Day 1
On April 19, 2024, a highly motivated expedition team met at the Landau campus to have breakfast together and then set off on the expedition. But as is the case with a real expedition - the weather is unpredictable. After an acute storm warning and the forecast of continuous rain, the team set off for Eußerthal by bus, a little late and via a new route, as the safety of all team members has the highest priority. After arriving in Eußerthal, the team walked a short distance to EERES, an ecosystem research facility. There, all participants were given exciting and interactive insights into a wide range of water research topics. We then covered the last few kilometers to the Taubensuhl, where we slept today. The expedition participants battled their way through the forest in constant rain and fog. A fire was quickly lit on site so that all participants could warm up again quickly. The day was rounded off with an exciting lecture on the subject of light pollution. Despite the rescheduled day, the participants crawled into their sleeping bags in the evening full of anticipation for the next stages.
"Congratulations to RPTU and the expedition team for bringing this wonderful project to life. It makes it possible to experience sustainability in an outstanding way. In the middle of an ecosystem that deserves our attention in a special way, especially in these times. After all, it provides services for everyone that we urgently need for our existence. The expedition through the largest green campus sensitizes and multiplies in an exemplary manner."
Stefan Asam, Director of the Central Office of the Rhineland-Palatinate Forestry Administration
Day 2
After the storm of the previous day, the next day started with blue skies and in the company of Siegfried Weiter (forester) and Antonia Reifferscheid (climate protection manager at the Palatinate District Association). On the way to the House of Sustainability, the expedition team was able to ask any questions they had about the forest and nature along the way. Once they arrived at the House of Sustainability, they cooked together over an open fire in the company of Simone Kiefer. Towards the evening, the tent was set up together and made winter and storm-proof due to the weather forecast. Despite the less than favorable weather forecast, the day was brought to a close together around the campfire with stick bread and musical accompaniment.
Day 3
Despite a stormy, cold forecast and slight worries about how they would survive the night, all participants woke up comfortably warm in a sturdy tent. While some were still slowly waking up in their sleeping bags, others were already preparing the campfire outside - while a heavy snowstorm raged around them. When the last participants woke up, the campsite had disappeared under a white layer of snow. Nevertheless, they had a cheerful breakfast and set off on the last stage. Lunch was prepared at the Antonihof. There, the team was given an exciting tour of the farm and learned a lot about plant cultivation and refinement, climate change and much more. And then the last 10 kilometers began. Finally, the team visited an experimental area where tests are being carried out to see how a forest can be sustainable and still be productive, before reaching the RPTU campus in Kaiserslautern in high spirits and with tired feet.
