and products as well as residents who would be proud and happy to present these values. Existing examples from different Global Geoparks are proving this statement.
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