This garbage on a bench on the Isar hiking trail is not a pretty sight. © Demmel
Garbage in nature is always a nuisance in the Tölzer Land. The rangers would like to see more environmental education for children, but also for adults.
Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen – At popular excursion destinations, people are always annoyed by discarded garbage. Just a few weeks ago, children and parents found hundreds of polyester rose petals scattered on a 1000 square meter meadow at Ramadama in Jachenau on the southern shore of Lake Walchensee. Also on the Isar hiking trail and in the Loisach-Kochelsee-Moor there are always cans, beer bottles, chip bags and the like. Does our society generally have too little environmental awareness? How could it be sharpened?
The rangers spend 20 percent of their working time collecting garbage
One person who has to deal with the legacies of civilised society on a daily basis is Hans Adlwarth, one of the rangers at Lake Walchensee. Around 20 percent of their working time, says Adlwarth, the rangers would spend picking up garbage. He estimates that although around 80 to 90 percent of excursionists take their garbage back with them, "the remaining 10 to 20 percent are still far too many citizens."
Some rangers as well as members of the Walchensee water rescue service now made larger and more signs pointing out the ban on entering the island of Sassau © Grünwald
Adlwarth believes that environmental awareness and nature conservation should be taught at home or at the beginning of primary school. "It has to become as natural as brushing your teeth." It will never be possible to completely avoid the garbage in the landscape, Adlwarth is certain. "I don't think you will reach every citizen. But in general, there is still a lot of room for improvement."
"Some people throw the packaging of fast-food restaurants out of the window while driving"
It is striking that many excursionists are on the road with thermos bottles and lunch boxes. "You don't leave things like that lying around." But there are also some who are on the road with ready-made grills and disposable dishes. "Some people just throw the packaging of quick-service restaurants out the window while driving." The rangers also found a tent and bath towels at the lake, which were apparently simply left behind when a thunderstorm was approaching. "Unfortunately, we live in a throwaway society." Environmental education, Adlwarth demands, should be given a much greater priority. "Everywhere, so that you can reach children, young people and adults." If the rangers catch polluters, they seek conversation. "People are quite insightful," says Adlwarth.
A cigarette butt contaminates up to 50 litres of water
Cigarette butts are a big problem. "One dump contaminates 45 to 50 litres of water. Most people don't even know that." For example, the rangers distribute small, reusable ashtrays made of aluminum. "Most people like them, they like to accept them."
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However, it is by no means only private individuals, but also tradespeople who dispose of garbage in nature. Adlwarth cites as an example ten discarded mattresses, found in a wooded area on Lake Walchensee. "No private person does that." Sometimes the police can find the perpetrators, as in the past year, when some car tires were disposed of in the lake in the municipality of Kochel.
The installation of garbage containers has improved the situation at Lake Walchen
Dog toilets overflowing with garbage at Lake Walchen made headlines a few years ago. "Since the municipality has set up garbage containers, the situation has improved considerably," says Alois Grünwald, head of the Walchensee water rescue service. As reported, for a long time, the municipality of Kochel pursued the strategy that visitors would be forced to take their waste home without a trash can. This repeatedly caused discussions among the population. "People now pay for parking and also expect to have on-site services such as trash cans," Grünwald argues. Even those who come by public transport want to dispose of their waste on site.
Wish for a Walchensee app with all the information
Grünwald hopes that more information will be available in the course of visitor guidance at Lake Walchensee, especially digitized. "You have to pick up the visitor where he first gets information today, namely on the Internet." One could, for example, set up a Walchensee app, he suggests, in which there is everything important about the lake: information on nature conservation, parking lots, hiking trails and inns, but also on toilet and garbage container locations and facilities for the disabled.
More signs indicate a ban on entry on the island of Sassau
The water rescue service regularly catches people who are illegally staying on the island of Sassau. These are prohibited from entering. "Most say they didn't see the signs." Therefore, together with the rangers, the signs have now been renewed. There are now six of them – one more – and they are much larger than they used to be. Grünwald hopes that these will now have a greater impact and that the island will become more important to the authorities. "It's just us volunteers who do the work and who are then allowed to listen to people's insults."
Environmental education in schools is not equally good everywhere
And what about environmental education in schools? The Centre for Environment and Culture (ZUK) at Benediktbeuern Monastery has experience with this, after all, many children come to education days. Sustainable development is integrated into the curriculum, says Doris Linke, who is responsible for education at ZUK. However, it should be noted that it is due to the commitment of the teachers. "It varies from school to school." Basically, children and young people are very interested in learning a lot about nature and the environment. One project that has established itself at the ZUK is the "outdoor school". More institutions would like to participate, says Linke, but unfortunately there are currently neither enough staff nor can they finance an expansion.
You can find even more up-to-date news from the region at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.