Pro Natura

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Pro Natura is the oldest nature conservation organization in Switzerland. It is committed to the promotion and conservation of the flora and fauna in Switzerland.

history

In 1909, representatives of the Swiss Society for Natural Research (today: Academy of Natural Sciences Switzerland ) founded the Swiss Confederation for Nature Conservation (SBN) - today Pro Natura - in order to realize the idea of ​​a national park in Switzerland . The nature conservation pioneers wanted to create space for nature, which was threatened by industrialization and tourism. Since one franc of the membership fee was diverted to the national park, Pro Natura was also popularly known as the Fränkli-Verein for a long time . Pro Natura still pays one franc per member to operate the national park in the Engadine. By 2017, a network of around 700 nature reserves had been created across Switzerland. These cover a total area of ​​63.8 square kilometers (as of 2017). In addition, Pro Natura looks after over a dozen nature conservation centers, including the Pro Natura Center Champ-Pittet VD and the Pro Natura Center Aletsch VS.

The first open political action of the SBN was the resistance against the Rheinau hydropower plant, motivated by nature conservation considerations. In January 1952 he mobilized 12,000 people to demonstrate against this, which was a novelty for Switzerland from an environmental point of view. However, after a positive referendum , the power plant was commissioned in 1957 .

The SBN had a hard time with nuclear energy. Initially, it was hoped that the comparatively very powerful nuclear power plants would relieve nature and the landscape from interference by many new hydropower plants. For example, the Solothurn section raised objections to the Gösgen nuclear power plant , but not in the form of fundamental opposition, but only with regard to the choice of location. And the focus was not on the risks of radioactive radiation, but on landscape protection considerations. As a minimum requirement, the cooling tower should be painted with clouds in order to adapt it to the landscape. The Rheintaler section complained against the project in Rüthi (SG), which was never realized , in misunderstanding the potential radiation risks for the population, that nuclear power plants belonged to the city due to the supply contract, the landscape must be spared. Then in 1974 the SNB turned the issue around and warned of the risk of radioactivity release.

In 2009 Pro Natura celebrated its 100th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the Swiss Post has issued a special postage stamp worth 85 cents.

Since 1946 Schoggitaler have been sold together with the Swiss Homeland Security ; In 2019 on the topic of insect deaths .

organization

As a private, non-profit association, Pro Natura is dependent on membership fees and donations. Pro Natura has over 140,000 members and around 25,000 patrons. With its sections it is regional, the central association nationally, as a Swiss member in the Friends of the Earth network and a founding member of the IUCN - The World Conservation Union. The central association and the 23 cantonal sections together form Pro Natura. The central association has an annual turnover of around CHF 25 million and employs around 100 people. The central secretary is Urs Leugger-Eggimann, the president is Ursula Schneider Schüttel .

aims

The organization has set itself the following goals:

Strengthening biodiversity: Pro Natura wants protected areas in Switzerland to increase in area and quality, and for non-protected areas to become more ecologically valuable. Common species must remain common, rare ones become more common again and genetic diversity increases again.

Safeguarding landscape identities: Pro Natura demands that land consumption be slowed down through overbuilding and urban sprawl and that the separation between construction and non-construction zones be improved. Unique and undeveloped landscapes must be better protected.

Conserve natural resources: Pro Natura is convinced that private and social decisions must be made with consideration for natural resources. Alternatives to unlimited growth must be sought and suitable framework conditions created.

Increase reference to nature : Pro Natura is certain that, thanks to a stronger reference to nature and the examination of behavior, the responsible use of the environment and natural resources can increase.

How Pro Natura achieves its goals

To achieve its goals, Pro Natura uses four instruments:

  • With political nature conservation , it improves the framework conditions «for more nature - everywhere!». It represents the interests of nature and encourages public communities, associations, companies and private individuals to work towards achieving the goals that also apply to Pro Natura.
  • With practical nature conservation , she herself is active in nature. It plans, realizes and promotes projects in used and unused landscapes, for endangered species and near-natural uses.
  • With her environmental education , she inspires young and adult people so much for nature that they develop a sense of responsibility towards it and work for the same goals as Pro Natura. Over 40 youth conservation groups belong to Pro Natura, and the organization offers environmental education opportunities for schools.
  • She communicates in order to familiarize as many people as possible with her goals, to sensitize them to their implementation and to win them over as allies.

Priorities and campaigns

The Limmatspitz nature reserve from Pro Natura Aargau at the confluence of the Aare and Limmat rivers ( Switzerland's moated castle )

Current campaigns

  • From 2018: Together against insect death : Insect death through intensive agriculture and its pesticides, loss of biotope diversity and light pollution . In March 2019, the two initiatives “For the future of our nature and landscape” (biodiversity initiative) and “Against the construction of our landscape” (landscape initiative) were launched.
  • From 2016: Free passage for wild animals : Many wild animals migrate over long distances. They move between sleeping place, feeding place and place of retreat, between summer and winter habitats or to their breeding places. Individuals move on to colonize new areas. All these migrations are central to the conservation of the species. These wildlife corridors are often no longer accessible due to roads and train lines as well as infrastructure constructions. With its campaign «Free path for wild animals!», Pro Natura demands that impaired or interrupted wild animal corridors become open again. When building infrastructures, the wildlife trails must be consistently taken into account in order to prevent further fragmentation of their habitats .
  • From 2015: No pesticides in our waters : A large part of the waters in Switzerland are polluted with pesticides. The pollution by pesticides is sometimes so high that it can be life-threatening for aquatic organisms. Pesticides are also dangerous for humans. With the campaign «No pesticides in our waters!» Pro Natura calls for a significant reduction in the use of these agents in agriculture .

Previous campaigns

  • 2014-16: Flower Power - for colorful flower meadows : flower meadows include habitats for butterflies and grasshoppers , almost half of all plant species in Switzerland are found there. With the campaign “Flower Power - for colorful flower meadows”, Pro Natura was committed to species-rich meadows in Switzerland. On the one hand, this is important for many specialized animal and plant species. On the other hand, they would make important contributions to agriculture and society. In addition, diverse flower meadows are part of an attractive landscape .
  • 2013–15: More ponds for frogs & Co .: With this campaign, Pro Natura would like to make Switzerland a better country for frogs, toads, toads, newts and salamanders. The focus of the campaign should be to create more ponds and ponds in which amphibians can reproduce safely.
  • 2011–13: Landscapes for life : beautiful landscapes are one of Switzerland's most important qualities. In 2011, Pro Natura launched the campaign “Landscapes for Life” in order to preserve them and to raise awareness of the issues of spatial planning, land consumption, settlement and landscape quality among the population and politicians. The aim of the campaign was to raise awareness among the Swiss for careful handling of the soil and for settlements that are worth living in.
  • 2010–12: Biodiversity - every species counts! : With this campaign, Pro Natura tried to make the Swiss population understand the importance of biodiversity and make the threats clear. With the “Allegra Geissenpeter” project, Pro Natura showed possible support measures for dry sites. The “Ark of Biodiversity” showed why biodiversity is important for people and how they can work to preserve biodiversity.
  • 2000–2010: Let's found a new national park! : The aim of the campaign was for Switzerland to have a new national park by the end of 2010 - and a whole network of large protected areas. The legal basis for this was created, and park projects were worked on in around thirty regions. One of the most promising candidates was the Parco del Locarnese in the area between Centovalli , Valle Onsernone , Rovana and Bavona , which belongs to a large part of the municipality of Cevio . This announced in 2009 that it no longer wanted to participate in the project. In 2010, the Adula National Park around the Rheinwaldhorn was approved by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) as a candidate for another national park and funding was promised. In 2015 [obsolete] the establishment of the national park could be decided through a referendum. In January 2011, a new application for Parco del Locarnese was submitted to the FOEN.
  • 2006–2008: Free our rivers! : In these campaign years, the aim was to increase the proportion of near-natural rivers and streams. Pro Natura also advocated that the Waters Protection Act, which prescribes minimum residual water quantities in rivers, is not relaxed and called for the law to be implemented.
  • 2003–2005: More space for butterflies : For the three years of the campaign, Pro Natura had set itself the goal of preserving habitats for threatened butterfly species, promoting habitats for common species and improving the population's knowledge about butterflies. Pro Natura saved five endangered butterfly species from extinction with targeted emergency aid projects.
  • 2000–2002: Lynx & Co .: The lynx should be able to spread in Switzerland, wolf and bear should be able to return home. By means of education in the population and lobbying work, the acceptance of large carnivores should be improved.

Initiatives

Landscape initiative : The federal popular initiative launched under the leadership of Pro Natura in 2007 demanded that the total area of ​​the building zones must not be increased for 20 years. The initiative was submitted in 2008 with around 110,000 valid signatures from Pro Natura and 16 other organizations.

In response to the landscape initiative submitted in 2008, the federal parliament made the spatial planning law more effective:

  • Building zones that are too large are being reduced in size, the cultivated land is better protected.
  • Added value through zoning is distributed more fairly.
  • Municipalities need to work together in planning and before new building land is created, better use must be made of the existing.

The Swiss electorate clearly confirmed the law at the ballot box with 63% yes. Pro Natura played the leading role in the landscape initiative and in the vote on the spatial planning law.

The biodiversity and landscape initiatives were launched in March 2019 (see section Current campaigns ).

See also

Web links

Commons : Pro Natura  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Article by historian Tanja Wirz in pro Natura magazine from May 2009
  2. ↑ Schoggitaler campaign against the death of insects. In: bote.ch . April 9, 2019, accessed May 1, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Management. Pro Natura, accessed on October 27, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Board of Directors. Pro Natura, accessed on October 27, 2018 .
  5. ^ Campaign «Together against the dying of insects» - Pro Natura. In: www.pronatura.ch. Retrieved May 2, 2019 .
  6. ↑ a b “Nature is badly off in Switzerland”. In: tagesanzeiger.ch . March 26, 2019, accessed May 2, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Campaign "Free Path for Wild Animals!" - Pro Natura. In: www.pronatura.ch. Retrieved May 2, 2019 .
  8. ↑ Campaign «No pesticides in our waters!» - Pro Natura. In: www.pronatura.ch. Retrieved May 2, 2019 .
  9. ↑ Campaign “More Ponds for Frosch & Co.”
  10. ↑ Campaign “Landscapes for Life” ( memento of the original from April 25, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.pronatura.ch
  11. ↑ Let's found a new national park!
  12. ↑ Stefan Bachmann: National Park: “The project has not yet died” , accessed on August 26, 2011
  13. ↑ suedostschweiz.ch: Miscellaneous: “Parc Adula brings 'oxygen' into the valleys” , March 11, 2011, accessed on August 26, 2011
  14. ↑ Pro Natura: Chronicle of the National Park Project ( Memento of the original from March 1, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.pronatura.ch archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Accessed August 26, 2011
  15. ↑ http://www.parcadula.ch/