Alpine Club project

Volunteers maintain alpine meadows on the Hahntennjoch

The volunteers removed unwanted plants.

(Bild: Larissa Poltura)

15 dedicated volunteers from near and far recently stopped off in the Lechtal Alps as part of the Austrian Alpine Club's mountain forest project. To be more precise: on the Hahntennjoch.

In order to provide the cattle on the alpine pastures with a suitable habitat and sufficient fodder, the alpine pastures must be protected from overgrowth. In the first week of September, 15 volunteers spent a week in the area of the Hahntennjoch around the Boden settlement in the service of nature.

Helpers often had to travel a long way
They helped with "Schwenden", the removal of unwanted vegetation. The mountain forest project, organized by the Austrian Alpine Association, is one of many that aim to contribute to environmental protection and species conservation. The volunteer participants traveled hundreds of kilometers to help with the work in the Alps at 1900 meters.

The volunteers at work.

(Bild: Larissa Poltura)

Alpine pasture maintenance should actually be carried out annually to prevent the meadows from becoming overgrown. However, due to a lack of manpower, this has been somewhat neglected in recent years.

Alpine pasture maintenance for animal welfare and species protection
The cattle on the pasture need nutritious fodder. But mountain pines and weeds compete with the grasses and herbs of the pastures for light, water and nutrients. By removing these plants, the forage plants can thrive better.