Munich East: Bund Naturschutz presents biotope – district of Munich
There are around 150 biotopes in Feldkirchen, Kirchheim and Aschheim. Most residents know shockingly little about this, as Norbert Steinmeier has discovered. In the new year, the chairman of the local group of the Federal Nature Conservation (BN) for the three municipalities, together with his team, would like to draw the population’s attention to biotopes that are worth protecting. The start on Tuesday is a visit to a gravel pond east of the Birkenhof on the Aschheimer Flur – in Steinmeier’s words an “ecological jewel”.
Some conservationists are of the opinion that such areas should simply be left alone and that not too many people should be allowed in. But Steinmeier is convinced: “You have to bring the otherwise valuable biotope closer, they have no connection to it.” If you can get an idea of the importance of a biotope for biodiversity, you can also focus on preservation.
For Steinmeier, this sensitization starts early: environmental education for children has always been a relevant event for him, says the 61-year-old. Getting the little ones interested in nature and the protection of species is also the main motivation for his involvement in the local group for federal nature conservation, which he joined shortly after it was founded in autumn 2006.
Initially, Steinmeier organized many excursions for elementary school students to the well-known biotopes, as he says, the old railway line in Feldkirchen was a popular destination. Later, the conservationist holiday programs were created in cooperation with TSV Feldkirchen and the adult education center. According to Steinmeier, the courses, in which the children learn, among other things, how to protect certain plants and insects, are very popular.
The likely civil engineer has received several awards for his commitment, in 2015 he received the Green Angel from the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment for voluntary work in the environmental sector. Steinmeier knows that he stands up for nature in difficult times: “Our efforts to preserve biodiversity are faced with a constant decline.”
However, he may notice a positive development. Ten years ago, he recalls, environmentalists were hardly taken seriously. That has changed. “Nevertheless, unfortunately, too little is happening,” says Steinmeier. However, the local group is not frustrated, says Steinmeier. “It’s important to keep your head up. A gloomy mood doesn’t help anyone either.”