Lake Vänern Archipelago and Mount Kinnekulle UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
Welcome to Lake Vänern Archipelago and Mount Kinnekulle UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in western Sweden
The biosphere area is a living landscape where people live and work, businesses develop and communities grow. Lake Vänern, its archipelago and Mount Kinnekulle are home to valuable natural and cultural environments, but also to everyday life and local development.
A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is not a nature reserve. It is a place where people can work together to find ways of caring for nature and cultural heritage while also developing a sustainable society.
Discover UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme
Bringing people together
Much of our work is about bringing different people and organisations together. We work with municipalities, researchers, businesses, associations, organisations, landowners and residents. Sometimes our role is to inspire, sometimes to connect people who can benefit from working together, and sometimes to lead a process from an idea to something that can be put into practice. Our ambition is to help local sustainability initiatives grow and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Ideas that grow
One example is our Biosphere Ambassador concept. The idea was developed here to give people an opportunity to learn more about the biosphere area and become ambassadors for sustainable development. The concept has since been taken up and further developed by other biosphere reserves in Sweden and in other countries.
Starting with children
We also work with the youngest people who live here. Through our Mini Ambassadors initiative, children aged 5–6 learn about their local biosphere area, nature and sustainability together with their teachers. More than 500 children have so far become Mini Ambassadors.
Working with businesses
Local businesses are an important part of the biosphere area and of the work towards a more sustainable society. We work actively with businesses and create opportunities for them to meet, share experiences and develop sustainability initiatives together. For us, this is an important part of the biosphere area’s role: creating connections between people and organisations that might not otherwise meet.
DISCOVER THE BIOSPHERE AREA
The biosphere area is also a place to visit and experience.
Explore Lake Vänern and its islands, discover the landscape and geology of Mount Kinnekulle, walk the Biosphere Trail, experience local food and culture, or simply spend time in the landscape.
Explore the Biosphere Trail – hiking in a unique natural environment
Download brochure
Read The Guardian article
Our Biosphere reserve
The Lake Vänern Archipelago and Mount Kinnekulle UNESCO Biosphere Reserve includes the three municipalities of Lidköping, Götene and Mariestad.
Visiting address Biosphere office:
Kyrkogatan 2, Mariestad
Mail/Invoice address:
Biosfärområde Vänerskärgården med Kinnekulle
Mariestads kommun, 542 86 Mariestad (Sweden)
Visiting address: Kyrkogatan 2, 542 30 Mariestad Mail/Invoice address: Biosfärområde Vänerskärgården med Kinnekulle, c/o Mariestads kommun, 542 86 Mariestad, SWEDEN Company registration number: 802447-2782
Biosphere office staff:
Helena Torsell – coordinator
helena.torsell@vanerkulle.se
+46 501 – 75 50 39
Sofia Gustafsson Guldbrand – process & project manager
sofia.gustafsson-guldbrand@vanerkulle.se
+46 501- 75 52 57
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