Autumn holidays full of colours and stories

From 12 to 30 October, families at the KÖNIGSSTUHL National Park Centre can look forward to an experience centred on the colours, shapes and stories of the autumnal forest. Every day from 11 am to 2 pm, it’s time for Shapes and Colours Bingo: take a close look, compare shapes and spot the many shades of colour in nature. In the ‘Colourful’ autumn workshop, children create little works of art using natural dyes they’ve made themselves. The open, hands-on programme is complemented by tricky brain-teasers.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 2.30 pm, ‘Book Corner Time’ invites you to a cosy hour of stories from the forest. On Tuesdays and Thursdays at the same time, we head out into the National Park: on the one-hour family walk ‘Nature in Energy-Saving Mode’, children and adults learn what happens in the beech forest as the days grow shorter and colder. How do trees, plants and animals prepare for winter? And what signs of this can already be spotted?
All activities in the autumn holiday programme are included in the admission fee to the National Park Centre.

Following Rügen’s wild and hidden trails

On 10 October, the WWF adventure tour ‘Wild Rügen – UNESCO World Heritage Site, Chalk & Sea’ combines a walk through Jasmund National Park with insights into the protection of the Baltic Sea. As they look out over the sea, participants will learn more about so-called ‘ghost nets’ and how the WWF organises the recovery of lost fishing nets from the Baltic Sea. The tour begins at 9.30 am at the National Park entrance by the Wedding bus turning loop in Sassnitz and ends at around 4 pm at the Königsstuhl. The price of €39.50 for adults also includes admission to the KÖNIGSSTUHL National Park Centre. Bookings can be made at wwf.de/erlebnis.
The archaeological walk with Dr Katrin Staude on 23 October takes participants even further back in history. On the way from the Hagen car park to the Königsstuhl, participants will encounter evidence of various eras: from chalk and sinkholes, through the ‘Stone Age houses of the dead’, to the myth of the Slavic Herthaburg. The walk takes place from 11.00 am to 1.30 pm and is suitable for adults and children aged ten and over. The cost is 10 euros for adults and 5 euros for children up to the age of 14, excluding admission to the National Park Centre.

Experiencing the beech forest with all your senses

For a mindful break, ‘forest bathing’ for adults takes place on 18 October from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm. Slow walking, breathing and sensory exercises help participants to perceive the sounds, smells and textures of the forest more intensely. At the same time, participants will learn more about the link between the forest and health. Participation costs 10 euros per person and is limited to 15 places. We recommend weather-appropriate clothing, something to drink and, if available, a seat mat. Advance online booking or registration is required.

Working together for nature, which has a future

The forest festival at the UNESCO World Heritage Forum Waldhalle marked the launch of the partnership between the KÖNIGSSTUHL National Park Centre and Biopark e. V. from Güstrow. Under the motto ‘Together for nature that has a future’, the collaboration combines the catering offering with information on organic farming and biodiversity.
As part of the partnership, the meat served in the visitor centre and at the UNESCO World Heritage Forum will be switched to organic produce. The meat comes from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Berlin and Brandenburg. Biopark has been campaigning for climate protection, the conservation of nature and the environment, and responsible food production for more than 35 years.

Save the date: Night at the Museum

As darkness falls outside, the search for the secret magic of the ancient forest begins on Saturday, 7 November. From 5.30 pm to 9 pm, mysterious clues will guide visitors through the dimly lit interactive exhibition. Mimi, Krax and mysterious forest creatures come to life in an interactive story, whilst guided night walks lead out into the beech forest. Bread on a stick and punch await by the fire pit. The full programme and tickets are already available online.

The gardeners of the tropical forest need our help

Deep in the rainforest of the Congo Basin live forest elephants – and they are far more than just inhabitants of this unique habitat: they are its most important gardeners. They disperse the seeds of many plants over long distances, keep clearings and paths open, and thus create the conditions for a thriving tropical forest. By thinning out the undergrowth, they give slow-growing primeval forest giants more space. Forests with forest elephants can therefore store more carbon than forests where these animals are absent.

But this delicate balance is under threat. Over the past 30 years, we have lost almost 90 per cent of Africa’s forest elephants. Their last remaining large populations live in the Congo Basin. Deforestation, the fragmentation of their habitats and, above all, poaching are taking their toll.
Together with indigenous and local communities, the WWF is protecting forest elephants and their habitat. We support gamekeepers in the fight against poaching, connect habitats and develop solutions to ensure that people and animals can coexist safely.

Please help to preserve these grey giants and their tropical forest: wwf.de/waldelefanten-schuetzen