Since last May, a campaign by the Federal Office for the Environment has been drawing the attention of forest visitors to biodiversity in the forest. There are now also three trails in the Upper and Central Valais.
A year ago, the Federal Office for the Environment launched a campaign under the motto "Our forest. Surprisingly diverse." was launched. The highlight of the campaign are forest trails with wooden figures in almost 100 forests in Switzerland. As the trails and the accompanying competition were particularly popular with schools and families last summer, the campaign is being continued. The Pfyn-Finges Nature Park, the Binntal Landscape Park and the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site are now taking part in the campaign on the subject of forest diversity.
Since last May, a campaign by the Federal Office for the Environment has been drawing the attention of forest visitors to biodiversity in the forest. There are now also three trails in the Upper and Central Valais.
A year ago, the Federal Office for the Environment launched a campaign under the motto "Our forest. Surprisingly diverse." was launched. The highlight of the campaign are forest trails with wooden figures in almost 100 forests in Switzerland. As the trails and the accompanying competition were particularly popular with schools and families last summer, the campaign is being continued. The Pfyn-Finges Nature Park, the Binntal Landscape Park and the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site are now taking part in the campaign on the subject of forest diversity.
Forests provide valuable services
Swiss forests provide a home for around 30,000 species of animals, plants and fungi, absorb CO2 and thus protect our climate. They provide almost half of our drinking water and protect us from natural hazards. They are also an extremely popular place for recreation and provide the domestic raw material wood. To ensure that forests can continue to provide all these services in the future, the diversity of life in them must be preserved.
The forest has become even more popular in the coronavirus era. This makes it all the more important to raise public awareness of life in the forest and the needs of forest dwellers. Visitors to the forest can search for plants and animals on a trail with wooden figures and guess which species they are. The combination of experience and knowledge transfer directly in the forest is particularly valuable when working with children.
Three trails in Upper and Central Valais
In Upper and Central Valais, the two regional nature parks and the UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch are now taking part in the campaign. Since mid-May, forest visitors have been able to discover a forest trail with wooden figures at three different locations: 1) along the Trusera in Ernen in the Binntal Landscape Park, 2) on the Squirrel Trail in Crans-Montana in the Pfyn-Finges Nature Park (entrance next to the Montana funicular railroad station) and 3) on the Hasenliebe Fairytale Trail in Bellwald in the UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch.
Additional information on the diversity in the forest, the animals and plants, the trails and the competition can be found on the campaign website www.wald-vielfalt.ch. Prize draws for the competition take place monthly. The last opportunity to take part is at the end of November 2021. The campaign of the Federal Office for the Environment is being carried out in collaboration with Swiss Forests and the Swiss Forestry Association.
Swiss forests are home to around 30,000 species of animals, plants and fungi, absorb CO2 and thus protect our climate. They provide almost half of our drinking water and protect us from natural hazards. They are also an extremely popular place for recreation and provide the domestic raw material wood. To ensure that forests can continue to provide all these services in the future, the diversity of life in them must be preserved.
The forest has become even more popular in the coronavirus era. This makes it all the more important to raise public awareness of life in the forest and the needs of forest dwellers. Visitors to the forest can search for plants and animals on a trail with wooden figures and guess which species they are. The combination of experience and knowledge transfer directly in the forest is particularly valuable when working with children.
Three trails in Upper and Central Valais
In Upper and Central Valais, the two regional nature parks and the UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch are now taking part in the campaign. Since mid-May, forest visitors have been able to discover a forest trail with wooden figures at three different locations: 1) along the Trusera in Ernen in the Binntal Landscape Park, 2) on the Squirrel Trail in Crans-Montana in the Pfyn-Finges Nature Park (entrance next to the Montana funicular railroad station) and 3) on the Hasenliebe Fairytale Trail in Bellwald in the UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch.
Additional information on the diversity in the forest, the animals and plants, the trails and the competition can be found on the campaign website www.wald-vielfalt.ch. Prize draws for the competition take place monthly. The last opportunity to take part is at the end of November 2021. The campaign of the Federal Office for the Environment is being carried out in collaboration with Swiss Forests and the Swiss Forestry Association.