AN UNWAVERING PASSION

THE KARWENDEL NATURE PARK celebrates its 15th anniversary in its current form this year. The protected reserve itself has existed for 95 years. Anton Heufelder has been in charge of the nature park since the beginning of April.

The Karwendel Nature Park is a very special place. There may have been a change in the park’s management this spring, but it remains in good hands: Hermann Sonntag handed over the baton to his former deputy Anton Heufelder. René Zumtobel, the regional councillor for nature conservation in Tyrol, called Hermann Sonntag, who has been in charge of the nature park practically since the beginning, “the heart and soul of the Karwendel”. He, in turn, modestly highlighted the achievements of the entire team, including Anton Heufelder. In fact, the new boss has been there almost as long as Sonntag. Born in Bad Tölz, he studied geography in Regensburg and joined the Karwendel Nature Park in June 2009.

Heufelder’s core tasks were initially environmental education and the organisation of visitor programmes.

Considering that there are almost 400 events per year, this was a big job. Gradually, other tasks were added: project supervision, the development of a climate educator training programme and, finally, working as Hermann Sonntag’s deputy. When Sonntag decided to become self-employed and Heufelder was considered as his successor, he “slept badly for two nights, but then it became clear to me that I wanted to do it”.

The new programme has already set the agenda for the next five years. Two new pillars have been added to the previous five - which include actual nature conservation, science and recreation: biodiversity and climate change. The nature park is particularly active in the Achensee area through its ranger programmes, where people can interpret animal tracks together, take a look through binoculars and get information about fauna and flora.