Sparkling apple juice for young nature explorers in the Böblingen district!

Sparkling apple juice for young nature explorers in the Böblingen district!

The Anton & Petra Ehrmann Foundation is actively committed to promoting orchard education in the Böblingen district. At a celebratory event at the “Green Classroom” at the Weil im Schönbuch Community School, a generous donation of 122,250 euros was presented for the next three years. This initiative is intended to help bring young people closer to nature and provide them with knowledge about orchards, which are important habitats for numerous animal and plant species, such as environmentaleducation.de reported.

Among the guests were District Administrator Roland Bernhard and other official representatives who praised the initiative. Pupils from class 2b were able to actively participate in the event by peeling apples and pressing juice under the guidance of orchard educator Judith Mohr.

Strong support and partnerships

The funding of 50,750 euros this year from the Anton & Petra Ehrmann Foundation also includes the establishment of the International Orchard Pedagogy Academy (ISA), which is important for educational work in this area. Beate Holderied from the ISA expressed optimism about the great interest in the project and emphasized the importance of orchards for education for sustainable development. There are already 81 classes registered for the 2025/26 school year, which, compared to 88 classes in the previous year, shows that the demand for such educational concepts remains high.

In addition, the Kreissparkasse Böblingen social foundation supports the project with 6,950 euros annually. The Böblingen district also contributes 20,000 euros per year to the “Green Classroom”, which underlines the important partnerships that are necessary for the preservation and maintenance of orchards.

Importance of orchards

Orchards play an essential role in biodiversity in Central Europe and are hotspots that provide a habitat for a variety of life forms. However, these meadows are threatened by intensive agriculture and surface sealing. Awareness of their preservation is promoted through educational projects such as orchard education. Due to a lack of care and management, many of these valuable areas are at risk of disappearing, which is why active nature conservation must be pursued.

The “Green Classroom” concept allows the learning location to be moved outdoors and to actively promote learning in nature. It enables students to gain practical experience and develop important social and personal skills. With regard to health and sustainable lifestyles, orchards provide fresh fruit and contribute to the stability of the landscape. The commitment of the Anton & Petra Ehrmann Foundation is therefore an important step in the right direction to sensitize young people to this relevant topic and to sharpen their awareness of nature.

Those interested can find further information about orchard education and events on the orchard educators website at streuobst-paedagogen.de.