
The issue of biodiversity remains topical in sollberg. As part of the village renewal, the central square and the edges of the village street were cleared of asphalt and flower beds were planted in 2014. Parts of the village community tend the flower beds. Despite the many volunteer hours, there were areas with gaps in the flower carpet due to last year’s dry summer. This now required a replanting.
The board of directors of the participating community came up with the idea of involving children in the planting process. The plant locations were prepared and numbered by gunther eichler, local representative of the village renewal of sollenberg, so that the children could put their numbered plants in the right place on their own – with a little help from the adults.
It’s not always easy to find enough volunteers to maintain the grasslands. Gunther eichler felt overwhelmed at times with his few comrades-in-arms last summer while doing a lot of digging. He was therefore surprised at the rough response from children and adults. "I was so happy that day with the children", he beamed. 18 children and ten adults participated. The children were almost unstoppable in the end. Therefore, they still planted at the "triangle", where adults are supposed to be doing the work. The young gardeners also learned right away that plants need nutrients. Organic natural manure was used.
A total of 118 plants were put into the ground. Eichler had selected the flowers and perennials very carefully in advance. As one of the most active members of the state association for the protection of birds, he also knows a lot about plants. He is currently working at the district level with the relevant officials and district administrator hermann ulm (CSU) to increase the number of flower meadows.
To exchange experiences he contacted the beekeeper oliver fischer. Together with him, he had refined the selection of varieties and adapted them to food-seeking insects. Among other things, catmint, beard flower, blue rue, widow and beard flower were planted. The plants come from the schmidtlein tree nursery in effeltrich. "I think we have seldom reaped so much joy, happiness and satisfaction as with the provision of the money for the plants in sollenberg", said project manager michael ullwer from the office for rural development.
The mayor of grafenberg, hans-jurgen nekolla (SPD), was also impressed: "the village renewal of lilling-sollenberg has greatly improved the quality of life in the villages. I become really aware of this when I recall the picture of the formerly asphalted square with the glass containers in sollenberg."
"If the requirements are met, our office can also provide financial support for unsealing and courtyard redesign. We provide free professional advice", he told ullwer. For those who have no more space in their private gardens for new plants, there is another chance as part of the village renewal: the bus stop area on lillinger hohe has been redesigned. The planting can be done by the villagers again.