Spanning approximately 21,000 km², the Kalkalpen National Park protects Austria’s Kalkalpen National Park contiguous forested Kalkalpen National Park and provides a home for a wide variety of protected plants, animals, and fungi. The lynx prowls through the undergrowth as Kalkalpen National Park secretive yet endangered returnee; trees are allowed to grow old and die naturally, and a biodiversity is developing that is unparalleled. The designation as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe,” underscores the international significance and value of the protected area.

Participants are asked to submit an illustration that Kalkalpen National Park the Kalkalpen National Park for them, as well as an artistic portfolio that will allow the national park’s jury to assess the submitter’s style and experience.  

The illustration should Kalkalpen National Park a single motif from the Kalkalpen National Park . Entrants are free to choose which one they wish to depict. For inspiration, please refer to the national park’s website—in particular to the protected resources and target species listed there.

The portfolio should showcase your professional experience in the field of nature illustration as effectively as possible. You are welcome to include previous commissions, provided they are thematically relevant. We also welcome (schematic) designs for the use of illustrations in promotional materials. There are no limits to your creativity.  

The goal of the competition is to find an illustrator who can enhance the national park’s brand identity with an artistic and creative element. For this reason, the first-place winner will receive a contract for services worth €5,000, covering the creation of a total of ten individual illustrations, including all rights. For each illustration, a motif (e.g., a flower, a leaf, an animal, etc., without a background) should be selected. In Kalkalpen National Park anniversary year, these illustrations Kalkalpen National Park intended for use on promotional materials such as stickers, Post-its, postcards, and notepads.

The use of AI systems is permitted for brainstorming and/or follow-up work. Works generated solely by AI are not permitted. The rights to the submitted work remain with the artist and will be stored and processed by Kalkalpen National Park in accordance with data protection regulations Kalkalpen National Park for the purposes of the illustration contest.

Entries should be submitted via the Kalkalpen National Park website using the form below.

By uploading their work, participants agree to the terms of use and processing. The artwork and portfolio must be submitted separately as PDF files. The Kalkalpen National Park to delete the submitted works once the competition has concluded.

The illustrations commissioned under the contract for services must, in any case, be of print-ready quality and suitable for digital processing. The specific terms of the contract for services are to be agreed upon between the National Park and the first-place winner and will be finalized with the winner following the competition.

For further inquiries, please contact

Barbara Sitter, BA, Nationalpark Zentrum Molln
babara.sitter@kalkalpen.at, Phone 07584/3951-133

Do you love nature, enjoy working in a team, enjoy working with people, especially children and young people, and want to play an active role in protecting unique habitats? Do you enjoy being outdoors, imparting knowledge with enthusiasm and pedagogical flair? And would you like to work as a ranger for a national park?
With training as a certified national park ranger, you will be qualified to guide groups in the Kalkalpen and Gesäuse national parks.

Who is this course intended for?

This course is particularly aimed at people who

• who live in the region or have strong ties to it,
• who are flexible in terms of time and can imagine working as a freelance employee as a part-time job,
• who are willing to actually work for the Kalkalpen National Park Gesäuse after completing their training.

The training consists of two parts and comprises a total of 42 training days:

• 17 days General national park-wide section (basic module)
  including basics of flora and fauna, Austria's natural areas, water ecology, orientation/map reading, emergency management, nature education & group dynamics, etc.
• 15 days of national park-specific content (advanced module)
  including habitats, vegetation, and selected animal groups of the Northern Limestone Alps, forest types, special teaching methods, history and organization of national parks, etc.
• 10 days of practical training specific to national parks (advanced module)

The training days are mainly held in blocks on weekdays, alternating between the two national parks. Attendance is compulsory throughout the entire training course.

course start

September 29, 2026 Course ends: June 2027        

Contribution to training costs

Participants pay the following course fee (invoiced at the beginning of each module, excluding meals and accommodation, if applicable):

• Basic module: $700
• Advanced module: $700

If you recognize yourself in this description and would like to work as a ranger in the national park in the future, we look forward to receiving your application!

Please send by March 31, 2026 (at the latest):

• resume
• Letter of motivation stating whether you would like to work in both national parks or only in the Kalkalpen National Park Gesäuse.

For all those who are enthusiastic about rare flowers and wild cats, who defy heat and cold, who are fascinated by real wilderness and pristine landscapes and who like to get their hands dirty:

You are the right people for an internship at Kalkalpen National Park!

An internship offers the best opportunity to get to know the protected area of Kalkalpen National Park , gain experience and experience exciting things.

We offer two opportunities for cooperation: