The aim of awarding the environmental prize is to promote voluntary work in various areas and to give recognition that is otherwise often neglected for this commitment, as Carsten Scholz, Head of the Environment Department at the District Office, emphasized at the award ceremony. The award winners invest a lot of time, energy and money in their passion projects in their free time without expecting any financial reward. The prizes were presented by Prof. Dr. Frank Adler, Head of the Department of Environment and Technology at the District Office. A total of 20 groups and initiatives were awarded prizes.
Commitment to biodiversity and environmental education
The main winners in the "Clubs and Associations" category are the Kleinsachsenheim Fruit and Horticultural Association (OGV) for its commitment to the Sachsenheim "StoP" orchard project and BUND Vaihingen/Enz with its extensive environmental education program for children and young people, which includes the quarterly publication of the magazine "Der Kleiber". This is associated with prize money of 800 euros. The commitment of the working group for the preservation of the Neckar black poplar (Freiberg/Neckar) and the Vaihingen/Enz district fishing association were each rewarded with 500 euros. In addition, a further five groups from the district were each awarded 250 euros - be it for waste collection campaigns, forest play groups, planting campaigns or environmental education programs.
Creative waste collection campaigns on social media
The main award winner in the "Private individuals, private groups" category is Lothar Grau from Nabu Vaihingen/Enz for his many years of commitment to nature and species conservation, in particular for the reintroduction of the white stork in the Ludwigsburg district (prize money: 1,400 euros). In addition, Karin Zimmer from BUND Ingersheim was awarded 1,200 euros for her commitment to restoring a standing water body and Yvonne Bauer from Kornwestheim was awarded 1,000 euros for her extensive waste collection campaigns and public relations work on the subject of waste, including on social media. Five further prizes (250 euros each) were awarded to citizens' initiatives/working groups that campaign for earlier climate neutrality in municipalities, clean districts, sustainable mobility and more sustainability in individual municipalities.
The main prize winner in the category "Schools, daycare centers, other educational institutions" is the "Gymnasium in der Glemsaue" in Ditzingen with its environmental working group (prize money 500 euros). In addition, two other schools, the Kelterschule Remseck and the Schlossbergschule Gemeinschaftsschule Vaihingen, were each awarded 400 euros for their environmental education programs, gardening clubs and ecological teaching content.
