Wildlife in Winter

The day was a first-class experience from start to finish. Our guide, Manuel, gave us a warm welcome and a broad outline of what we could expect from the day. We started off across the lower meadows and as there were patches of snow on the ground soon came across animal tracks which Manuel identified for us, showing us points to look out for so we could learn to identify them ourselves. We continued up towards the tree line chatting and learning about the Karwendal Nature Park and the surrounding area. We stopped several times on the way up to the woods for Manuel to introduce us to mosses, lichens, trees and plants, signs that deer and other animals had been there. Manuel found samples and examples for us lying on the ground or growing in the area and had brought along cards and visual aids to help describe what we were looking at. He explained everything very clearly in English and we learned such a lot in a short time, Entering the forest gave us an opportunity to explore a different natural environment. We learned about how the various ecosystems work together, how humans interact with the landscape and how groups with different interests work together or sometimes conflict with each other and the landscape. There was a lot to discuss and debate. It was interesting learn how the forest is managed and used and compare this to forests in the UK. It wasn't all about learning from the guide; Manuel gave us several exercises for self-learning which really worked well. One time we had to go off into the woods and collect small samples of all the different mosses we found, then bring them back and sort them into species. It was amazing to see how many different mosses there were and a good lesson in looking carefully to spot same or different species. We learned some of the names, in English and German, and were all inspired to learn more about mosses. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and there was quite a lot of snow on the ground which gave us more opportunities to identify what was in the area and had been in the area previously. We had fun trying out our newly-acquired tracker skills. At the top of the woods we came out onto an Alpine Meadow covered in thick snow. Against the background of a brilliant blue sky, it was absolutely beautiful. All around were impressive snowy peaks. The scenery was stunning. We explored the snowy meadow finding evidence of larger animals and even tiny snow fleas which we had never known existed before. It was a wonderful journey of discovery and we would never had seen or been aware of even a fraction of it if we had not been accompanied by our excellent ranger guide. We had a welcome break for a sandwich at the top of the meadow and a chance to get to know more about all our various Natural World interests and experiences. Manuel was as interested in what we knew as we were in what he had to say. We swapped many stories, tips on where to go to see things, book and tv recommendations. After lunch Manuel brought out some wildlife props and explained more about the life cycles, winter survival strategies and general behaviour of some of the animals to be found in the area. It was fascinating and very interesting to examine the props up close, look at how animals are adapted to the environmental conditions and realise how the different footprints were made. The different route back was equally enjoyable and gave us the chance to see and learn about more wildlife, plant life and the environment. It was a really well-planned out day, a mixture of planned places to stop and learn with spontaneous stops when we came across something of interest. The information was delivered clearly, interestingly and enthusiastically. A first-class guided wildlife walk in a beautiful landscape and a thoroughly enjoyable learning experience. I hope we will be able to return some day and do another walk with Manuel.
The booking was a simple procedure. The hotel reception were able to help with any queries we had with the booking/payment procedure, although we did not encounter any difficulties. I would suggest doing more marketing with the local hotels in English. We stayed at the Wiesenhof Hotel in Pertisau and were aware of the walk because one of us speaks German and picked it up in a German leaflet. I know there would be other English guests who would enjoy a guided wildlife walk, if they knew it could be conducted in English. It was a simple bus ride and short walk for us to get to the meeting point, although we did have to ask locally how to get from the bus stop to the start. It was fortunate one of us spoke German but perhaps a small map could be added to the booking information to help non-German speakers find their way.
I would recommend this guided walk to all nature lovers and all who are interested in learning more about the area where they are on holiday. The walk description said participants needed to be of medium fitness but although, the walk climbed uphill and the day lasted a number of hours, the pace was very gentle. There were so many stops to see things of interest that there was plenty of opportunity to rest on the walk. This guided walk would be suitable for everyone, young or old. Manuel was a very engaging guide and people of all ages and abilities would enjoy learning from him. This walk was certainly the highlight of our holiday. Thank you, Manuel.

We really enjoyed our nature walk, Manuel was a great guide enthusiastic, knowledgeable and a great communicator.
My main recommendation would be to advertise your walks as being suitable for non German speakers. We nearly didn’t book as the promotional material said the guide talk would be in German. Manuel had excellent English.

Tolle Tour , jedoch ohne Schneeschuh, da zu wenig Schnee !

Dankeschön für viele spannende und interessante Infos !