Stefan Geister’s Post

✨ A Childhood Promise That Saved a River: The Inspiring Story of the Havel Renaturation ✨ Sometimes, the biggest change begins with a small promise. For Dr.-Ing. Rocco Buchta, NABU River Expert and project leader, it was a heartfelt promise to his grandfather 👴 when he was just twelve years old. Growing up on the banks of the Havel, he was fascinated by tales of the river's wild beauty 🏞️ before it was developed for shipping and clouded by agricultural pollution. He swore to himself: One day, he would bring back his grandfather's paradise! 💙 But the path was not easy. For many years, the Havel deteriorated. After the German reunification, new opportunities arose. With tireless passion 🔥, deep expertise, and incredible resilience, Rocco, as part of a small group of volunteer conservationists from NABU e.V., set out to convince the region of the necessity and benefits of a large-scale renaturation project. 🎉 Imagine: Bureaucracy, public skepticism, lack of funding – the hurdles were enormous. But Rocco had a crucial recipe: He created win-win situations for all stakeholders! 🙌 He proved that renaturation was not only good for nature 🌳 but also for people, flood protection 🌊, and the entire region. Since 2005, Rocco Buchta has been leading the project on behalf of NABU, and the successes are breathtaking! 🤩 Last Friday, together with three colleagues from L'Oréal, we had the privilege to visit the project and listen to Rocco´s inspiring win-win stories. We were deeply impressed ✨ and filled with enthusiasm for the incredible natural idyll created here! 💖 Nature is thriving once more! The feeling of standing in this vibrant landscape and marveling at the regained biodiversity is simply indescribable. 💚 We at L'Oréal are proud to be able to contribute through our donations 🎁 to this biodiversity project via renaturation. Today, the Havel renaturation is a flagship project 🌟 for Germany. It proves that it is possible to heal large rivers 💧 and revitalize ecosystems. 🌎 For Rocco, the greatest joy 😊 is seeing his children and all future generations experience a vibrant landscape with sandy beaches 🏖️ and rich wildlife. A huge thank you 🙏 to the #NABU team: Rocco Buchta Anette Wolff Karin Flohr Daniel Rieger and to fishery Schröder for this very special day ✨and to my colleagues Tanja Leyer Julie Reichert and Julia Scheer, for running the long term cooperation with NABU. Alena C. John-Pierre Hardy Elena Schlosser Fotos: NABU