Landreis rangers want to sensitize winter sports enthusiasts to nature conservation

Created: 12/14/2021, 05:37 AM

From: Josef Hornsteiner

In action for five months: The Garmisch-Partenkirchens district rangers (from left) Michaela Wölfle, Andreas Mühlbacher and Lisa Strakeljahn.

© Josef Hornsteiner

The new district rangers in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district office draw an interim conclusion.

You are looking forward to winter when numerous winter sports enthusiasts flock to the mountains again.

In addition, the rangers are desperately looking for nature conservation guards.

District

- Winter is approaching. A great time, especially for winter sports enthusiasts. A difficult time for wild forest dwellers. Because the pressure on nature is increasing. Snowshoe hikers trudging cross-country through wildlife sanctuaries, ski tourers with headlamps through nature conservation areas at night, hundreds of local people who cavort in the living room of deer and deer. Michaela Wölfle, Lisa Strakeljahn and Andreas Mühlbacher have exciting but also exhausting months ahead of them. They are the three rangers of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district with an office in the district office. They have been active since August and want to set up a nature protection watch in the district. Time for a first conclusion and a preview of the upcoming winter.

The three district rangers of the Lower Nature Conservation Authority entered completely new territory in August. You started in a professional field that didn’t exist in the district before. Even four months after the start of the Leader funding project, the three of them are still very busy with themselves. “First we had to build a network, make contacts, distribute areas of responsibility, and so on,” says Wölfle. A “living process” that is still ongoing. Because now the winter months are approaching and there are no empirical values ​​for them either.

That is why the trio, together with the area supervisor and landscape ecologist Daniela Feige, often looked beyond the district boundaries.

In Miesbach and Bad Tölz, nature protection guards have been developing for a long time.

Those responsible often exchanged ideas.

“We already have some training courses behind us.” The most important task from the start: recruiting nature conservation guards.

As is well known, numerous communities in the district have decided to send volunteers on their way to get in touch with hikers, mountaineers and winter sports enthusiasts.

The task: to raise awareness, educate and be a contact person for all matters relating to nature.

In a manner of speaking, steering instead of ranting.

In Uffing, the pilot project, coordinated and supervised by Feige, was the first to successfully start in Corona summer 2020. 14 volunteers have been in the Staffelsee area since then. Following this example, the three rangers are now to build up teams of voluntary nature conservation guards in the other district communities and also coordinate and supervise them. In Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Isar valley and in Grainau - albeit a bit slow - some volunteers have so far been found. "We are the first point of contact for anyone interested," says Wölfle. They conduct the job interviews, make selections, and accompany the budding nature conservation officers. In the future, they should act as a link between citizens and administration. The project is financially supported by the LAG Zugspitz Region.

But before that happens, the volunteers have to get used to their future field of work with a candidate year. “If they are still interested and motivated, they can become official nature conservation guards.” Means: You attend a ten-day training course at the Academy for Nature Conservation and Landscape Management. “After all, it's a responsible job.” The volunteers are also allowed to record personal details and punish administrative offenses. "That is why we carefully choose who is suitable for this work and who is not."

The basic requirements are small, but important: A guard must be able to deal with people well, be empathetic and enjoy being in nature.

Of course, local knowledge is an advantage.

The district administration would prefer people who have already specialized in the field, such as mountain rescue service comrades or members of the German Alpine Club.

You don't need a top athlete.

In winter, for example, nature conservation guards will be in the parking lots on the Wank, on the Hausberg or at the foot of the Zugspitze.

They should show presence and also point out misconduct.

For example, if someone wants to go to a protected area after dark.

Interested parties can contact the area manager Daniela Feige at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district office on 08821/751417 or by email to Daniela.Feige@lra-gap.de.