Steinbach-Hallenberg OT Unterschönau
The Bergwaldprojekt e.V. receives the award for its work as an outstanding project in the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. The association has been working with tens of thousands of volunteers for over 30 years to protect, preserve and restore ecosystems. On 12 April 2024, the award was presented by the President of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Sabine Riewenherm, in the Unterschönau Future Forest in Thuringia, which is managed by the mountain forest project.
The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) honoured the NGO Bergwaldprojekt e.V. as a UN Decade Project in the "Forest" category for its diverse work to restore ecosystems.
The Bergwaldprojekt mobilises thousands of volunteers every year to carry out nature conservation work in forests, moors and open-air biotopes throughout Germany. This year, the organisation will bring over 5,000 volunteers into nature at almost 100 locations with its work weeks in consultation with local forestry and nature conservation partners. The aims of the work assignments are to preserve and restore ecosystems, to make the volunteers involved aware of the importance of and acute threat to the natural foundations of life and to help implement the necessary socio-ecological transformation in society.
Pioneering work in the restoration of damaged ecosystems
The award ceremony took place in the Unterschönau Forest of the Future. The forest, which is characterised by severe overexploitation, is currently being developed into a near-natural forest by the mountain forest project and is set to become a beacon project for sustainable forest management. The President of the BfN, Sabine Riewenherm, presented the award to the mountain forest project here. "The work that the Bergwaldprojekt e.V. has been doing for over three decades to restore ecosystems in Germany is impressive. I would like to thank the countless volunteers and honorary staff who work with great commitment at almost 100 project locations throughout Germany for the interests of forests and nature. Without the support of volunteers and numerous cooperation partners, many nature conservation tasks in Germany could not be accomplished," said Riewenherm, explaining the decision.
Stephen Wehner, Managing Director of Bergwaldprojekt e.V., accepted the award and thanked all volunteers on behalf of the Bergwaldprojekt association. Wehner explained: "We have already achieved a lot, but we must not forget that we are only working on the symptoms. We are facing a generational task here. Making our forests fit for the future is one part - but working on the causes of the damaged ecosystems is much more important. This is where we as a society are called upon. We must use all resources sustainably and distribute them more fairly."
Active nature conservation is only possible thanks to the many volunteers
During the event, it became clear how the work of the mountain forest project is supported and lived by volunteers. In her welcoming address, Peggy Greiser (non-party), District Administrator for the district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen, described the award as a well-deserved honour for the vision, commitment and tireless work behind this project. This work "clearly illustrates how important it is to work to preserve our forests, which are of inestimable value to the health of our planet", said the district administrator.
The event was accompanied by further words of welcome from UN Decade Ambassador Nina Ruge, the President of the Thuringian State Office for the Environment, Mining and Nature Conservation, Mario Suckert, Mike Messing from the Schmalkalden Forestry Office and the Mayor of Steinbach-Hallenberg, Markus Böttcher.
The UN Decade for the Restoration of Ecosystems
The United Nations has declared the years 2021 to 2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. They are calling for an end to the ongoing destruction of ecosystems worldwide and the restoration of degraded ecosystems. Intact ecosystems are a key prerequisite for preserving our livelihoods, counteracting the climate crisis and halting the loss of biodiversity. As part of the UN Decade Project Competition, the BMUV and the BfN are honouring representative projects for the restoration, preservation or maintenance of ecosystems. In the "Forest" category, a jury from the BMUV and BfN decided to honour the mountain forest project with the award.
Future forest Unterschönau
Bergwaldprojekt e.V. and the environmental foundation Greenpeace jointly acquired 200 hectares of forest in Unterschönau in the Thuringian Forest at the end of 2020. Both organisations want to manage the area with the Future Forest Unterschönau project in the future with near-natural forest use and use the project as a role model for other forest owners. The commitment to the Unterschönau Forest of the Future is intended to actively address the pressing problems of the forest.
Press contact:
Lena Gärtner
Press and Public Relations Bergwaldprojekt e.V.
Phone: 0931 - 991 220 11
E-mail: presse@bergwaldprojekt.de
Original content by: Bergwaldprojekt e.V., transmitted by news aktuell