190,000 trees planted in the Saxon Switzerland National Park

In the Saxon Switzerland National Park, 190,000 young trees of 22 species were newly planted on 93 hectares in 2024 as part of the forest conversion. This corresponds to an area the size of 130 soccer pitches, according to the annual report of the Saxon Switzerland National Park and Forest Administration. According to the report, 106,000 solid cubic meters of wood were also processed, 37 small bodies of water were restored, 60 hectares of meadows were maintained and 9.1 kilometers of forest edges were planted with shrubs.

A fauna study showed that there are 663 species of beetle in the 9,350-hectare area, 40 of which were recorded for the first time. These include eleven species of jungle beetle. Three new species of moss were also discovered, one of them for the first time in Saxony. Almost 1 million euros were invested in forest and hiking trails, the removal of rockfalls and storm damage - and the construction of three forest toilets. In addition to employees, volunteer conservationists helped with 6,600 hours and volunteers spent 8,000 hours planting trees, repairing stairs and collecting garbage, it said.

Seven illegal campfires extinguished

At around 320, the number of violations of the rules of conduct for the nature conservation area remained "fairly" constant. Most of the cases involved incorrectly parked cars, illegal fires and leaving paths. Seven illegal campfires were extinguished before they turned into larger fires. "Visitors now act a little faster and report anything conspicuous," said national park spokesman Hanspeter Mayr. This helps to prevent major damage to the forest.