2023-05-19 11:46:17
LR Rosencrantz: Protection of the bee necessary to keep Lower Austria flourishing
St. Polten (OTS) – At a press conference this Friday in Landhaus St. Pölten, the regional councilor responsible for nature conservation in Lower Austria, Susanne Rosenkranz, presented the annual “Lower Austria animal protectionist of the year” – in 2023 it was the bee. The presentation took place on the occasion of the “Day of the Bee” taking place tomorrow, May 20th. This time the campaign’s motto is: “The bees are our future!”. Regional Councilor Rosenkranz explained that the aim of the campaign was to sensitize people to this topic, because “honey bees, wild bees and other insects need our protection.”
Various measures and different priorities are set in order to address different target groups. “Our children in particular have to learn once more what the bee can and does, because: the bee is not just a producer of honey,” says Rosenkranz and continues: “The bee is crucial for pollination, for species diversity, for biodiversity and thus for our landscape and our plants.” In order to sensitize the little ones in particular, the well-known project ‘Animal Welfare Makes School’ was further developed and relaunched with the topic of insects and bees. In this context, children should be taught – in a first step in Lower Austrian elementary schools and kindergartens – “where the honey comes from, what tasks bees and insects have and what else they produce besides honey,” says Rosenkranz, for example in the areas of cosmetics or home remedies. Among other things, all nature park schools and kindergartens will be equipped with animal protection articles (booklets, stuffed bees, folders) “in order to invest heavily in educating children, because children and bees are guarantors for our future.”
In addition, there is also a need to raise awareness among adults, because the bee is crucial for food production, said the state councilor: “Many farmers are already striving to keep bee colonies next to their crops, because this clearly increases the yield.”
In addition, LH deputy Udo Landbauer, responsible for infrastructure, was won over for this campaign and will work together to get more food strips for bees and insects next to the roads, as far as traffic safety allows – so only mow when these strips are too really withered, because clippings are not a source of food for insects.
The campaign is supported by professional beekeeper Verena Hagelkruys, who maintains around 1,000 bee colonies in her business from the Waldviertel to Styria and “offers the complete range that bees produce” – 750 organic foods through to cosmetics. Hagelkruys explained in the press conference: “4,000 plants in Austria are dependent on bees and insects – if we don’t protect them, more and more plants will die out.” For this reason, the beekeeper offers, among other things, “pollination services, where farmers pay for us beekeepers Place bee colonies on their fields for a secure harvest.” In order to interest young people in particular in this topic, Hagelkruys also trains apprentices in her company.
Karl Strasser, workshop manager at Caritas St. Pölten, which produces bee hotels for the campaign, also had a say at the press conference.
Further information on the “Lower Austria animal protection 2023” campaign in the office of Provincial Councilor Susanne Rosenkranz, Tel.: 02742 9005 13733, Mail:
[email protected]
Questions & contact:
Office of the Lower Austrian provincial government
State Office Directorate/Public Relations
Doris Zöger
02742/9005-13314
presse@noel.gv.at
www.noe.gv.at/presse
1684496870
#bee #Austria #Animal #Welfare
