Successful premiere of the Gesäuse CleanUP Days
Around 150 volunteers collect rubbish in the mountains and on riverbanks
Admont - On 4 and 5 September, around 150 volunteers in almost 50 self-organised small groups cleared nature in the Gesäuse of rubbish left behind. Both locals and guests lent a hand. The event was organised by the Patron Plasticfree Peaks initiative in close cooperation with the Gesäuse National Park, the Steirische Eisenwurzen Nature Park and the Gesäuse Tourism Association.
With this event, the established "Xeis-Putz" of the past years was taken up, continued and made accessible to a much larger number of volunteers. As a result, around 100 more participants were registered than at last year's Xeis-Putz. "We are impressed by how many locals, but also guests, went out voluntarily to set an example for our beautiful nature," says Herbert Wölger, Managing Director of the Gesäuse National Park.
Oliver Gulas, Managing Director of the Steirische Eisenwurzen Nature and Geopark, was also enthusiastic: "Protecting the cultural landscape for the future is the goal of our Nature and Geopark, and with the help of the CleanUp Days we were able to make a significant contribution to its preservation - we are very pleased to be on board with this initiative as a partner". Together with the Gesäuse National Park and the Gesäuse Tourism Association, he took care of the smooth running of the event on site.
All 150 or so participants were provided with a free CleanUP Kit by Patron Plasticfree Peaks, consisting of a reusable litter bag and stainless steel tongs. Guests and locals alike set off in almost 50 small groups to collect litter on mountain peaks, hiking trails and riverbanks. The organisers were particularly pleased with the participation of the younger generation. Among others, 11 junior rangers of the Gesäuse National Park joined the action.
Little pollution on hiking trails
The collected rubbish could then be handed in at one of the six rubbish collection stations. A whole trailer load with more than 20 filled rubbish bags was collected. Most of it was found along the banks of the Enns River, where it washes up during floods. The hiking trails in the National Park and the Nature Park, on the other hand, turned out to have little litter. "There seems to be a special awareness of nature in the Gesäuse," concludes Martin Säckl, founder of Patron Plasticfree Peaks. The routes of the participants were coordinated online via the CleanUP map of Patron Plasticfree Peaks. Here, each team entered its respective tour. This not only prevents duplications, but also enables a realistic estimate of the number of participants. It also creates an impressive picture that shows that the entire region pitched in. Both the CleanUP Card and the CleanUP Kits were financed by a supra-regional network of sponsors. Lina Wansel, Chairwoman of the Albrecht von Dewitz Foundation, says: "We are pleased to have been able to support the CleanUp Days as a sponsor since the very beginning. In doing so, we would like to contribute to raising awareness of the issue of nature and our influence on it as outdoor athletes.
"Meet & Greet" with around 80 guests
On Saturday, the joint work was celebrated at a "Meet & Greet". The Genussmosthof Veitlbauer in St. Gallen invited guests to an open cellar day. Together with the participants of the CleanUP Days, the organisers celebrated the culture, cuisine and music of the region.
"After the CleanUP is before the CleanUP".
With the Gesäuse CleanUP Days, Patron Plasticfree Peaks followed up on the success of past CleanUP events in the Allgäu, the Black Forest and the Chiemgau. As part of the CleanUP Tour, the young people from Allgäu are organising five cleanup events in the German and Austrian Alpine region in 2021. But that's not all: it is already clear that the CleanUP Tour will take place again in 2022 - including a tour stop in the Gesäuse.
Information and registration for the CleanUP Tour at www.plasticfreepeaks.com
Contact for queries: Martina Lindenmayr | Projektmanagement.mal anders, On behalf of Patron Plasticfree Peaks, martina@plasticfreepeaks.comTel: +49 162 6518206, plasticfreepeaks.com or Marco Schiefer, Gesäuse National Park, m.schiefer@nationalpark-gesaeuse.com, Tel: 0664/ 82 52 309.
Photos: sh below
Use exclusively for reports in connection with this press release and with citation of the image rights. Any other use of the image material requires the consent of Gesäuse National Park GmbH.
© Andreas Hollinger
© Gesäuse National Park
© Patron Plastic Free Peaks
