Doing things with optimism to make life worth living and to have fun with environmental protection: This is how the new annual program of the Center for Environment and Culture (ZUK) can be summarized. In addition to many events, there will be a youth conference for the first time.
Benediktbeuern - Around 17,000 children and adolescents and 9,500 adults attended an event in 2018 as part of the ZUK's environmental education program. The visitor numbers from 2019 are currently being evaluated. Rector Father Karl Geißinger and the education officers know which events are always a hit and where new topics are required. As a result, the 2020 annual program is a mixture of tried and tested and new formats.
At its core, it's about environmental protection and responsibility for creation. The ZUK is therefore in line with the times, because many people try to live more sustainably. How this works and, above all, what makes sense and what experience you gain from it will be addressed by the ZUK in a new series.
Focus on environmental protection and responsibility for creation
Until July, there are five themed evenings that take place once a month and can be visited either as a package or individually. It starts on March 26th with the topic of nutrition, then it continues with private mobility, the area of "vacation, leisure, sport" and "other consumption" (about furniture, clothing, detergents and the like). The last event talks about building, living and electricity. Experts from the region will be guests to discuss with the participants. "This is about collecting information and exchanging experiences in order to then improve your own behavior in everyday life with effective measures," says Martin Blösl, education officer and head of this series.
New: repair café from March
Also new is a repair café (“Repair Café”), which starts on March 27 in the energy pavilion. The ZUK wants to set an example here against the throw-away mentality. "You value objects more if you have repaired them yourself," says speaker Florian Schuster. The four themed afternoons focus on wood, textiles, electronics and metal. Experts - such as a master tailor and a carpenter - are part of the party. The visitors must of course cooperate. "It is by no means the case that you bring things and pick them up repaired two hours later," says Schuster.
Under the motto "Future now" there will be a youth conference in Benediktbeuern for the first time, from October 9 to 11. It addresses young adults between the ages of 16 and 27 who want to exchange ideas and develop projects on how to make life on earth more sustainable on the ground. A preparatory weekend will take place from March 27 to 29 (registration deadline: March 16). "One goal is to make young people and their issues heard," says head Doris Linke. Politicians and scientists are also invited for discussion.
New youth conference under the motto "Future now"
In the new ZUK program, which this year has the motto "Active for tomorrow", there are of course also "tried and tested classics" such as bat and bird watching and the scythe mowing course. The father or mother-child weekends in the self-catering hut on Kochelsee are also very well received. Tours of all kinds on the Loisach are also popular. These take place in an “ecologically justifiable section,” says Florian Schuster, referring to the Isar regulation. "We want to show biodiversity and restoration measures."
Most of the offers at the ZUK are "very experience-oriented," says Rector Father Karl Geißinger. "Children and adults are heartbroken when they are in nature and find a relationship with it." Even if it seems that everything is fine in the region, this impression would be false: "We are also watching species extinction and that Effects of climate change, ”says the Rector. "Nature is withdrawing more and more." It is important that people see themselves as part of creation and take responsibility for it. "We want to do something in the region for the region."
To discuss the area of conflict with agriculture, the ZUK will be hosting an agriculture day for the first time on November 21. There will be numerous roundtables under the motto "Biodiversity in grassland: how can this be achieved?"
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