Engineering excursion and construction week on Langeoog 2009

The teaching and research area Engineering Biology of the IUP conducted its traditional excursion to Langeoog from November 3 to 7, 2009.

This time, the main focus was to illuminate the tension between coastal protection, local recreation and nature conservation in the Wadden Sea National Park. As the students did not work practically for the whole week this fall due to fewer work assignments in dune protection, there was time for detailed research of different coastal habitats. Early morning observations with the island's national park ranger were impressive evidence of the diverse bird life. The visit to the new golf course, laid out under "ecological" auspices, allowed the topic of "nature conservation and sport" to be discussed intensively with the operator. The exploration of the island's new biological nature trail showed the island community's openness to the idea of a national park and its use for tourism.

However, the practical implementation was not neglected: An employee of the Lower Saxony State Office for Hydraulic Engineering, Coastal Protection and Nature Conservation showed the extraction and use of beach grass as an engineering-biological construction measure for dune protection. Everyone could try planting a piece of sand themselves and actively contribute to coastal protection.