The English-speaking Section of natur&ëmwelt has announced details of three upcoming events:
 
- 31 August 2014 - Birds of the Oesling (meet 14:00 at the Church in Troine).

This guided excursion will focus on the birds of the Oesling in the context of the Life Eislek project. The tour is also suitable for people without any prior knowledge about birds, but offers some of the highlights of birding in Luxembourg. Last year's sightings included red-backed shrikes, whinchats, a black stork and a variety of different raptors. Dogs are not permitted on this walk. Sturdy footwear and binoculars are recommended. For further information, contact Mikis Bastian, tel: 621-529526, e-mail: col@naturemwelt.lu.

- 5 October 2014 - International Birdwatch Day – Youth event (from 07:00, at Haff Remich)

As part of the International Birdwatch Day 2014, the natur&emwelt English-speakign section is organising a bird ringing event in the Bird Protection Area "Haff Remich" in Remerschen. Young people, particularly those aged 10-18 years old, will get the chance to experience autumn migration and get a first hand experience of scientific bird ringing (U10s are welcome if accompanied by an adult). They will catch birds which are on their way to their wintering grounds and explain the importance of nature reserves which serve as stop-over sites on the birds' long journey south. Bird ringing will take place throughout the morning (starting at 07:00) but people are free to come and go as they like. Meeting point is the large bird obseration hide inside the nature reserve. For further information, contact Mikis Bastian, tel: 621-529526, e-mail: col@naturemwelt.lu.

- 11 October 2014 – Picking apples to make juice or take home (meet 10:00 at Cents-Hamm train station)

In the normal course of events, you would think, consumerism and conservation do not have very much in common. But even conservationists have to consume food and drink, and there is one important way in which we can all protect, conserve and improve the natural landscape - by choosing to consume locally grown produce.

This is trus of locally produced meat and locally grown vegetables. But it is especially true of locally grown fruit. Nowadays we can buy farmed produce which has been flown in from all parts of the world. But taht is not really the ecological, "green" way to consume, mainly because of the environment-unfriendly effects of the huge transport distances. cost-wise, there may not necessarily be any great difference between the price of local fruit and the price of fruit that has come from the other side of the world. But that is only half the story...

When we eat local produce, we are not only supporting the efforts of local producers - we are also helping to conserve the countryside in which that produce has grown. This is particularly true of orchards, which used to form a ring around most Luxembourgish villages. But as those villages expanded, the orchards were the first habitats to be chopped down. Only gradually are we now starting to plant new orchards to replace the large areas that have been lost to housing development.

The best way of ensuring that orchards, old and new, have a future is to pick, buy and eat their produce - the fruit itself and the juice made from it. Before the new harvest and the resultant juice arrives in the shops, though, natur&emwelt English-speakign section is holdign a fruit-picking and juice-pressing session in an orchard in Cents. To register, see http://www.eventbrite.com/e/pick-heirloom-apples-to-make-apple-juice-or-take-home-tickets-11029959907?aff=eorg.

Join natur&emwelt english-Speakign Section to pick apples from heirloom apple trees to either make juice (around €1 a bottle) or take them (no cost) home. Tools, hot drinks and food will be provided on site.

For further information, email: ne.english.section@gmail.com.

Photo: a shrike