Every serve counts for nature
The idea behind the campaign is simple and effective: for every ace served during the tournament, Oberösterreichische donates one square metre of flower meadow. Around 300 aces were served this year. But it didn’t stop there. Board members Othmar Nagl and Kathrin Kühtreiber-Leitner generously increased the area to a total of 1,000 square metres.
That is roughly equivalent to five tennis courts full of flowers and plants, which are set to make an important contribution to biodiversity in future. The winners of this year’s prize draw are the two Innviertel communities of Gurten and Helpfau-Uttendorf. They will each receive seeds for 500 square metres of flower meadow.
New habitats for bees and butterflies
The new flowering areas will create valuable refuges for pollinators such as bees, butterflies and other insects. Such initiatives are becoming increasingly important, particularly in times of growing land sealing and dwindling natural habitats.
“After all, we only need sandy areas on the tennis court,” emphasised area manager Reinhold Aigner with a wink at the handover. At the same time, he highlighted the importance of the campaign for the quality of life in the communities. The communities themselves also see the initiative as far more than just a symbolic gesture. Helpfau-Uttendorf’s mayor, Johannes Manglberger, spoke of an important contribution to biodiversity in public green spaces. According to Mayor Petra Mies, Gurten has been focusing on near-natural areas for years and is delighted with the additional support.
This #brilliant initiative shows how sporting events can have an impact far beyond the actual competition itself.
