On March 30th, 2023, this year’s general assembly of the Vorarlberger Naturwacht took place in the premises of inatura.
After the resignations of the country manager Dietmar Hartmann and his deputy Bakk. Biol. Johanna Kronberger in 2022, the board work was carried out in the form of a working group of board members Gaby Kraft (MAS), Brigitte Hellmair and the co-opted Dr. DI Marion Eckert-Krause maintained.
In addition to Provincial Councilor MMag. Daniel Zadra, nature conservation lawyer DI Katharina Lins and Mag. Klemens Heuböck from Department 4e “Environmental and Climate Protection” accepted the invitation to the meeting.
Vorarlberg Nature Watch – Board elected unanimously
The quorate general assembly unanimously elected the new board through the voting local group leaders and their deputies. LR Zadra congratulated the delegates to applause.
For the coming period, the team includes Edmund Hartmann (country manager), Dr.DI Marion Eckert-Krause (deputy country manager) and the re-elected board members Brigitte Hellmair (treasurer) and Gaby Kraft (secretary). The advisory board members Nina Kräutler-Ferrari and Dipl.-HTL-Ing. Max Hartman. Edmund Hartmann thanked them for the trust they had placed in us. He is looking forward to the upcoming tasks in the dedicated and already well-established team. One of the most important challenges is the revision of the statutes and the establishment of the office, which is funded by the state. In addition, the season starts with many trips to work, the support of the new training year that has started.
Dedicated nature watch – valued by the country
The increasing burden on nature through leisure tourism requires a committed commitment from the voluntary nature watchdog, whose work in the country is very important. Provincial Councilor Zadra emphasized that the country appreciates and supports this work. The pressure of use in the forests, hay meadows, moors and the Alpine regions has now become a “round the clock” job. This would not be possible without volunteers. Katharina Lins confirmed the work with a motivating “continue”.
Pressure of use, sensitivity and increasing interest in nature
Not only has the tone in the area become rougher on the part of the visitors, but what is actually gratifying is that more and more people are coming to the areas who do not yet know how to behave in nature. So there are level-headed people who see nature as relaxation and balance, who can enjoy the silence and diversity and those who just rush through quickly on their motorized bicycles, unaware of reptiles sunning themselves on the ground or butterflies looking for nectar.
Nature reserves are sensitive areas and not picnic areas. With special sensitivity, nature guards have to provide clarification here and sometimes have a pretty thick skin. Nature guards are also surprised with new leisure activities, which can be probes or drone flights.
Free-roaming dogs, commercial mushroom and berry pickers and people who dispose of their rubbish remain a perennial favorite. The pressure of use in protected areas can be felt in the decline in biodiversity. The absence of the corncrake in the Natura2000 area is just one sad example of how animals react to disturbance and unrest.
Often the answer comes that I’ve always done it that way. Protected areas and the related conservation laws are designed to protect sensitive areas from wrongdoing and preserve them for our descendants.
Promotion of young talent through a new training concept
More than ever, nature guards are required to go on business as official auxiliary bodies when implementing the law for nature conservation and landscape development, and they are dependent on growth in their groups. A new training concept and a planned training offensive are intended to motivate the population to work for their natural idyll in the Ländle in a professionally qualified manner. Let’s keep what we love!
Would you like to take part in the nature watch?
Be active, get involved, get involved? The nature watch looks forward to those who are interested in helping to give our nature and environment a future. Contact at: [email protected]F
