Drone flights and campfires. Bathers in sheltered waters. Hikers and cyclists who have come across a GPS track that takes them off marked paths. Michael Waldhauser knows of many violations that endanger flora and fauna. Waldhauser is a digital ranger in the Bavarian Forest National Park and not only on the go in the field, but also from his desk on the Internet. On his virtual forays, he makes sure that the rules for descriptions of tours and excursion destinations are observed and that irresponsible social media entries are not copied. The most worrying case so far was a post that showed “light paintings with glowing steel wool”. “Such gimmicks are considered open fire and are not only prohibited in the national park, but in all nature reserves and in the forest in general.”
Increase sensitivity to nature, inform people and sensitize them to the protection of nature. That’s his top priority, says Waldhauser. He does not immediately threaten with penalties. “If we discover content on the Internet that violates national park rules, we contact the people and politely point out their misconduct,” says the digital ranger. He also explains the background of the rules. And that it is important to comply with these to protect numerous species, some of which are threatened, such as the capercaillie. In his experience, the people he speaks to are mostly insightful.
“Some blindly follow a track”
Although most nature fans in the Alps and low mountain ranges follow the rules of the game: a relatively small group of people can “cause significant conflicts,” says Manfred Scheuermann. He works for the German Alpine Association (DAV) in the field of nature conservation and cartography. As examples, Scheuermann cites parking and bivouacking in places that are not approved for this, mountaineering at night in sensitive areas and ignoring forest-wild sanctuaries or wildlife sanctuaries on ski or snowshoe tours. The expert from the Alpine Club is critical of Instagram hotspots, to which many people flock. In extreme cases, congested areas have to be officially closed.
Sometimes talking helps, but not always. At least that’s Scheuermann’s experience. “Those who cause such streams of visitors,” he says, “are partly accessible and open to optimization, while others block it.” There is also another problem: “Some people are uninformed, poorly equipped and blindly follow a track.” This has already led to tragic accidents, and nature can also suffer greatly from it. According to the expert, the Kleinwalsertal example, where more than 100 students and teachers had to be rescued in June, shows how important it is not to rely on a source from the Internet – but to plan carefully.
“You should always keep your eyes open and also read and heed the signs on site,” says digital ranger Michael Waldhauser. Anyone who prepares for the tour with information from apps and websites should use route suggestions that come from official bodies, i.e. from protected area administrations or tourism associations. These usually contained reliable information. You should also realistically assess your own condition and sure-footedness and only choose tours that you can handle.