The Swiss Youth Hostels have been concerned about environmental protection since their very beginning. Sustainability is an integral part of their DNA. Together with the company, the non-profit organisation now wants to intensify its environmental efforts – through two project weeks in cooperation with the Mountain Forest Project.
Volunteers can help protect the forest as part of the Mountain Forest Project. © Mountain Forest Project. © Mountain Forest Project
What is the Mountain Forest Project anyway?
The Mountain Forest Project was founded in 1987 as a non-profit foundation and is based in Trin GR, where there is also a youth hostel. The purpose of the organisation is to promote the conservation, maintenance and protection of the forest and the cultural landscape in mountain areas.
This is done in particular through maintenance and renovation work in work assignments. But also by promoting a public understanding of forest issues. Volunteers can carry out work assignments without prior knowledge and thus contribute to preserving the diverse protective effects of the mountain forest.
The results are impressive: Since the beginning, around 85,000 volunteers have worked on the Mountain Forest Project in the mountain forests of Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Catalonia and the Principality of Liechtenstein.
And what do the Swiss Youth Hostels have to do with it?
The two non-profit organisations have already been working together since 2017. This year a youth hostel was opened in the mountain forest centre “Mesaglina” in Trin. It was and is a perfect partnership, because both companies focus on sustainability in their actions and are committed to extracurricular learning – the best foundation for a long-term cooperation.
Trin Youth Hostel opened its doors in the “Mesaglina” Mountain Forest Centre in 2017. © Thomas Andenmatten
Make a difference!
Everyone now has the chance to attend two project weeks free of charge. The first will take place from 23 to 29 April 2023 at the Schaan-Vaduz Youth Hostel.
On 1 April 2021, the Schaan-Vaduz Youth Hostel opened its doors for the first time in the Principality of Liechtenstein. © Eddy Risch
Above the village, steep, unstable mountainsides consisting of marls and limestones stretch up to the “Three Sisters” massif. Here, the forest provides vital protective functions against settlements and infrastructure in the valley. In particular, it protects against rockfall; in winter it inhibits avalanches and in the event of heavy precipitation it acts like a sponge that slows down large masses of water. Your work during the project week will involve path construction, fence construction and maintenance as well as protective forest maintenance. Overnight accommodation is provided at the Schaan-Vaduz Youth Hostel.
Take the chance and attend a mountain forest project week free of charge – in Schaan-Vaduz or Trin. © Bergwaldprojekt
The second project week will be held from 13 to 19 August 2023 in Trin. Trin is located under a large protective forest, which also protects the road towards the nearby tourist centres of Flims and Laax. Here, too, the focus is mainly on path construction, fence construction and maintenance, as well as protective forest maintenance.
Register now for the project weeks!
You can register via the Bergwaldprojekt website.
… and why are we doing this?
The aim is, on the one hand, to contribute to the preservation and maintenance of the protective forest above Schaan and Trin and, on the other hand, to enable encounters, activities and experiences outside the usual environment. The Swiss Youth Hostels believe that in this way they are contributing to a united, responsible and fun-loving society.
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We visited Outdoor Service, probably the most sustainable tailoring company in Switzerland.
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