The Benediktbeuern Center for Environment and Culture invites families to go on a journey of discovery into the wintry monastery country
Benediktbeuern – A fresh wind is whistling, dark clouds are gathering.
Despite this, 16 children and twelve adults gather in the courtyard of the Maierhof, full of expectations and in a good mood.
Andrew Blackwell, who is responsible for environmental youth education at the Center for Environment and Culture (ZUK), looks in amazement at his documents.
"Some people have come who weren't even registered," he states, but nevertheless welcomes everyone to the search for clues in the wintry monastery country.
A theater stage is created between two trees and the little fox appears
In view of the weather conditions it was not necessary to bring "snowproof shoes and gaiters".
There is no more snow to be found far and wide around the monastery.
“Did you want to show us animal tracks in the snow?” asks one of the children.
"What are you doing now?" Blackwell laughs and points to two bulging bags and a large backpack.
"I've got enough with me.
Here we go!"
At the first rest stop, he nimbly sets up a theater stage: A rope is stretched between two trees, a blanket hung over it, behind it Blackwell unpacks all sorts of utensils while the inclined audience sits down on the other side of the "curtain".
Enter the little fox Theo.
He wants to train to be a detective.
But by whom?
Inspector Grünspecht introduces himself as his instructor and presents the first task: Who stole the nuts, the squirrel's winter supply?
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Who stole the squirrel's nuts?
You have to find the thief
In true Punch and Judy fashion, Blackwell always gets the kids involved.
Who has an idea?
Who could help us here?
Is the snail the robber?
No, clarifies the audience.
She doesn't like nuts.
But maybe the strange ball that turns out to be a curled-up hedgehog?
“No, he eats earthworms!” the children know.
So snail and hedgehog can sleep on.
Then Theo has an idea: “You will do the detective training with me.
Then we will surely find the robber!”
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Each family had to hide five walnuts around the monastery and then find them again.
A task that was a lot of fun for the participants - despite the cold wind that whistled at the open-air event in Benediktbeuern.
© Sabine Naher
The children are there immediately.
Now it's time to solve puzzles.
The families work together as a team.
First you pull pictures of animals out of a sack and let the relatives guess which animal it is.
"Can it fly?
Can it swim?
Is it a predator?” is heard everywhere.
And everyone seems to be having fun.
What does the butterfly do in winter?
"A really cool game," exclaims one mother enthusiastically.
"Has anyone had an animal they don't know what they do over the winter?" Blackwell asks.
"Butterfly," it sounds.
And that is a complicated case: Only three butterfly species, including the Lesser Tortoiseshell, hibernate.
Others fly to warmth like many birds, and some hibernate in cocoons only to hatch in spring.
"And the water frog?" It falls into hibernation and uses its own antifreeze to avoid freezing to death.
The wolf also poses puzzles.
"Who knows what the fox is doing?" Blackwell helps.
A lot of fingers go up.
Because a fox hunting mice can also be seen in winter.
Conclusion: If you find food, you don't need to hibernate.
Finds from the forest: This is important for nature and it doesn't need it
The next task is to look for things: something sharp, something smooth, an animal hair, a feather, something important for nature and something nature doesn't need.
Everyone is already swarming out and ten minutes later they are showing their finds: stones, bark, leaves, cones, moss.
But the fact that a lot of rubbish is also collected makes many people think.
Families take home ideas for new games
But back to the squirrel's problem: Each family receives five walnuts that they have to hide.
"We'll gather here again in ten minutes," Blackwell tells the swarmers on their way.
And then the hidden nuts have to be found again.
You also come across someone else's hiding places or you can't find your own.
Riddles solved in a playful way.
Everyone has a lot of fun - and takes home ideas for new games.
By Sabine Naher
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