The members of the working group and the research assistants rounded off the working year with coffee and cake. The working group wishes all colleagues and cooperation partners a Merry Christmas and a good start to the New Year!

The members of the working group and the research assistants rounded off the working year with coffee and cake. The working group wishes all colleagues and cooperation partners a Merry Christmas and a good start to the New Year!

An excursion as part of the "Space and society" seminar took 20 students from various Master's degree programmes to Bremen on Friday, 8 November. Led by Ingo Mose, the participants explored various processes of socio-spatial change in the urban space of Bremen. On foot and by public transport, the group walked along a transect from the rural outskirts of the municipality of Stuhr to the centre of Bremen's historic city centre, examining several districts and neighbourhoods from the perspective of current developments and challenges. In two neighbourhoods, the group had the opportunity to talk to important local players in person: While in Huchting, Ms Inga Neumann from the Office for Social Services presented the neighbourhood management based in the Citizens' and Social Centre on Amersforter Straße, in Neustadt the group met Katharina Müller and Mona Völkle, who introduced them to the urban gardening project of the KulturPflanzen e.V. association on Lucie-Flechtmann-Platz and the neighbouring KimaWerkStadt.

An excursion on the topic of "Appreciating value: Large-scale protected areas and regional development" took students from various Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes at the Universities of Oldenburg and Lüneburg to the Harz Mountains from 14 to 20 July 2019 under the joint leadership of Prof. Dr Ingo Mose (Oldenburg) and Prof. Dr Ulli Vilsmaier (Lüneburg). The group travelled to Torfhaus and Schierke. The excursion focussed on the development of the transnational Harz National Park and its role in regional development. The UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Gosla's historic centre and the Harz Water Regal were also included in the visit. During their stay, the group had the opportunity to meet numerous representatives of important local and regional institutions for an exchange of ideas, including the newly elected mayor of Braunlage, Wolfgang Langer, the mayoress of Schierke, Christiane Hopstock, and the press spokesman of the Harz National Park, Dr Friedhart Knolle. On their ascent to the 1,141 metre high summit of the Brocken, the group met the legendary Benno Schmidt, known as Brocken-Benno, who greeted the students on the occasion of his 8,790th ascent.

- A participatory evaluation of existing and planned minimisation and avoidance strategies for macroplastics in the southern North Sea

University of Oldenburg
1 October 2019

In addition to researching the sources and distribution of plastic in the North Sea, the aim of the macroplastics project is to better understand the social behaviour patterns of the actors involved and to work with them on strategies to avoid plastic discharges.
On the basis of empirical surveys and intensive research work, current solutions and avoidance measures were compiled.
In order to evaluate and discuss selected strategies and measures and uncover obstacles to their implementation, the workshop on 1 October 2019 involved a wide range of stakeholders who are directly involved in the plastic waste issue, are affected by it or can influence possible causes.
The participants were divided into two rooms according to their field of activity. One working group focussed on measures to prevent land-based discharges and another on sea-based discharges. The evaluation of the measures was implemented digitally and thus enabled a preliminary live evaluation, which served as the basis for the final discussion.
Methodologically based on the approach of multi-criteria analyses, the selected measures were evaluated using a standardised catalogue of criteria. This enabled a quantitative ranking of the measures in terms of their effectiveness, acceptance and feasibility. In addition, obstacles and suggestions for improvement for the various measures as well as further points for discussion were recorded. The results of the workshop are expected to be written up at the end of 2019/beginning of 2020.

We would like to thank all participants for their willingness to contribute, the exciting insights and the productive discussions!

The 10th Trilateral Research Workshop took place at the University of Oldenburg from 5-7 June 2019. It is traditionally organised in co-operation between ZENARiO and the Applied Geography and Environmental Planning working group with colleagues from the School of Spatial Sciences at the University of Groningen, the Institute of Geography at the University of Hamburg and the Institute of Geography at the University of Bremen and brings together students from various Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes and their lecturers for scientific exchange. The joint focus of the meeting is on spatial, environmental and sustainability science topics relating to the trilateral Wadden Sea region. The University of Southern Denmark in Kolding was also represented for the first time this year with two participants. As every year, the programme focused on presentations by students on the topics of their scientific work. Jürgen Rahmel from the administration of the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea Biosphere Reserve gave a presentation on the current development of the protected area. The participants were also keen to try out the "MSP Challenge" on issues of marine spatial planning in serious gaming. An excursion took the guests to Bad Zwischenahn, where they were welcomed by the mayor of the municipality, among others. A visit to the local teaching and research institute for horticulture was also on the programme. Next year, the workshop will take place at the University of Groningen.

Students on the Master's degree programmes in Water and Coastal Management, Sustainability Economics and Management and Landscape Ecology took part in an excursion by the Applied Geography and Environmental Planning working group to the Swedish capital Stockholm from 18 to 22 March 2019. During their stay, the participants addressed issues relating to sustainable urban development using the example of Royal Seaport City, a new district in the north of Stockholm, the planning and management of large protected areas using the example of Tyresta National Park, which presents a typical landscape of Scandinavia's boreal coniferous forest, and the compatibility of nature conservation, agriculture and tourism using the example of the island of Hjälmö in Stockholm's archipelago. The group had the opportunity to gain an in-depth insight into the local situation and to talk to selected experts on all topics, who willingly provided the students with information and took part in the discussion.

In his capacity as spokesperson for the Rural Areas Working Group of the German Geographical Society (DGfG), Prof. Dr Ingo Mose welcomed participants to the working group's annual conference on 21 February. Over 40 participants from all over Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic took part in the three-day event, which was held in co-operation with Prof. Dr Ulrich Harteisen from the School of Resource Management at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Göttingen. The general theme of the event, which the working group was able to organise for the 23rd time, was issues relating to the transformation of rural areas. The event also included a workshop exclusively for young researchers, which was attended by many doctoral students from a wide range of universities and colleges. A half-day excursion took the participants to the town of Duderstadt in the Eichsfeld region. At a reception in the town hall, the mayor gave an impressive account of the political challenges of recent urban development.

Students on the Master's degree programmes in Water and Coastal Management, Sustainability Economics and Management and Landscape Ecology took part in an excursion by the Applied Geography and Environmental Planning working group to the Swedish capital Stockholm from 18 to 22 March 2019. During their stay, the participants addressed issues relating to sustainable urban development using the example of Royal Seaport City, a new district in the north of Stockholm, the planning and management of large protected areas using the example of Tyresta National Park, which presents a typical landscape of Scandinavia's boreal coniferous forest, and the compatibility of nature conservation, agriculture and tourism using the example of the island of Hjälmö in Stockholm's archipelago. The group had the opportunity to gain an in-depth insight into the local situation and to talk to selected experts on all topics, who willingly provided the students with information and took part in the discussion.

In his capacity as spokesperson for the Rural Areas Working Group of the German Geographical Society (DGfG), Prof. Dr Ingo Mose welcomed participants to the working group's annual conference on 21 February. Over 40 participants from all over Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic took part in the three-day event, which was held in co-operation with Prof. Dr Ulrich Harteisen from the School of Resource Management at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Göttingen. The general theme of the event, which the working group was able to organise for the 23rd time, was issues relating to the transformation of rural areas. The event also included a workshop exclusively for young researchers, which was attended by many doctoral students from a wide range of universities and colleges. A half-day excursion took the participants to the town of Duderstadt in the Eichsfeld region. At a reception in the town hall, the mayor gave an impressive account of the political challenges of recent urban development.