Environmental hero Dr. The Federal Cross of Merit receives lock cabbage!

Heinz Schlapkohl, 81 years old, from Weisenheim am Sand, was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. He received this honor at the end of last year for his tireless use in environmental and nature conservation. Growing up on the Baltic Sea, nature already shaped him in his childhood, which led to his commitment to the environment.

dr. Heinz Schlapkohl has been active in nature and environmental protection for over four decades. He became chairman of the Bad Dürkheim group in 1984 and worked for almost 30 years in the Wasser Bundeskreiskreis. His commitment focused on water protection and the interface between water and nature conservation. Since 2002 he has also been active in the International Commission to protect the Rhine (IKSR).

commitment and awards

One of its important projects is the Isenach flood-compartments between Bad Dürkheim and Birkenheide as well as the intensive examination of land consolidation processes in Natura 2000 areas, especially in the bird sanctuary "Haardtrand". Schlapkohl always strived for compromises in cooperation with agriculture to protect habitats and network threatened species.

He also played an active role in the committee of the Palatinate Forest Biosphere Reserve and campaigned for core zones and a visitor control concept. In addition, he was co-initiator of the Luchs project Pfälzerwald Vosges du Nord e.V. his long membership in the BUND brought him numerous awards, including the State Medal of Earness (2000), the State Order of Earnity (2006) and the Nature Conservation Sonder Prize of the Pronature Rhineland-Palatinate (2010).

Sabine Yacoub, the state chair of the Bund Rhineland-Palatinate, paid tribute to Schlapkohl's expertise and commitment and congratulated him on his award. The BUND for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany (BUND), Landesverband Rhineland-Palatinate, also thanked him for his outstanding commitment in environmental and nature conservation.