Outdoor
District forester Stefan Waidelich tells...
Author: Vanessa Lotz-Kijak
24 January 2023
Hello Mr. Waidelich! Please briefly introduce yourself and your work!
I am originally from Enzklösterle I am 57 years old. After graduating from high school, I studied forestry at the university in Rottenburg. The highly practical training in various forest districts in the Northern Black Forest and the Stromberg region optimally prepared us for our work as foresters. After a short period of practical experience as a private forest manager at the former forestry office in Schönmünzach, I was assigned one of the most interesting forest districts in the Northern Black Forest. I have now been working here in my hometown for over 30 years. Managing the forests with all their legally mandated important protective, productive, and recreational functions is particularly important to me. The continued development of the valuable Scots pine of the Enz Valley plays a central role in my work.
What motivated you to become a forester in Enzklösterle to become?
Even as a young boy of seven, I was allowed to help my father, who himself had been a forester in Kaltenbronn, Baden, for half a decade, working with an axe in the woods. Influenced by our upbringing, the forest bug also infected two of my three brothers, who likewise left their mark as foresters in the Northern Black Forest. I think my great love for the forest, and especially for the Northern Black Forest, developed through playing in the woods as a toddler, working there during summer holidays, picking blueberries, and my cross-country skiing training, which took place primarily in the forest. You could say that even as a young child, I spent more time in the woods than in bed. The fact that I've now been able to work in my dream region in my homeland for over 30 years is a great stroke of luck and a gift that I appreciate every day.
You also enjoy being active in your free time, for example trying out different certified hiking trails. So, what does the ideal hiking tour look like for you, and what do you need for it?
That's right, my wife and I have already hiked almost every premium trail in the Black Forest. To get new ideas and to explore how the hiking criteria and ratings are implemented by looking at other premium trails, it's essential to do some research. The official ratings of certified trails don't always align with my subjective impression of what makes a trail stand out from the crowd.
Key elements of an ideal hiking tour include not only a variety of trail surfaces with a high proportion of natural paths, but also a diverse range of forest scenery combined with a variety of landscape and cultural features. Both exciting and tranquil sections form the basis of a wonderful tour.
On a related note: Tell us about your favorite hiking tour in the region?
The blueberry trail remains my favorite hiking trail in the region.
I travel parts of the trail practically every day for work, and after many years I still discover and experience new things on the premium trail.
The newly constructed quality trail around Aichelberg also offers fascinating sections in the Kälbertal valley with wild-growing trees and old irrigation ditches, comparable to the Waalwege of South Tyrol.
And last but not least, the footbridge at the Wildsee moor is not only the flagship and highlight of the region, but also my very personal and emotional place of energy.
As a forester, you sometimes have a different perspective on things: How compatible are tourism and nature in your view? And what could/should be improved?
Much has changed in recent years. People are more mobile in the forest. E-bikes now make it possible to reach even the most remote areas, places that were previously inaccessible. Added to this are recreational trends like snowshoeing and geocaching. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified this development. This makes it all the more important to guide forest visitors with attractive offerings to areas that are compatible with nature and the environment.
Forestry Baden-Württemberg (Forst BW) considers it important to create recreational opportunities and support projects that contribute to the sensible management of forest visitors. Disturbance-sensitive animal species need refuge areas that should not be developed for tourism, or only with great care. The situation becomes particularly critical when forest visitors leave the designated paths in these areas. The better the facilities we create—that is, the more attractive a path is—the fewer reasons there are to leave it or go off-trail. I therefore see a great opportunity in this.
Do you have any wishes or perhaps further (project) ideas for the Northern Black Forest hiking region?
Another major project is a new premium hiking trail currently in the planning and approval phase. This process involves coordination with ForstBW (the Baden-Württemberg State Forestry Commission) as the landowner, nature conservation authorities, water management officials, and the district offices. Calw and Freudenstadt is very time-consuming and expensive. The municipality Enzklösterle wants to create a second premium hiking trail in its districts of Gompelscheuer and Poppeltal in order to be able to promote tourism in the Upper Enz Valley even more attractively and intensively.
To avoid revealing too much, it will be a path to the sources of the Enz river, which, as a novelty among premium hiking trails, is to be developed into three loops.
Our newsletter features people with a special commitment to hiking. Who do you think should definitely be included?
First and foremost, Mr. Bertsch must be mentioned here. Enzklösterle to be named.
As the local group's path warden Bad Wildbad im Black Forest Association He maintains and cares for a huge network of hiking trails in an exemplary manner – including the trails in and around EnzklösterleOn weekends, you'll see our "green angel" in his typical outfit, armed with a brush cutter to keep the trails clear, or with cleaning equipment to tidy up the trail markers. He's always focused on making our hiking region more attractive. He does fantastic, invaluable volunteer work for tourism throughout the region and is the go-to person for hikers, the local community, and the Baden-Württemberg Forestry Commission (ForstBW) on all hiking-related matters.
Thank you very much, Thomas.
Thank you very much for this interview and your fascinating insights! We are keen to follow the progress of the new premium hiking trail and look forward to our next interview with Mr. Bertsch.
All the best to you, and may you continue to find joy and motivation in your work and for your upcoming projects! It's wonderful to have such dedicated people like you out there who can inspire our guests and locals alike!
