Celebrating an amazing endeavour, such as UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme, which involves stakeholders in 129 countries around the world, require coordination and joint effort. Our goal is to mobilize the entire World Network of Biosphere Reserves and, in its diversity, celebrate our global movement, paying tribute to the common thread among humanity and nature.
Check out the various ways in which you can join this party!
Celebration Principles
#1 Be sustainable
If you are going to create new products, use materials made with respect for people and the environment. Privilege materials produced in Biosphere Reserves!
#2 Re-use
Do you have an old t-shirt that you love but needs a bit of life? What about apparel that could use some colour? These are the optimum souvenirs to celebrate UNESCO’s MAB 50th Anniversary. Customize them!
#3 Reduce
Avoid single-use products. In your celebration, we encourage you to go digital! For event invitations and promotions of events, harness the potential of social media.
Visual Identity
Highlighting the symbiosis between people, biodiversity, climate and their environment, the illustration is a permanent reminder throughout the celebration of what UNESCO's MAB Programme and the World Network of Biosphere Reserves stand for.
Created by Spanish designer Del Hambre, it is also aimed at unifying the celebrations around the world, showing we are all part of a global movement that celebrates life in all forms.
Please note that the use of the illustration is not authorised for commercial purposes. The use of UNESCO's or UNESCO's MAB Programme logos are not permitted, unless otherwise expressly authorised by the organization.
Resources for official events/initiatives
If you are planning to hold celebrations in your biosphere reserve, we invite you to register it for UNESCO's patronage. Official events and initiaves will:
- be featured in our Global Calendar in this page
- receive a complete Visual Identity Brand Kit, with all the guidelines, templates and visual elements
This way, every event and initiative will be easily identifiable as part of this global movement!
In case your initiative is alligned with the criteria below, click here to fill up a registration form.
For events and activities to be under the patronage of the MAB 50th anniversary and to use the Visual Identity Kit, they must celebrate the spirit of UNESCO designated biosphere reserves. This includes the following criteria:
Time-limited: the events have to single events or a series of events that are taking place in 2021 in the light of celebrating the 50th anniversary of UNESCO's MAB Programme. Permanent events cannot be included.
Broad audience: the activities should reach diverse target groups and stakeholders of the biosphere reserves such as:
- Youth;
- Indigenous peoples;
- Women;
- Inhabitants of Biosphere Reserves;
- Other stakeholder of the biosphere reserves such as policy-makers, traditional leaders, private sector, researchers
Diverse activities: Patronage can be granted for events in a variety of formats such, as:
- meetings and conferences;
- awards and prizes;
- workshops;
- podcasts and videos;
- exhibitions;
- flyers/books;
- digital platforms
Topics related to the biosphere reserves: the content of the event and activities must be related to the biosphere reserves, such as:
- strengthening the World Network of Biosphere Reserves;
- strengthening identification with local biosphere reserves;
- promotion of the concept of biosphere reserves including three functions of biosphere reserves and sustainable development;
- addressing people in the biosphere reserves;
- addressing research in and about the biosphere reserve
All the events and initiatives that follow the criteria above will be featured on the special website of the 50th Anniversary of UNESCO's MAB Programme as part of the global celebration.
Silk screen and stencil
Here are easy-to-use and inexpensive ways to celebrate your Biosphere Reserve in the framework of UNESCO’s MAB 50th Anniversary.
Find a local sustainable provider. Otherwise, check out for online silk-screen and stencil tutorials online. You can do it yourself, but this is a great opportunity to hold group activities in schools or community centres, while discussing the different aspects of the programme and your biosphere reserve!
Instructions:
- Download the editable PDF
- Open a file in Adobe Acrobat
- Click on the “Edit PDF” tool in the right pane
- Go creative and have personalized materials for your celebration
- Export as PDF
Now you have a model that can be either applied on t-shirts and apparel through silk-screen or on walls through stencil. Video tutorials are coming soon!
Contribute with videos and images
Have your UNESCO Biosphere Reserve featured in the celebrations!
Throughout the year we will be producing extensive audiovisual contents to promote UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme as whole and, particularly, Biosphere Reserves in different countries. Therefore, we invite our Member States and sites to contribute in the form of high-quality video, photo and audio materials. These should reflect the interactions between people and their environment, including natural, cultural and traditional features.
We kindly ask these materials to be submitted in the following formats:
- Pictures: .jpg or .png; +200 dpi; no logos or captions;
- Videos: .mp4, .mpeg or .mov; +640x360px; no logos or captions;
- Audio (natural or songs): mp3
Fill out the form and send it to mab50anniversary@unesco.org. Don't forget to include the copyright agreement!
We also welcome videos and case studies for the #ProudToShare campaign, highlighting Biosphere Reserves’ initiatives to address the Sustainable Development Goals. Check out the suggested format and extra details here.