As a young man and active winter sportsman, I witnessed the great forest dieback in the Osterzgebirge in the 1970/80s. In addition, there was the Chernobyl reactor accident in 1986. These events already formed a strong environmental consciousness in me during GDR times. Kai Andersch inspired me later to become active in international nature conservation: first as an enthusiastic sponsor with the company Gerl for the wilderness runs of the Dresden schools, then more intensively from 2008 as a founding benefactor. Today, I work in the area of finances as a board member in the foundation office on a voluntary basis.