Zurich wine enthusiasts’ country
It's a golden autumn morning when the Arbeitseinsatz.ch team once again sets off for the picturesque Thurauen. After a few minutes of patience at the bus stop, the class catches up with us and we set off on our bikes towards Wydhof.
We've moved into our accommodation, left our warm socks at home and now it's time to sweat. After a smooth bike ride to the area we're in, we find ourselves in a field of Himalayan balsam. But what is this Himalayan balsam all about and why are we pulling it out? It's very simple: this plant was brought to Europe from India by humans. However, as there is no competition here, the plant can spread extremely quickly and displaces a large part of our native flora.
A few hundred Himalayan herbs later, it is already Thursday morning and understandably, motivation is no longer as high as it was at the beginning. But lo and behold - the discovery of the day: a medium-sized vine hawk moth caterpillar has also set its sights on the Himalayan herbs. This beautiful sight leaves us frozen for a moment and gives us the opportunity to shed light on the positive properties of neophytes. Because even if many people are not aware of it, the vast majority of our favorite foods originally come from another continent: for example, potatoes, corn, tomatoes, etc.
Back to the here and now: We have already reached the last day of our camp week and are once again taking advantage of the opportunity to get feedback from the students. Because proper nature conservation also means sustainability and what is more sustainable than adapting our offer perfectly to the participants so that the desired learning effect can be achieved.
One thing is certain: being outside, doing something good for nature and simply enjoying the Thurauen meadows is a welcome change for the students. We all deserve the weekend and the images of the beautiful caterpillar will stay in our heads for a long time.