Esders Future Prize: Environmental protection commitment rewarded
The Esders GmbH Future Prize, which is endowed with 15,000 euros, is approaching the home stretch. The application phase runs until October 15, 2019. The jury has received promising applications from numerous regions in Lower Saxony. Nonetheless, the company would like to point out once again that there are no geographical limits to the submissions.
Esders GmbH donates the Future Award on the occasion of its 30th company birthday. The prize money is staggered as follows: 1st prize: 8000 euros, 2nd prize: 5000 euros, 3rd prize: 2000 euros. More information is available on the Internet at future.esders.com/.
Species protection and education about native insects
Species protection and environmental education, for example, are at the center of the application of the Biotope Fund of the Emsland / Grafschaft Bentheim e.V. hunting associations. Four hunting associations from 38 hunting rings are organized in this fund. The huntsmen plan to set up a total of 38 insect hotels in the spring and summer of 2020 with information boards that provide information about the background and benefits of the insect hotels. Chairman Thomas Schomaker explains:
"Few people know, for example, that fruit trees are often pollinated by wild bees in spring, as they hatch earlier than honey bees. Likewise, they alone pollinate a quarter of all flowering plants!" The cost of 38 solidly crafted truss structures with roof and suitable material, which will serve insects as a shelter, breeding and retreat area, is around 45000 euros. The biotope fund would like to cover part of this from the prize money.
"Orchard meadows in combination with wildflower areas support between 3000 and 5000 species. We are not only creating islands to supply wild bees with pollen and nectar, but also a widely ramified biotope network," says Kai Behncke. Behncke, who holds a doctorate in geoinformatics, is working with the "Flowery County of Osnabrück" initiative to create a flowering meadow corridor in the southern district of Osnabrück. The interconnected biotope is intended to promote biodiversity and, above all, the genetic exchange of insects over a length of 35 kilometers from Melle to Hagen a. T. W.. So far, 141 flowering meadows with a total area of 260000 square meters have been created in around 7000 hours of volunteer work. "With the prize money, we could take a big step toward closing the gaps in flowering meadows," says Kai Behncke.
