January 2013 Newsletter for natur&ëmwelt English-speaking Section

1. English-speaking Section
January 2013
Newsletter
Our Best Wishes for 2013!

2. natur&ëmwelt Our Principles
• Our aim: the preservation of biodiversity in a diversified
natural and cultural landscape.
• Our approach: the protection of habitats and the sustainable
use of our natural resources.
• Our methods: awareness raising and advisory services;
applied protection of nature and species; protection, recovery
and maintenance of precious habitats; data collection and
research; targeted exertion of influence on political and
administrative decision-making processes.
• Our basis: responsible citizens with a passion for the beauty of
nature and its inherent interactions who want to leave future
generations an environment worth living in.
• Our partners: selected cooperation and partnerships on a
national and international level.
• Our team: professional staff, supported by countless
volunteers.

3. What would you be interested in having?
• natur&ëmwelt has started an international English-
speaking section to reach out to the diverse community
of Luxembourg to provide them with opportunities to
contribute to the preservation, protection and awareness
of nature and the environment.
• What activities, events and outings would you be
interested in having?
– A Day with Nature: Guided walks with explanations in English
– Fit by Nature: Getting fit by working on one of natur&ëmwelt’s
nature sites
– We would like to find a better name for the section. What are
your ideas?
– Promoting local and organic goods and services

4. What would you be interested in doing?
• We need volunteers. We need YOU!
• How can you help? Some ideas are …
• Informing your friends, family, colleagues and contacts who
have an interest in biodiversity, nature and the environment
about our events and activities
• Translating communication into English
– We need you to help us translate www.naturemwelt.lu into English
• Being a guide for an outing, such as bird watching and “A Day
with Nature”
• Participating in the work programmes ‘Fit by Nature’ to
protect biodiversity in Luxembourg in autumn 2012 and
winter 2013
• Joining the committee to help organise some of the above
• Finding other volunteers

5. Translation
• We need your help to translate web pages that
are related to promoting membership, donations,
and project-related work.
• You do not need to be a professional translator to
help us!
• Tools such as these can do most of the work for
you:
– http://translate.google.com
– http://www.linguee.com/
• What web pages of www.naturemwelt.lu do you
think are important to translate?

6. Translation – What Needs to Be Done
Short name Web Page Volunteer
Dry Grasslands http://www.naturemwelt.lu/natur- Kevin -
Restoration an-emwelt_ShowNews_News.20-1- Done
(related to 10 Nov and 209-0.html
2 Feb 2013 events)
SIAS http://www.naturemwelt.lu/natur-an- We need a
(related to 10 Nov and emwelt_ShowNews_News.20-1-106- volunteer
2 Feb 2013 events) 0.html
Freshwater Pearl Mussel http://www.naturemwelt.lu/natur-an- We need a
(related to 13 April 2013 emwelt_ShowNews_News.21-1-94- volunteer
event) 0.html
Organic Farming and http://www.naturemwelt.lu/natur-an- We need a
Employment Reinsertion emwelt_ShowNews_News.20-1-183- volunteer
0.html

7. Membership
• 4 issues a year of its journal Regulus with articles and information on nature
conservation
• 12 issues of the digital newsletter of natur & ëmwelt with news and events
• Participation in concrete protection measures (planting and maintaining
hedgerows, orchards, construction of ponds, etc.).
• Outings, excursions, seminars, trainings and conferences
• A shop - with interesting products related to nature (Haus vun der Natur,
Kockelscheuer)
• Free consultation with specialists in conservation and ornithology
• For Premium Members: Invitations to events and guided walks reserved for
premium members only.
• Individual Membership: 12 euro / year
• Family Membership: 20 euro / year
• Premium Member: minimum 50 euros / year
• If you would like to become a member, you can make a bank transfer to
• BGLLULL IBAN LU33 0030 3421 7287 0000
• or online
• http://www.naturanemwelt.lu/natur-an-emwelt_Qui-sommes-nous-.62-2-
0.html

8. What is ‘Fit by Nature’?
• It is an alternative way to stay fit and to volunteer some of your
time for nature.
• Work programmes to protect biodiversity in Luxembourg.
• You will need to wear:
– Hiking boots or shoes with a good grip
– Clothes appropriate for the weather conditions
– Work clothes that you do not mind getting smoky from the fire
– Preferably clothes that are not polyester as the ash that might rise in
the air might still be alight and settle on your clothes
• What to bring:
– Gloves, if you have them otherwise they can be provided
– Drinking water and hot drink, if you wish
– A change of clothes
• The complete calendar of Fit by Nature events can be found here:
– http://www.naturanemwelt.lu/forcedownload.php?iddownload=9801
298040068&type=_pdf_

9. 10 November 2012 – Get Fit by Nature
I received an email from a friend about a natur&ëmwelt
event entitled 'Get Fit By Nature'. Given that I have recently
turned 50, anything that suggests an easy route to keeping
fit sounds attractive! The event was focused on clearing
shrubs from farmland in order to create an environment
more attractive to threatened bird species that inhabit dry
grassland. When I arrived at the site (just outside
Junglinster) I was pleasantly surprised to meet up with a
couple of familiar faces from the English-speaking
community as well as meet a number of new (and friendly)
people. We all pitched in to help with mattocks and branch-
cutters, and after a few hours, made a considerable
difference to a few ares of land. A hearty soup lunch was Mr. Philip HARVEY
provided, and representatives from natur&ëmwelt took the volunteer of
time to explain carefully the environmental threats posed to natur&ëmwelt International
local bird species and strategies for conservation. I left the English-speaking Section
day physically tired (and possibly a bit more fit) but enjoyed
the positive energy of the people I worked alongside, and http://www.mywort.lu/junglin
hopeful there might be a few more birds breeding in the
ster/25663247.html
grasslands in the spring and summer. I look forward to being
involved in a future natur&ëmwelt event!

10. Upcoming Activities
• “Fit by Nature” on Saturday, 2 February 2013
– For more details, please refer to:
http://fitbynature20130202.eventbrite.com/#
– If you are coming, would you like to write an article
and/or take photos of the event?
• Saturday, 13 April 2013 – Guided educational visit
of the EU funded (LIFE+) project to re-establish
Freshwater Mussels
– For more details, please refer to:
http://visit20130413.eventbrite.com/#
– If you are coming, would you like to write an article
and/or take photos of the event?

11. Bird Watching
• Please let us know if you are
interested in bird watching
outings.
• In spring 2013, would you be
interested to go bird
watching in Kaiserstuhl,
Germany (near Freiburg)?
Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor)
Contact: Mikis Bastian
mikisbastian[at]yahoo[dot]de
Tel. +352 29 04 04 308 from 09h30 to 18h00

12. Community Gardening
• Ville de Luxembourg: Nouveauté 2012/2013 - Jardins
communautaires
– Register by contacting: environnement[at]vdl.lu
• Transition Luxembourg Garden
– Register by contacting: Anne-Marie Didier
annemariedidier[at]hotmail.com
• Transition Minett (Esch-sur-Alzette)
– Register by contacting: contact[at]transition-minett.lu
• Junglinster: http://www.equigaart.lu/
– Register by contacting: info[at]equigaart.lu

13. Local and Organic Food
• List of organic food producers (pg. 19), stores
with organic produce (e.g. pg. 30; bakers and
butchers, pg. 36), restaurants (pg. 40)
• http://www.asta.etat.lu/resources/bioguide_a
chat_A6_2012_web.pdf
Would you be interested in
events and visits to local
farmers and to organic
farms?

14. Beekeeping
• From March onwards, a beekeeping course will
take place once a week.
• Three people are already registered. The idea is
to learn together as a group how best to work
with the honeybee.
If you are interested,
please contact:
Marc Thiel
m[dot]thiel[at]sias[dot]lu

15. Film: More than Honey
• A film on the importance of the honeybee will
be shown in German on Monday, 18 February
at 19h00 at Ciné Utopia with subtitles in
French and Dutch
• An introduction will be given in
Luxembourgish by Marc Thiel
• http://www.utopolis.lu/events/505/
• http://www.utopolis.lu/film/8031/

16. Communication
• Mikis, Marie and John were interviewed on 13
Dec. on Radio Ara 103.3 - 105.2 on the
programme “Corner Café” hosted by Deborah
Anderson and Wendy Winn.
• Thank you Radio Ara!
• What other ways would you suggest we use to
make the international community aware of
us, and our events, outings and activities?

17. Information
• natur&ëmwelt Newsletter January 2013 in German and French
– http://us2.campaign-
archive2.com/?u=2c0f328839cd36a9ff9d79d2d&id=d82d0b8db5&e=[UNIQID]
– To subcsribe, click on “Subscribe” at the bottom.
• Articles
– “The reinstatement of degraded semi-arid and nutrient-poor grasslands”
• http://www.naturemwelt.lu/natur-an-emwelt_ShowNews_News.20-2-209-0.html
• Thank you Kevin for the translation!
– “A very successful year 2012 for Barn Owls in the Müllerthal region”
• http://www.naturemwelt.lu/natur-an-emwelt_ShowNews_News.1-1-224-0.html
• Should you be interested in supporting this project either with a donation or by putting up a nest box
in your home, please contact the Ornithological Centre col[at]naturemwelt[dot]lu or Tel.: 29 04 04
308)
– Bees in French and German
• http://www.naturemwelt.lu/natur-an-emwelt_La-ruche-dapprentissage-et-le-mur-dabeilles-sauvages-
.59-2-0.html
– Pas d’OGM et de pesticides dans nos assiettes! In French and German
• http://www.naturemwelt.lu/natur-an-emwelt_ShowNews_News.1-2-50-2.html
• Videos
– Fondation Hëllef fir d'Natur
• Schlammwiss nature reserve – in French
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U1Jfp1UwC0

18. Donations
• Increase biodiversity by planting trees and hedges
– http://naturanemwelt.lu/natur-an-emwelt_Dons.79-1-0.html
• "dry grasslands" project and/or "orchards" project, please select
– "Projet Pelouses sèches" or "Projet Vergers“
– under "Choix du projet" on the web site:
– http://naturanemwelt.lu/natur-an-emwelt_Nouvelles.78-2-0.html
• freshwater mussels project, please select
– "Station d'élevage de moules d'eau douces" listed under "Choix du
projet" on the web site:
– http://naturanemwelt.lu/natur-an-emwelt_Nouvelles.78-2-0.html
– or
– via bank transfer to CCPL LU89 1111 0789 9941 0000 and mentioning
"Life Unio".

19. Nature Consultation
• All public institutions, municipalities and associations and
all private persons can benefit from our Nature Consultancy
Service. We offer information and advice on the protection
of nature and support during the realisation of projects.
• Information and brochures on topics relevant to seasonal
events, such as: frogs and toads, animals in the attic,
environmental garden design, bees and wasps, and
maintenance without pesticides
• Contact:
– Ms. Lea Bonblet
– email: berodung[at]naturemwelt[dot]lu
– Tel. +352 29 04 04 – 313

20. Contact
• natur&ëmwelt International English-speaking Section
– email: ne[dot]english[dot]section[at]gmail[dot]com
– Ms. Francesca Heffernan
– Ms. Mea Shepard
– Ms. Marianne Thiry
– Ms. Marie Kayser
– Mr. Mikis Bastian
– Mr. Marc Thiel
– Mr. David Crowther
– Mr. John Park
• natur&ëmwelt coordinator for the section
– Mr. François Benoy,
– email: f[dot]benoy[at]naturemwelt[dot]lu
– Tel. +352 29 04 04 1
– 5 route de Luxembourg, Kockelscheuer, L1899, Luxembourg