Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectively. The network includes both terrestrial and Marine Protected Areas.
Natural protected area of Els Ports
Sign identifying a "Natura 2000 area" (Haslauer Moor nature reserve) in Austria
Sign identifying a Natura 2000 site in Belgium.
Sign identifying a "European protected area" (Special Area of Conservation Lieberoser Endmoräne und Staakower Läuche) in Germany
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources is limited.
Strict nature reserve Belianske Tatras in Slovakia
Black Opal Spring in Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Yellowstone, the world's second official protected area (after Mongolia's Bogd Khan Mountain), was declared a protected area in 1872, and it encompasses areas which are classified as both a National Park (Category II) and a Habitat Management Area (Category IV).
Schweizerischer National Park in the Swiss Alps is a Strict Nature Reserve (Category Ia).
The Jaldapara National Park in West Bengal, India, is a Habitat Management Area (Category IV).
