Voluntary Ecological Year

The FÖJ program involves young people spending a year working for the environment, nature conservation and ecology. The Am Stettiner Haff Nature Park is also one of the locations for this youth volunteer service. The tasks of the volunteers at the Szczecin Lagoon include practical support for nature conservation, general area supervision, environmental education measures, maintenance work, visitor guidance, monitoring and a little bit of office work. „For me, the FÖJ was a year of orientation“, Frieder tells his successor later at the village of Rieth, where the two of them hike along a stretch of the lagoon coast. „And at the same time the opportunity to get involved socially and ecologically. Now I know that nature is my place.“ It is very quiet on the lagoon, a white butterfly flutters above the reeds. The riverside path along which the two of them are walking is also signposted as the Szczecin Lagoon circular route - and as if on cue, a small group of long-distance cyclists immediately turn the corner, their fully packed saddlebags indicating that they have set themselves the entire 310-kilometre circular route. Hopefully they also know how to behave in the nature park.

Shh, the cranes are coming!

„Come on, let's go to the Fuchsberg“, suggests Frieder after the paddle tour. The Fuchsberg is in the Brohmer mountains. The two of them quietly cross a primeval forest landscape full of mysterious ponds, ghostly old trees and romantic hiking trails. It's already autumn and there is a light mist in the valley. From the Fuchsberg, the view stretches far over hills and forests. Deer are calling in the distance; it sounds like there must be a lot of them. Autumn is the best time of year to observe animals in the Szczecin Lagoon Nature Park.

Not only red deer and fallow deer, but also the birdlife is particularly exciting to experience now. After a year of FÖJ, Frieder can tell us a lot about the animals in the nature park. About the cranes, for example, which always rest here for a few weeks in the fall and rest up before flying on to their winter quarters. During the day they feed in the fields and at sunset they fly to their sleeping quarters on the shore," explains the young man to his successor. The two have taken up position at an observation stand in the reeds of Lake Galenbeck. „It is very important not to disturb the animals“, whispers Frieder. „You should always move calmly, be quiet and take photos without a flash“, he advises Zora, while the two wait for the birds. It is already getting dark. Pink cloud ships pass by in the autumn sky and flocks of starlings form fanciful shapes. Zora smiles. It is a promising start to her year in the nature park on the Szczecin Lagoon.