Theme trails in the Seefeld region

Established in 2006 by the Beekeepers' Association Seefeld, the teaching path was similar to the beneficial insect trail in Auland and had become outdated over the years. In 2022, the Tourist board and the municipality of Reith decided to renew and merge the two paths, dedicating two years of intensive work to the project. This was due to the diverse requirements.

First, the objective educational character, which is frequently used by local and regional educational institutions, from kindergarten to secondary school, had to be preserved. For this reason, commercial partnerships were excluded, and collaboration was mainly with associations, the Karwendel Nature Park, and the University of Innsbruck.

The location of the path at the boundary between the nature park and the main traffic route of rail and federal roads provided the basis for the narrative of the path: Everything begins with the encounter of humans and animals, leading to their symbiosis and the domestication of wild animals, culminating in our present main task, the protection of nature and its inhabitants, thereby ultimately securing our own future. In particular, bees play a crucial role here, vividly demonstrating the significant global impact that even the smallest creatures and the alteration of their habitats by humans can have.

Although situated in the encounter zone of nature and settlement areas, the path largely runs through nature and water protection areas. This had a significant influence on its design: The newly designed panels made of larch wood could not be cast on-site in concrete foundations but were reinforced with screw sleeves and directly embedded in the ground. They were previously manufactured in the TVB workshops and fitted with durable, directly printed aluminum composite panels. Their shape resembles that of honeycombs in a beehive. Their relatively low height takes into account the target audience of children, who can find not only educational information on the panels but also games and suggestions for at-home activities.

The previously mentioned educational character of the path is reflected in the elaborate content design of the path, which is based on extensive research and collaboration with numerous experts. In cooperation with the Beekeepers' Association Seefeld, the TVB acquired an established beekeeping educational trail from Franking (Upper Austria), which was adapted to the conditions of the high plateau. The Municipality of Reith, with Mayor Dominik Hiltpolt and forest supervisor Rudi Saurwein, supported the design of the path, including the establishment of important deadwood habitats. Sabine Slatky-Meraner and her colleagues from the Botanical Garden of the University of Innsbruck provided information about the locally widespread wild bees. Notably, employees of the Karwendel Nature Park identified new species, which were subsequently described and newly classified by university experts. Last but not least, nature photographers Elisabeth and Rudolf Hofer (focusnatura.at) shared their knowledge and provided colorful detail shots of flora and fauna for the information panels. The Association for Nature Conservation and "Nature in the Garden" also provided their expert knowledge with help and advice.

The costs for this large-scale project amounted to around € 20,000, of which TVB Seefeld covered € 18,000. Additional support came from the Municipality of Reith and private sponsors.

In the past summer weeks, the educational path has already been visited by many guests and local children’s groups during their summer care. More information about the beekeeping educational path can be found at: www.seefeld.com/de/bienenlehrpfad.html. Here, all stations can be found in detail, as well as supplementary e-booklets. Guided tours are offered by the Beekeepers' Association.