Background One of the last wetlands in the area, the Albufera Natural Park in Valencia has a very high ecological value. It acts as a stopover on the Euro-African migration route for many important bird species. It is surrounded by a city of 1.5 million inhabitants, and due to its tourist location it receives around 3 million visitors each year from all across the Europe. Most of these visitors come to the area to enjoy beaches, food and the nightlife, but they are not specifically aware of the environmental importance of the Natural Park. Moreover, the inclusion of the area in the Natura 2000 network is not clearly understood. In addition, inhabitants and businessman are usually confused by the different overlapping environment regulations. Objectives The project aimed to raise general awareness of all visitors and the local population on the natural values of the site and the Natura 2000 network. To this end, an intensive environmental awareness campaign was planned with the aim of reaching millions of people. Different and varied activities are planned for local residents, visitors, NGOs, associations, businessman and the mass media. Interpretative materials would be produced including audio guides that aid discovery of the natural and conservational value of the Natural Park and provide information about Natura 2000. Useful tools, such as a 'Regulatory guide' and an innovative cartographic database using the technologies of the open-source software gvGIS, were also planned. These tools would be directly transferable to other Natura 2000 sites. A participatory approach would be used, as far as possible, to involve stakeholders in the management of the area. In all, through interactive and attractive activities the project aimed to demonstrate the benefit of the Natura 2000 network and serve as a pilot experience for other managers. Results Due to the cost reductions offered by the sub-contractors, the SEDUCCION AMBIENTAL project was able to carry out more activities and produce more materials than foreseen. It thus has had a significant impact on the target audience. Though it is difficult to measure awareness quantitatively, feedback suggests that the project reached and improved the understanding of a large number of people. Through a range of planned actions, the project reached a large number of local people, visitors and organisations. The project also received a warm welcome from the different associations within the project area, which have seen the project as an instrument to promote their participation in the management of the Natural Park of l’Albufera and to increase their knowledge about this Natura 2000 site. Often users of protected areas are reluctant to accept initiatives that come from public administrations, as it is widely believed that these initiatives do not take into account their opinions. However, the project was able to overcome any mistrust of public bodies by giving users the opportunity to be involved in the project. They were encouraged to express their opinions and make suggestions about the different project activities and materials, particularly through the Open Group for Consultation and Participation. Thus they would be able to have their say on the title of the project, the careful and striking design of the materials produced and the direct language used for the contents of the materials, all adding to the effectiveness of the communication strategy. Opinion surveys highlighted widespread support for this approach to draw attention to the Natural Park of l’Albufera and to provide comprehensive information about its natural or landscape values, the complexity of its management and the problems to be solved. Many social groups were greatly surprised at being able through the project to discuss issues that used to be avoided. The general perception of visitors of the Natural Park was also improved thanks to the creation of information points and the availability of audio guides that emphasise the importance of nature protection. The local population and social groups were also invited to join efforts to improve the environmental conditions of the Natural Park. Events such as the l’Albufera Week and the Twinning Event were held to encourage such participation. Finally, the project succeeded in raising awareness of the Natura 2000 network, which was largely unknown before the project. Communication materials always tried to highlight the European dimension of the conservation work. Other significant results include: The drawing up of a regulatory guide that will help users of the Natural Park of l’Albufera (visitors and residents) access and understand legislation that applies to the Natural Park (it is found on the project website); The creation of eye-catching informative panels including three Natura 2000 Networking Programme panels installed at the main entrances of the Natural Park;; 50 thematic panels entitled ‘Did you know that…?’ and 65 audio-guide panels placed all over the project area; two signposts at the entrance to the Devesa forest area; and 150 temporary MUPIS panels (four different types) in public areas of Valencia to promote visits to the Natural Park; The establishment of five information points in the most visited parts within the Natural Park during peak periods and an environmental promotion office, the cornerstone of the project. More than 42 000 people received information about services and other practical details, in addition to receiving help in understanding the ecological relevance of the place they were visiting and the potential impact that their stay there could have on biodiversity; The creation of an audio guide, providing information to accompany visitors and users of the Natural Park during their visits or to help them prepare in advance. It was possible to obtain the information of the audio guide (40 podcasts and pdf files in Spanish, English and Valencian) by means of three options: downloading the podcasts from the project website, borrowing an mp3 player from the information points or dialling the telephone number linked to the audio guide; The production of attractive publications with representational illustrations and educational texts aimed at ‘seducing’ users of the Natural Park who are unaware of its natural value. All documents are available on the project website, except for the layman’s report; The creation of a project website that provides general information (ecosystems, tours, Natura 2000 Networking etc.) and more specialised and technical content (e.g. legislation and studies) about the Natural Park. The project website includes a Geographic Information System (GIS) to allow users to access all the available geographic information from diverse sources regarding l’Albufera Natural Park through an interactive map. The number of visits of the page increased from 6 503 visits in 2010 to 53 327 visits by the end of the project. It has become the reference site of the Natural Park of l’Albufera; and The production of a toponymic map (2 200 copies) and an interactive DVD (14 758 copies). The awareness raising campaign included: 36 scheduled guided visits, 70 thematic visits, 26 educational activities (Tree Day, Expojove fair, International Bird Day), itinerant stand, involving around 7000 participants in total; A photo contest in May 2011 (with the photos exhibited in different areas) and a fables and tales contest in May 2012 (with the winning stories featuring in the newsletter); Media coverage (43 press releases, and 10 radio and TV appearances).Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).