County awards nature conservation prize 2021

It was awarded for the first time in 1982, and 38 years later its importance remains unchanged: the nature conservation prize of the Waldeck-Frankenberg district. Together with a special prize for young people who are particularly committed to nature conservation, it is an important means of honouring the many achievements of nature conservationists in the district. District Administrator Dr Reinhard Kubat and District Council Chairwoman Iris Ruhwedel were pleased to add six more individuals and groups to the ranks of the honourees for 2020 at a ceremony held in keeping with the corona. It was the 25th awarding of the Nature Conservation Prize and thus a proud little anniversary.

The main prize for nature conservation, with prize money of 1,250 euros each, was awarded to forest conservationist and landscape planner Norbert Panek, who played a key role in the designation of the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park, and Frank Seumer, founder of the Frankenberg Nature Conservation Youth and a bat expert respected throughout the district. Norbert Panek took the opportunity to present District Administrator Dr Kubat with a paper on the possible purely ecological use of the Domanial forest. The Youth Nature Conservation Prize and prize money of 500 euros was awarded to one of Frank Seumer's protégés, Ayham Jarrah from the NAJU Frankenberg, who has rendered outstanding services above all as a supervisor of the children's group, but also in the fight against giant hogweed and in the grazing project with red cattle.

The jury also awarded an honorary certificate to Jürgen Voigtländer from Korbach-Meineringhausen for his outstanding achievements in nature conservation. As a beekeeper and owner of meadow orchards, he has been inviting kindergarten and primary school children to discover the "farm as classroom" for many years. With a stand at direct marketing fairs, Mr Voigtländer also provides information about insect protection, the importance of bees and a healthy living environment. It is important to him to involve children "from blossom to harvest" in the entire process of fruit growing, as the award winner emphasised.

Certificates of honour were also awarded to the Burgwald School from the Philipp Soldan town of Frankenberg and the Diemeltal School from Willingen-Usseln. The Burgwald School, represented at the ceremony by teacher and AG leader Jens Freitag, has been able to call itself a "Hessian Environmental School" for several years now thanks to its environmental working group, especially because of the bird protection on the glass facades. At the Diemeltal School, represented by headmistress Iris Niemeyer, all four primary school classes go up the mountain as often as possible to clear the heath of any overgrowth by hand. Getting out into nature, away from virtual learning and getting exercise is an important concept of the school for the primary school children.

In their laudations, both District Administrator Dr Kubat and District Council Chairwoman Ruhwedel pointed out that the ceremony to award the Nature Conservation Prize had actually been planned for autumn 2020. "Like so many other things, the pandemic also threw a spanner in the works of this event," regretted the district administrator. "But it was important to us to hold the award ceremony in a dignified setting that does justice to the occasion." And that is only possible in a face-to-face event and not in a virtual ceremony, the district council chairwoman added. So the award ceremony for the 2020 winners took place in the spring of 2021 in a small but fine gathering in the district council meeting room of the Korbach district hall.

"Corona is far from being the only challenge we are currently facing," said District Administrator Dr Kubat, referring to the pandemic and its influence on all areas of life. On the contrary, he said, climate change and species extinction were unfortunately still going on, and the threat to the living environment was also still present, which was something we had to be aware of, especially at an event like the presentation of the Nature Conservation Award. "Actual life is all around us in all its diversity and beauty and we simply have to learn to see it, recognise it and, above all, appreciate it", as exemplified by the recipients of the Nature Conservation Award.

The chairperson of the district council, Iris Ruhwedel, also confirmed: "With the establishment of the nature conservation prize and the special prize for young people, the district council wanted to make the public aware of the extraordinary nature conservationists in our district. Their commitment should be highlighted and encourage other people to emulate the award winners and work for the protection of nature. Each and every one of the conservationists contributes in an inimitable way to preserving an environment in which people can live happily and well.

Information on the District Nature Conservation Award

The District Nature Conservation Prize is divided into a main prize and a youth prize. Both prizes come with an award certificate and a plaque of honour; the main prize has an endowment of 2,500 euros, the youth prize of 500 euros. Both categories are divisible. The jury also has the option of issuing commendations in the form of honorary certificates.

Wording of the first paragraph of the guidelines to honour special commitment to monument protection, culture, nature and social issues, which the district council adopted on 5 November 2012: "To promote special and exemplary commitment to monument protection, culture, nature and social issues in the district or in relation to the district, the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg awards a prize in each case" . The guidelines go on to say that the nature conservation prize and the prize for social issues are awarded in years with an even final number, the monument conservation prize and the culture prize in years with an odd final number.