March | 2026
Monday, March 23, 2026 | Start: 5:00 p.m.
We look forward to inviting you again in 2026 to exciting evenings as part of our “Youth Forum” format. The Africa expert and committed conservationist will kick things off Ulf Doerner.
Ulf Doerner has been traveling to Africa’s wilderness areas for over 40 years and is personally committed to the protection of unique natural areas. Among other things, his commitment led to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in South Africa – formerly the “Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park” – being saved from destruction by mining and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and international prizes such as the WWF International Award for Conservation Merit and the AUDI Terra Nova Award.
In addition to his many years of involvement in nature conservation, Ulf Doerner works as a consultant for sustainable development, including in the area of environmental and ESG criteria. He is a member of the Club of Rome (EU Chapter) and has been active in various international organizations and foundations.
The lecture takes us into the wilderness of Africa for about 60 minutes:
“In the first part, I report on the UNESCO World Heritage Site “iSimangaliso” – formerly known as “The Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park”.
At the time (1989), I set out with far more idealism than technical expertise to give this area a voice. My aim was to work with South African conservation organizations to protect this unique ecosystem.
Over a period of ten years, this developed into an international campaign against planned open-cast mining – with success: on December 1, 1999, the area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I have been traveling Africa’s wilderness areas for 40 years – preferably on foot, with minimal equipment and in close proximity to nature. Encounters with wild animals, life in the open air and night-time vigilance in the wilderness are formative experiences that initially overwhelm and later become lasting memories.
The wilderness thus becomes an object lesson for anyone who embarks on the unknown – in the best sense of the word.”
Ulf Doerner
Please register by e-mail to servus@schule-schloss-stein.de or by telephone on 08621 8001 181 (Ida-Lena Zoglmann).
Many thanks to our Altsteiner Erina Uhl, who has been associated with Ulf Doerner for many years and whose initiative made this special evening possible.
