Vogelsberg (ol). Late summer wind blows over the area above Eichelhain. In the midst of meadows, fields, hedges and woods, the Machine Hall is an appropriate place to hand out prize money to the winners of the second and third prizes at the 3rd Mountain Meadow Championships. A total of nine awards and four more recognition awards have now been handed out.

Vogelsbergkreis’s press release states that the first-place winners received their prizes in Wiesbaden a few days earlier. “Your work, which is so important, should also get the appreciation it deserves,” insisted First District member Jens Mischak at the awards ceremony in Eichelhain. The Vogelsbergkreis has about 800 hectares of mountain meadows – almost all Hessian mountain grasslands are in the local area.

“As a manager, you know exactly how valuable your work is to nature and biodiversity. Extensive farming helps preserve biodiversity – but so will people like you who care about the natural environment and Lots of energy and work, ”Dr. Mischak Saar. Some areas have up to 90 species of plants. This diversity is not even achievable in biotopes – which make mountain grasslands the most valuable natural areas of Central Europe manufactures one.

About 13,000 euros that will go to Vogelsberg managers of mountain meadows as prize money, comes from the sustainability initiative “Proximity is good”. The initiative of REWE, Hassia Mineralquellen and Schwälbchen Dairy has been committed to the mountain meadows in Vogelsberg since 2016. It does this, among other things, with a nine-kilometre-long mountain meadow near Herchenhain, on which climbers can raise money donated to the managers of the mountain meadows.

900 hikers have been there in the past two years, and for each hike documented by a punch card, the “proximity is good” initiative donated an amount that will now benefit farmers. In addition, the project is supported within the framework of the Biodiversity Strategy of the State of Hesse. The Regional Council in Giessen provides funding for ratings, i.e. professional, qualitative assessments of application areas.

The most important task to protect biodiversity

The Department of Landscape Conservation, the Office of Economic Affairs and Rural Areas at Vogelsberg, a large-scale nature conservation project and an outside specialist’s office, together with partners have designed the Mountain Meadow Championships and now awarded prizes for the results. And supporters of the Mountain Meadow Meadow Championship agree: The important task of protecting biological biodiversity is only possible with people who tackle and farm the areas on a large scale.

After Melanie Hahn from the Planwork Project Office explained the decision list, Corinna Verenkamp, ​​Giessen Regional Council, Nature Conservation, Species Conservation, Biodiversity, Fisheries, Nature Conservation Data and the jury member described the jury’s work and the role of the RP. did. and Dr. Martin Lichtl, from the “Proximity is Good” project and the Managing Director of the .lichtl Agency, who explained the initiative, together with Joachim Schönfeld, Deputy Head of Landscape Management, Office of Economic Affairs and Rural Areas, Vogelsbergkreis and presented the awards. The responsible head of the department, Jens Misch.

“All 19 farmers from the municipalities and Grebenhain, Herbstein, Lautertal, Schöten and Ulrichstein work every day to preserve the species-rich, blooming meadows in the Vogelsberg cultural landscape – thank you very much for your outstanding commitment ,” says the head in charge of the department. In Eichelhain, the runners-up were given checks worth 750 Euros, third place 500 Euros and 200 Euros recognition prizes.

Grebenhain

3rd place, Sven Muth, Muth Gbr, Bermuthshain, Nolchen-Steinbrecht, good expression of mountain meadow with many devil’s claws, some small shrubs and stone piles available

Herbstein

2nd place, Uwe Schösler, Herbstein, Turkish Lily, Cowlip, Orchids, Valuable Woody Formations

3rd place, Stefan Langwasser, Altenskreif, rich in undergrass and very lean with lots of rattle pots, other species of true bedspread, meadow, round-leaved bellflower

robbery

Second place, Winterholer GBR, Eichelhain, individual orchids Nolchen Steinbrecht, the meadow is lean and rich in grass with lots of open ground

3rd place, Rausch Gbr., Engelrode, The mountain meadow is very thin and largely overgrown

bulkheads

Second place, Marxen GB, Rudingshain, Structural elements in the area are of relatively high funicular importance due to marginal woody plants, the grass-herb ratio is almost ideal

Third place, Axel Hartmann, Breungeschen, holds valuable species such as bloodroot and Dyer’s gorse, as well as wood cranebill and meadow knotweed.

ulrichstein

Second place, Iris Jost, Halpershain, Magere Wiese with a lot of marguerite, other species such as meadow and meadow can be found, the range of flowers is good

3rd place, Johannes Rapp, Kolzenhain, Wiese scored for fodder cultivation criteria and a good yield share, with herbaceous plants

Recognition award for your participation in Mountain Meadow Championship 2021:

Stefan Schmelz, Kranfeld District, Good Biodiversity

Christoph Schaefer, Herchenhain District, Good Biodiversity

Jonas Dappert, District Herbstein, Nolchen Steinbrecht, Meadow

Torsten Herchenroder, District Altensklirf, Nolchen Steinbrecht, Haenenfuss