What many children dream of: roaming through nature, observing animals and discovering rare plants - he has turned his childhood dream into a profession. Lorenz Richter has been a ranger in the UNESCO Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape Biosphere Reserve since 2015.
"I only really became aware of the many facets of this landscape, which I have grown so fond of, over time. Lusatia is perhaps not as spectacular as the Alps or Saxon Switzerland, but only reveals its beauty at second or even third glance," says Lorenz Richter, describing his new place of residence. "Far away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities, Upper Lusatia is still an insider tip. I am fascinated by the many landscapes in a small area. You rarely find that. It's barely 100 kilometers from the Zittau Mountains, Germany's smallest low mountain range, to the Upper Lusatian Highlands and the heath and pond landscape to the Lusatian Lakeland.
In addition to the beautiful natural landscape, he appreciates much more about Lusatia. "Görlitz, of course, with its spectacular old town and the other beautiful towns and villages in the region. But I am also particularly fascinated by the region in the north of the biosphere reserve, where an exciting development is taking place from the Upper Lusatia energy region to a completely new lake landscape."
For Lorenz Richter, working as a ranger and thus as a mediator between people and nature is much more than just a job. He draws his motivation to devote all his energy to the preservation and further development of the Upper Lusatian heath and pond landscape with its rich biodiversity from the nature that surrounds him. Even after many years, the trumpeting of the cranes at dawn is still a very special experience for him. The ranger's insider tip: the Tauerwiesen pond near Förstgen. Every autumn, geese and waders rest there alongside the cranes to rest up for their onward flight. For all those who want to witness this, it's time to get up early: Get up early - and don't forget your binoculars!
Interview with Lorenz Richter
What is the heritage of Lusatia for you?
Lusatia has much more to offer than coal mines, lignite-fired power plants and newly created open-cast mining lakes. It is Sorbian life and tradition, it is traditionally farmed carp ponds, heaths and forests and, above all, the people who live and work here. As Gundermann once sang, lignite was and is used to generate heat and burn up the homeland. From today's perspective, lignite mining is outdated. Nevertheless, mining is part of the industrial heritage of Upper Lusatia and was an employer and source of identification for generations of miners.
