Chick rescue in Bornheim: Become a stork sponsor! Support needed!

Chick rescue in Bornheim: Become a stork sponsor! Support needed!

The return of the white stork to the Rhineland-Palatinate region is an impressive example of successful nature conservation that has been bearing fruit for decades. Loud Palatinate Express The non-profit organization Aktion PfalzStorch e.V., which was founded in 1998, is committed to the protection and reintroduction of these majestic birds. Cooperation with other nature conservation associations is of central importance in order to bring the white storks back to the region.

A centerpiece of the activities is the stork barn in Bornheim, run by the volunteer ringer Christian Reis and the energetic Beate Mühlhoff. Here, dedicated volunteers look after injured and flightless storks, who find a safe environment in the aviary. But the stork barn is not a breeding station - it has established itself as a nursing station.

The meaning of the stork barn

The stork barn's tasks are varied: from caring for and releasing injured storks to counting the population and observing the nests. Christian Reis examines between 300 and 400 stork nests every year and documents important data to record the population. There are currently five breeding pairs living in the aviary, including two infertile ones, which can take over chicks from other storks in an emergency, such as in Otterstadt in 2018.

• Störche in der Voliere leiden unter Verletzungen, die ein Leben in freier Wildbahn unmöglich machen.
• Die Fütterung erfolgt durch Spenden und Zuschüsse der Aktion sowie Unterstützung der Gemeinde.
• Eingesetzte Futterarten sind unter anderem Eintagsküken und kleine Fische.

The stability of the stork population in the Palatinate is a positive result of the reintroduction projects. The Rhineland-Palatinate state government has classified the white stork as endangered in the Red List, but in recent years there has been an upward trend and the population has stabilized. The white stork was considered extinct in Rhineland-Palatinate until 1996 and is now classified as harmless. Thanks to the Aktion Pfalzstorch reintroduction project, the core of the population can be traced back to this success.

A sponsorship for nature conservation

Anyone who would like to work to protect storks has the opportunity to become a sponsor. These sponsorships are considered important to support ongoing costs and habitat improvement for the birds. The sponsors receive a certificate with information about their sponsored stork, and there are always moving stories like that of “Sido”, a chick that was rescued by Simone Lutz and Dorothee Frese.

On June 9th, a ringing of young storks took place, at which many sponsors were also present. Karin Hechler, who plays an important role in the organization, emphasizes how crucial donations are to minimize sources of danger for storks. These donations are necessary to maintain the care and protection of the animals.

Ultimately, the PfalzStorch campaign shows how important it is to keep an eye on local nature conservation projects and to take action yourself. Anyone who is interested in a sponsorship or would like to support the projects can contact the Storchenscheune directly to become part of this important initiative.