On the occasion of the Baden-Württemberg Sustainability Days, the Ditzingen city forest was unusually busy last Thursday. Forest district manager Steffen Frank (Forestry Department, Ludwigsburg District Office) and three school classes from the Ditzingen grammar school in Glemsaue met in the forest to make life easier for several hundred young oaks.
Open area created by ash dieback reforested with young, climate-stable oaks
"Last year, ash trees that had died or were severely damaged by ash dieback had to be felled in this area. And in spring, we reforested the open area with young, climate-stable oaks," says Frank, describing the situation on site. As very small trees are usually planted in the forest, which are easier to transport and can adapt better to a new location, the foresters still have a few years of work ahead of them after planting. Because the forest is not as tidy as a vegetable patch. Blackberries, raspberries, various shrubs and ferns grow between the small oaks. "If we're not careful, the other plants will overgrow our oaks. In the long term, the oaks wouldn't be able to stand it," Frank explains the problem to the pupils. So the task is clear: light up the oaks! The young people happily comply with this appeal. The oaks are sought out in the dense overgrowth and selectively cleared. District manager Frank is highly satisfied: "The young people are fully committed and very conscientious."
Experiencing the forest at two other stations
The work project is not the only item on the program for the three classes. The forest is brought to life in a playful way at two other stations. In keeping with the Sustainability Days, the activities focus on climate change and the contribution forests make to climate protection. Katharina Gassen, responsible for coordinating forest education in the district, and trainee Florian Elsässer support the event. Both draw a positive balance: "It is very important to us to bring young people closer to the forest. The best way to do this is to create opportunities for active participation." The forestry experts agree that the Sustainability Days are a good opportunity to raise awareness of climate protection and the contribution of forests to climate protection and to improve young people's knowledge of the interrelationships. The work in Ditzingen was a success. And who knows, maybe one or the other young person will visit "his" or "her" young oak trees again.
Forest education by the forestry department
The foresters from the forestry department offer events for school classes in the forest all year round. The topics are based on the education plan and take into account the goals of education for sustainable development. In addition to the classic forest topics, events with other focal points such as art, geology or social studies are also possible. Depending on the age group, the focus is on games, experiments or role-playing. If you are interested, please contact: wald.erleben[at]landkreis-ludwigsburg.de
