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#13 Climate Action – The Forest Fairy – Die Waldfee

Saxony-Anhalt has around 532,000 hectares Forest, which accounts for  about a quarter of the total land area (Quote: Ministry of the Environment,
Agriculture and Energy Saxony-Anhalt). The forest in all its facets is an important Ecosystem for our environment, animals, insects and of course for us humans too.

Trees, shrubs, Mushrooms and forest soils together make a living Shelter for animals and insects of all kinds. Trees store CO2 and win from the Carbon sugar. This releases oxygen. With the cleaning of the atmosphere and the Production of oxygen takes over the tree thus an important survival for humans Function. Trees are also important in the fight against the so-called greenhouse effect. By carbon dioxide, Ozone, methane and other gases, their proportion due to growing industrialization and decline from forests, there is a warming of the Earth.

As a result, not only poles and polar bears melt lose their living space. By the rising Sea levels disappear whole islands of the map. Trees are the only ones that have something against the greenhouse gases can do. It must therefore on the one hand the amount of greenhouse gases on the other hand forests too protect. To reduce climate change, we have to save energy (eg heating, electricity) and should not use fossil fuels for heating like using more coal or oil, there’s more Carbon dioxide is produced. And then the forest is also an important retreat and resort for us humans.

A Visit is worthwhile, maybe you will find a Forest fairy like us in our fairytale too!

We wish that forests are spared and be managed sustainably and in our Environment, especially in the city, many Trees will be planted and maintained. Our contribution? We do not throw garbage in the forest, avoid, where possible, paper and cardboard consumption, and consumer goods containing palm oil!

With the nature fairy tale Die Waldfee the children of the fourth grade of the St. Hildegard primary school in Haldensleben, the YOUNG VOICES for SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, campaign for more environmental awareness and especially for the protection of the forest ecosystem in Mittelelbien and around the world.

Die Waldfee is part of the environmental fairytale campaign Nawa & Bubo powered by Explority. To learn more about this program click here

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#15 Life on Land – The Three Butterflies

The butterfly forms the species-rich insect with more than 160,000 different specimens. More than 700 different butterfly species live alone in the Elbe-Saxony region in the meadowland countryside. Only since the mid-18th century  this insect carries the name Schmetterling  in Germany (from Schmetten, Schmand, which some species eat). They are also known as moth. The butterflies are the colorful butterflies we know with large wings compared to their rather thin physique. Just like the bees, the butterflies have compound eyes. Concise are the long feelers. Not only bees but also butterflies pollinate the flowers of wild and cultivated plants and thus secure whole ecosystems.

Especially for agriculture they have an important role to play. Butterflies and insects are at particular risk from pesticides used in agriculture and forestry. Unfortunately, the poison kills the beneficial insects in addition to the pest.

Even the smaller habitats for wild plants pose a threat to many species of butterflies. Butterflies have a different life expectancy. While in some species the caterpillar stage can last for several years, others live only a few weeks. Some species, such as the peacock’s eye, can hibernate in sheltered places while, for example, the admiral flies over the winter even to southern Europe. The metamorphosis, the transformation from an egg to a caterpillar and finally into a colorful butterfly was already in ancient times a symbol of resurrection and rebirth. For us, this process is always a fascinating example of life. Who would not like to have a butterfly as a friend?

Help secure important diverse habitats for butterflies for biodiversity

With the natural fairy tale The Three Butterflies, the children of the 4th grade of the elementary school Comenius from Tangermünde, the YOUNG VOICES for SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, campaign for more environmental awareness and especially for the protection of insects and butterflies.

The Three Butterflies is part of the environmental fairytale campaign Nawa & Bubo powered by Explority. To learn more about this program click here

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#15 Life on Land – Holy Horses – Das Heilige Pferd und das Mädchen

 

Mittelelbien is inhabited by many horses. The school kids from “Grundschule Gebrüder Alstein” in Haldensleben even discovered a holy horse in Altenhausen, a neighbouring village…

This horse could speak and tell the children about being lonely because it was kept as a holy horse in a golden temple without her friends. When the girl realised the horse had feelings too, just like her, she eventually opened the gate so the horse could be free again after many years.

While the girl took the animals place to become “the holy girl”, the horse could finally enjoy freedom again.

Sustainable Development on our planet includes the protection of endangered species at land and below water.

But does it also care about all the other animals?

To raise awareness for the importance of animal rights and well being, the kids from the Grundschule Gebrüder Alstein produced a new version of the Chinese fairytale “Das Heilige Pferd” as a photo story and as an audioplay to underscore the mindfulness needed for other species like horses and their well being. Let us share the wisdom of the “holy girl” for our Planet and for ourselves.

“Animal rights should have more weight within the discussion of sustainable development!”

Das Heilige Pferd und das Mädchen is part of the environmental fairytale campaign Nawa & Bubo powered by Explority. To learn more about this program click here

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#15 Life on Land – The Emperors Nightingale

The Emperors Nightingale, a fairytale from H.-C. Andersen is a strong reminder for mankind, that biodiversity and life on Planet Earth is fragile and needs to be protected!

Externally due to their reddish-brown plumage, rather inconspicuous, has the 16 to 17 centimeters large nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), however, a very distinctive voice, which is also their namesake. Their food consists mainly of insects and their larvae as well as earthworms and spiders. In late summer it also eats berries and juicy fruits. 120 to 260 different types of stanzas dominate the male nightingale, which tunes their singing mainly at night, during the breeding season for territorial defense during the day.

With her beautiful singing, the nightingale was the source of inspiration for famous composers such as Chopin and Beethoven or playwrights and storytellers such as Shakespeare and H.C. Andersen. Nowadays, the nightingale is often only known to most people due to popular songs. This is because our living environment offers fewer and fewer breeding opportunities for the ground-nesting bird, which relies on dense undergrowth and a protective fall-leaf layer.

The nightingale prefers habitats such as light deciduous and alluvial forests, parks, cemeteries and hedgerows. In Germany, there are still about 95,000 breeding pairs of the nightingale, which hibernate in tropical Africa, north of the equator. But dangers lurk on the way there. Because in Cyprus and northern Egypt, bird traps often seal their fate. A lucrative business, the songbirds are considered a delicacy in Egyptian markets. Each year, about 140 million migratory birds die.

PROTECT SINGING BIRDS BY SECURING RICH ECOSYSTEMS AT HOME AND BY STOPPING THE ILLEGAL BIRDTRAPS

With the nature fairy tale The Emperor’s Nightingale, the children of the fourth grade of the elementary school Otto Boye from Haldensleben, the YOUNG VOICES for SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, campaign for more environmental awareness to protect their native habitats and especially for the protection of nightingales and other migratory birds on their way to the South during wintertime.

The Emperor’s Nightingale is part of the environmental fairytale campaign Nawa & Bubo powered by Explority. To learn more about this program click here

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#15 Life on Land – The Queen Bee

The meadow orchard with apple, pear and plum trees at the castle of Hundisburg is being powdered by the castle bees. But also the wasps find enough food here..

Unlike the bees, who build a kingdom and have a queen, most of the wild bee species live as individuals. The females build nests and take care of the nest boxes without help of others of their own kind. Only bumblebees and a few selected wild bees carry a social life similar to the honey bee.

Wild bees secure their nutrition exclusively by nectar and pollen. its challenge is the big dependance of specific nesting and food places and their low growth rate in population.

Especially the intensification in agricultural production is leading to a dramatic loss of ecosystems rich in structure like bushes, deadwood or heaps of stones and a reduction of blossoming plants

It is in our sustainable interest that a large biodiversity especially within the bee population is providing healthy habitats.

HELP PROTECT DIVERSE ECOSYSTEMS AND THE EXISTENCE OF WILD BEES

With the natural fairy tale Die Bienenkönigin (The Queen Bee), the children of the 5th grade of the Brothers Grimm School from Calvörde, the YOUNG VOICES for SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, campaign for more environmental awareness and especially for the protection of wild bees. Die Bienenkönigin is part of the environmental fairytale campaign Nawa & Bubo powered by Explority. To learn more about this program click here

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To lead with your eyes – We learn the language of horses

Eyes say more than words!  Animals deserve our respect and protection.

This short video was taken during a horse based communication training for kids. While visiting them in their natural habitat, we learned about the natural being of horses, their tremendous perception and the “horse sense”. We got into direct contact with them and practiced leadership exercises using no force at all.