Tourists as a Target Group for Environmental Education

Location:

Date:

Topic of the meeting:

Chiemsee (Germany)

7 - 10 June 2011

Tourists as a Target Group for Environmental Education

Project implementation

The third project meeting get grEEN was organised by the Global Nature Fund (GNF) in close cooperation with its partner organisation within the network Living Lakes Germany Chiemsee Nature Guides (Chiemsee-Naturführer). Chiemsee Nature Guides presented a lot of valuable experiences in the field of environmental education for different tourist groups. Representatives of different German organisations and institutions involved into environmental education exchanged their experiences with international participants.

The Global Nature Fund coordinates a network of organisations dealing with environmental protection, lakes and wetlands conservation as well as environmental education in Germany. The Network Living Lakes Germany is a part of the international network Living Lakes.

The network partner at Lake Chiemsee Verein der Natur-Landschaftsführer-innen Inn - Salzach e. V. (further: Chiemsee-Naturführer or Chiemsee Nature Guides) is an experienced association. Partially by the efforts of volunteers it implements lots of interesting measures for environmental education for children and adults, especially for tourist groups.

Lake Chiemsee is a well-known touristic region in Germany. It is a freshwater lake situated in Bavaria, between Rosenheim, Germany, and Salzburg, Austria. It is often called “the Bavarian Sea”. The rivers Tiroler Achen and Prien flow into the lake; the river Alz, out of it. The Chiemsee is divided into the bigger, north section, in the northeast, called Weitsee, and the Inselsee, in the southwest. The region around the Chiemsee is called Chiemgau and is a famous recreation area.

During the meeting an active exchange of experiences and discussion about links in the activities of German (Living Lakes Germany), Spanish and Polish participants took place.

Common Event “Chiemsee under the Magnifying Glass”

The general programme started with an “icebreaking activity”: The participants had the opportunity to get to know the educational offer of the Chiemsee Nature Guides by actively participating in the educational event “Water Bodies under the loupe”. Two school classes, representatives of local and federal state governments as well as the partners within the network Living Lakes Germany proceeded to the Prien River and, equipped with both easiest and complex scientific instruments, “hunted” smallest water residents (to be determinated and set free) and measured the river parameters.

Field Visits 

Castle Facilities on the island Herreninsel

The whole island is an important cultural and natural site being visited by a lot of tourists from all over the world. Together with different stakeholders from touristic and nature conservation associations, the local administration developed a comprehensive management concept for the island. Nature conservation and environmental education stay on the top of the concept and are interesting points helping to put on the touristic market correspondent offers. The group met the mayor Mr. Austermayer as well as the tourism commissioner of the island Mr. Thümmler. Moreover, the participants became the opportunity to get to know the concept of the local branding marketing presented by an active organic farmer Mr. Karl Jahncke.

Boat-trip to the Delta of the river Tiroler Achen

The participants had a unique opportunity to get to know the lake from the boat under the guiding of professional Chiemsee Nature Guides. This excursion is one of admired points on the agenda of the tourist visiting Lake Chiemsee. Georg Hermannsdorfer, a Nature Guide, explained the concept and let the participants to conduct simple research on water. The excursion is based on several components: active participation of visitors, showing unique places and species (without disturbing them), as well as developing by participants the feeling of affinity with nature/water.

Visit of the Regional Market of Prien

To experience the process of marketing of organic products from the region, the participants visited the regional market place of Prien. The market is a unique one in the region: besides standard ecological products, a lot of regional brands can be found there.

Presentations

Annika Ruprecht (Germany): Environmental Education at ÖSSM – Ecological Station Steinhuder Meer

Dr. Alexander Harter (Germany): Nature Conservation & Environmental Education on former mining sites in Lausitz

Teresa Aparicio, Julio Raboso, Angeles Pontes (Villacañas, Spain): Environmental Education & Tourism in the La Mancha Region

Blanca Hurtado (Villacañas, Spain): iCairn Products and services for public

Roman Guziak (Poland): Environmental Education activities in Barycz Valley

Karl Jahncke (Germany): Regional Branding & Regional Markets

Georg Hermannsdorfer (Germany): Nature Guiding Tours at Lake Chiemsee for different Target Groups

Tourism Associations: Networks, Concepts & Environmental Education, Oswald Pehel, Alpenland Tourismus (Chiemsee, Germany)

Jürgen Pohl (Germany) Volunteers Networks at Lake Chiemsee

Georg Hermannsdorfer (Germany): Environmental Education Concepts

Representative of the bikes renting agency of Prien (Germany): Electro-Bikes & their Potential for Environmentally Friendly Tourism

Conclusion

At the end of the meeting, project partners discussed lessons they have already learned from each other as well as new output-ideas to be developed. The fields with the biggest potential for further cooperation are new technologies for environmental education, regional branding as a tool for environmental education, environmental education for handicapped people and seniors, qualified nature guides and rangers as well as exchange of volunteers. The first draft of the common working plan was made.

Participants

Ayuntamiento de Villacañas, Spain:

Angeles Pontes, Blanca Hurtado, Teresa Aparicio, Julio Raboso

ETNA, Poland:

Roman Guziak, Beata Komsta, Ewa Zuber

Global Nature Fund / Living Lakes Germany:

Udo Gattenlöhner, Katja Tolkachyova, Katharina Trump, Michael Bender, Heinz-Jürgen Pohl (Chiemsee), Georg Hermannsdorfer (Chiemsee), Volker Kromrey (Lake Constance), Dr. Alexander Harter (Lausitz), Eberhard Henning (Lake Plön), Annika Ruprecht (Lake Steinhude), Kai-Steffen Frank (Lake Mindelsee), Dr. Herbert Löffler (Lake Constance), Jan Berndorff (natur+kosmos)

Other participants:

Josef Mayer (Chiemsee), Marlene Berger-Stoeckl (Chiemsee), Susanne Trautwein (Chiemsee), Dr. Edith Reck-Mieth (Lake Plön & surrounding lakes)