On April 08, the participants of our 45th UNEP/UNESCO/BMUV International Postgraduate Course on Environmental Management for Developing Countries (EM45) went on a field trip to the Saxon Switzerland National Parl. Participants Cheva-Gaye Wright from Jamaica and Nondas Ferreira da Silva from Brazil have taken the effort to write a report about the tour:
“On April 8th, 2022 the day started with excitement. It was Arely’s birthday, the group sang Happy Birthday to her. Once Katharina had accounted for all her ‘children’ for the day we went to the Dresden Main Train Station. At the train station, Professor Stefan Porembski and his wife joined us. During the train ride, after passing Pirna onwards there were scenic views of the Elbe River and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.
Upon arrival at Bad Schandau, we were warmly greeted by our guide, Ranger Armin Zenker. He led us to National Park Centre Saxon Switzerland which was originally a movie theatre built in 1953 and closed in 1990. The National Park Centre Saxon Switzerland opened in 2001. The national park has two parts Saxon Switzerland in Germany and Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic. Ranger Armin guided the group to a movie room where he introduced us to Anna, our second guide. She is doing a volunteer ecological year with the national park centre.
We watched a short documentary titled A Perspective of Nature International Park Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland. The documentary gave us a vivid introduction to the history of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, river, streams, the trees, plants and animals that call Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland International Park home. It was a delightful introduction that had us ready for the next part of the tour. Ulemu Diana Makumba said, “This place is beautiful! We started looking at the video and I got an impression of what am expecting to see outside”.
Next, there was a tour of the centre’s exhibition on Saxon Switzerland National Park. It started with looking at the lower elevations of the forest where Ranger Armin told us a story about each picture on display. I can recall the story of how the spruce bark beetle killed the tallest spruce tree in the park. Ranger Armin had the voice of a Disney story narrator. We were fully captivated, laughed and listened to the information he shared with us.
Up some stairs, we went to higher elevations of the forest and saw pictures of the sandstone rock formations. There was an exhibit with a video on how the Elbe Sandstone Mountains formed. While watching the video at times you felt like you were underwater. There were samples of sandstone and shell fossils embedded in sandstone that we could touch to feel the texture.
The group then went on to look, touch, feel and kiss the animals, such as the wild boar and badger on display. When looking through the different view masters it seemed as if you were in the forest and not just looking at a picture. There was a room where we were surrounded by images and sounds from the forest with deer passing by. It was so lifelike that it felt real.
The display of the different types of owls, rodents and wild boar in a dark room playing the sounds they make in the wild made you appreciate listening safely inside. The game to move the round table with a model of Saxon Switzerland to get the ball into a small hole was a solid representation that nature conservation is a delicate balancing act.
Jolly Kayiita said, “This experience so far is so nice! Going to the museum and seeing all those kinds of animals and plants was so beautiful. I expect to see those high mountains, the peaks and the different plants there. I think it will be beautiful.” The Ranger, Armin Zenker, took us hiking in the forest. It was amazing, not just because of the beauty but, also the ranger made us feel like we belonged to the forest. There was music, dancing, exploring, stories and an amazing view of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.
It was not just a hiking experience; it was a connection with the different parts of the forest. We went to a cave where we lit candles making a wish in the end. Ranger Armin also told us a very sad story about the dangers of lightning. In the past, his brother was in the forest and lightning just hit the tree close to him and he died. “I enjoyed everyone’s company the most today and feel lucky to be here”, said Arely Neisa Palabral Aguilera. Forests are a sacred and beautiful place, however, it is very important to respect nature and feel all the energy of the living beings in the surroundings. Humans and nature are part of one being, the planet Earth. Together we can have amazing adventures, like the one we had on this day. Thank you Armin for being a kind amazing human in this world and for sharing a little of your energy with our group.”
by Cheva-Gaye Wright (Jamaica) and Nondas Ferreira da Silva (Brazil)