Yesterday morning (Thursday, July 3), the wild forest dwellers were amazed: around 200 children from several Aachen elementary school came to the forest youth games of the Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald NRW e. V., Kreisverband Städteregion Aachen (SDW), in the city forest around the Kupferbach dam to test and measure their knowledge of the forest, their dexterity and their sporting skills at various stations. Aachen's Lord Mayor Sibylle Keupen came to the "Öcher Bösch" in person to present the certificates to the eight school classes at the end of the competition, which was back in Aachen after several years.

"I think it's great how the German Forest Protection Association - in cooperation with our forestry administration and the participating elementary school - arouses children's interest in the forest, sensitizes them to this sensitive natural area and its important role for us all. I can see that the forest youth games really inspire the children and I hope that they will perhaps come back with their families during the summer vacations to pass on and share this enthusiasm," says Mayor Keupen, delighted with the reactions of the third-graders.

Identifying tree species and throwing pine cones

When Sibylle Keupen asked which stations on the two and a half kilometer circuit were the most fun, many arms immediately shot up: lifting tree trunks and holding a real frog were undoubtedly the highlights. The frog is doing really well, by the way! But throwing pine cones and identifying tree species were also very popular. In addition to their teachers, all groups were accompanied by mentor foresters from the Aachen Forestry Office or the Regional Forestry Office in Hürtgenwald. Most of them had also brought their dogs with them to the forest, who enjoyed lots of extra cuddles on this day.

All classes received a certificate and gifts for the whole class. Josef Kaiser, Managing Director of the SDW here on site, said to the children before the award ceremony: "Everyone won, if only because you were here today and got to know the forest even better." Kaiser went on to say that the scores were so close together that everyone had achieved an excellent result.

35,000 children nationwide

But a competition is still a competition, of course, which is why the pupils of class 3a from the municipal elementary school in Malmedyer Straße cheered loudly when they were presented with an inscribed oak disc as a "trophy" by the Mayor and Rolf Rüland, Chairman of the SDW. Rüland used the enthusiasm for some advertising on his own behalf: "By the way, you don't have to be a forester to become a member of the German Forest Protection Association and do something for the forest." Of course, the Forest Youth Games are not only held annually in the Aachen area: A good 35,000 schoolchildren now take part, and afterwards they see the forest as a natural environment with different eyes.