Where Russian tank units just a few decades ago carried out military exercises on large training areas, where huge excavators won brown coal in mining or where once the inner-German border separated Germany - there now are important habitats for threatened animal and plant species. Together with national parks and biosphere reserves these areas form the National Heritage in Germany. 100,000 hectares have now been successfully transferred. Alone 46,000 hectares got the DBU Naturerbe GmbH, a subsidiary of the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt and further 17,000 hectares went to conservation organizations and 28,000 hectares to the Bundesländer. 9,000 hectares remained in federal ownership. In care and land management, it's all about nature conservation.
With this year's Summer Academy "The National Heritage in Practice - Impulses, Challenges, Perspectives" from 19th to 24th June in Ostritz - St. Marienthal, the DBU will initiate in cooperation with the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation and the Nature Foundation DAVID a comprehensive discussion and exchange of experience on all aspects of the management of natural heritage areas.
The event begins on Monday with a personal record of 40 years of conservation work by Hubert Weinzierl, President of the Deutscher Naturschutzring and for many years Chairman of the DBU Board. It follows the view on international challenges in conservation by Christoph Heinrich, WWF Germany, before Professor Beate Jessel, President of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, discusses the opportunities that are tied to the security of the national natural heritage, for higher-level conservation targets in Germany. Subsequently, Dr. Hartmut Kretschmer from the Brandenburg State Office for Environment, Health and Consumer Protection presents an initiative of associations and foundations to ensure conservation of valuable natural areas. The speech block is completed by Dr. Fritz Brickwedde, Secretary General of the DBU. He will address the question of how a stronger identification with nature can be achieved. The day is completed by a panel of experts discussing the protection goals in the areas of the national natural heritage.
On Tuesday and Thursday, different working groups deal with the subjects of
On Monday evening the well-known nature photographer Norbert Rosing presents a slide show on "Wild Germany”. On Thursday evening a visit to the ruins of Oybin is provided, followed by a concert.
On Wednesday four parallel excursions are planned - a hike in the Nature Park Zittau Mountains, a visit of the DBU Nature Heritage Dauban Forest and the Königsbrück Heath, and a bicycle excursion.
