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Linz am Rhein ,
24.02.2021

BIRKENSTOCK advocates nature conservation in Upper Lusatia

Kickoff of a comprehensive renaturation project and species protection near the largest BIRKENSTOCK site.

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The German shoe manufacturer creates semi-natural habitats for animals and plants on long-term industrial wasteland in Görlitz. The family-owned company is furthermore involved in several projects for the protection of local species, including new nesting sites and special stone and deadwood areas on its premises.   

At the end of February, BIRKENSTOCK will commence converting an area of industrial wasteland in the Königshufen district of Görlitz into an ecologically valuable green area. The beverage store on the area along Hussitenstraße, which has been vacant for decades, will be torn down, any contaminated waste will be properly disposed of, fences will be removed and the ground will be unsealed. Subsequently, the natural soil function will be restored by means of new sowing typical of the landscape. This way, a semi-natural free area will be created in the area near Kidronpark in the next months which will become an undisturbed habitat for several animal and plant species of the region and which will thus promote biodiversity.

By the beginning of fall, the renaturation and landscaping measures will have been completed and the natural landscape on the former industrial site will once again be publicly accessible.  The upcoming renaturation and landscaping measures have been coordinated between the company and the municipality of Görlitz. Within the framework of the development plan, they serve as a balance for the new construction of the social building on the BIRKENSTOCK premises in the industrial park. The overall investment sum amounts to approximately EUR 150,000. The Görlitz-based engineering office IBOS is responsible for the planning and technical supervision.

“The region around Görlitz is the home of our production. That’s why we want to make an important contribution to the conservation of nature and its biodiversity here in Görlitz and the surrounding area,” explains Jagoda Damrath, Commercial Manager of BIRKENSTOCK Productions Sachsen. “I would especially like to thank the municipality of Görlitz, the landscape conservation association of Upper Lusatia and all companies involved – all of whom supported this project passionately from the very beginning.”

“The renaturation of communal areas is a sign of sustainable urban development and will give our landscape more vitality and vibrancy. Measures like these are thus an essential cornerstone for an environmentally friendly city which is worth living in. I would like to thank BIRKENSTOCK for the realization of this renaturation project and for the contribution and commitment", says mayor Octavian Ursu.

Directly on its factory site, BIRKENSTOCK will implement even more projects within the framework of corporate environmental protection in cooperation with the landscape conservation association of Upper Lusatia. Under qualified supervision, the company will install more than 20 species-appropriate nesting aids for kestrels, jackdaws and house martins at the social building and the production halls. These measures are intended to improve the living conditions of birds nesting on buildings and provide them with long-term breeding sites, as natural nesting sites for these species have decreased continually. Ornithologists from the landscape conservation association are currently building special nesting boxes with natural materials and will be taking over the follow-up supervision of this project in the next years.

To protect the local sand lizard, habitats in the form of piles of stones and sand and deadwood habitats will be established on the premises on an area of more than 500 m2.  There are also plans to set up several bee colonies on the green areas of the factory grounds. BIRKENSTOCK is currently on the lookout for a beekeeper from the area who will look after the beehives in the long term. 

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About BIRKENSTOCK

BIRKENSTOCK is a global brand which embraces all consumers regardless of geography, gender, age and income and which is committed to a clear purpose - maintaining foot health. Deeply rooted in studies of the biomechanics of the human foot and footed on a family tradition of shoemaking that can be traced back to 1774, BIRKENSTOCK is a timeless «super brand» with a brand universe that transcends product categories and ranges from entry-level to luxury price points while addressing the growing need for a conscious and active lifestyle. Function, quality and tradition are the core values of the lifestyle brand which features products in the footwear, sleep systems and natural cosmetics segments. BIRKENSTOCK is the inventor of the footbed and has shaped the principle of walking as intended by nature (“Naturgewolltes Gehen”).

With around 6,200 employees worldwide, we believe how things are made matters as much as the product itself. To ensure these quality standards, we operate a vertically integrated manufacturing base and produce all our footbeds in Germany. In addition, we assemble over 95% of our products in Germany and we source over 90% of our materials and components from Europe. We process our inputs to the highest environmental and social standards in the industry by operating state-of-the-art scientific laboratories for materials testing.

BIRKENSTOCK runs operational sites in Germany, in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, Bavaria, Saxony, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Headquartered in Linz am Rhein, the BIRKENSTOCK Group also operates its own sales offices in the United States and Canada as well as in Brazil, Japan, Denmark, Poland, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Norway, the Netherlands, Dubai, Singapore and India.

Birkenstock Group B.V. & Co. KG Burg Ockenfels,
Linz am Rhein, Germany

You can find our online shop at www.birkenstock.com

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