While its sister organisation focusses more on political nature conservation, the foundation Hëllef fir d’Natur de natur&ëmwelt (the foundation Help for Nature by natur&ëmwelt) covers the more practical side. Through the purchase and maintenance of nature conservation areas, awareness-raising campaigns and scientific work, they are working for the environment on site, for example with the protection of springs in the Mullerthal Nature Park, measures to preserve the wetlands of Ösling, and a project to rebuild 50 ponds throughout Luxembourg between 2018 and 2022 (all articles in German).

As the backbone of life, an intact environment with a high level of biodiversity is essential to our health and to sustaining our economic activity: air to breathe, clean water, food, medicine, diverse raw materials – all available thanks to healthy environmental systems. Today we are seeing an alarming decline in this biodiversity, with around 150 species becoming extinct every day. We are in the midst of a mass extinction, and we humans are to blame. Sources: Consilium EU, ZDF.

Raising new funds and volunteers for new projects is a major challenge,” reports Nicolas Hormain, responsible for communications and public relations at the foundation Hëllef fir d’Natur von natur&ëmwelt. “Due to the building boom in Luxembourg and the high price of land, buying pieces of land is becoming increasingly expensive, also in nature conservation.”

In order to do its work, the foundation depends not only on legacies and donations but also on support from partners: We not only provide natur&ëmwelt with financial support, but also help to facilitate various projects through the active involvement of our employees. “By working with various partners, we can also raise awareness among large numbers of people who have little to do with nature conservation in their everyday lives,” says Nicolas Hormain.

For natur&ëmwelt, sustainability in nature conservation means creating stable and resilient systems. “Insurance and financial companies like Baloise have a different form of leverage, and can have a significant impact by working together with foundations, for example, but also by ensuring that takes a sustainable approach in its investment activities. Everyone needs to act. Together, we must promote change and sustainable action in all areas of life. In doing so, we cannot forget the “big picture” when it comes to creating a vision that covers all perspectives of sustainable development,” says Jaques-Yves Kail.