A green oasis right in the middle of the company grounds
Grässlin is converting 3.5 hectares of its company grounds into near-natural areas—a project in collaboration with the South Black Forest Nature Park Association
Part of being a modern company is ensuring that everyone—both the team and visitors—feels comfortable not only in the office but also on the company grounds. But what about the many small creatures that call the fields and meadows home? We explored this question together with the Southern Black Forest Nature Park Association and, as part of the “Blühende Unternehmen” campaign, formulated a joint response: Nearly 3.5 hectares of previously undeveloped company grounds surrounding our production halls and office buildings in Villingen-Schwenningen have been transformed into a mix of maintained and mowed green spaces as well as sections of wild meadows, some of which are left untouched even through the winter. This gives native insects and plants more room to thrive, and they’re already showing their appreciation. Especially on the recent sunny days, the buzzing of our five bee colonies is hard to miss when taking a short walk around the nature-friendly company grounds during lunch break.
A well-manicured lawn, like the ones you see in many industrial parks, may be a beautiful shade of green, but unfortunately it offers no food source for insects. That’s why we’ve, so to speak, set the table and reseeded two strips of near-natural meadow—each measuring 3 by 100 meters—on an existing plot of land. The South Black Forest Nature Park Association deliberately selected plants and flowers that are native to our region and offer an attractive food source for our insects. So we’ve made a start; nature will take care of the rest, because once sown, these wildflower meadows will continue to thrive on their own.
The hardworking honeybees have moved in with us this year and have already set up shop in our neighborhood with two beehives and fruit trees. Now they’re feasting on the numerous blooms in our new insect-friendly gardens. To ensure they’re not left to fend for themselves, some employees are taking care of the “Blooming Company” and our buzzing neighborhood. One colleague even took a beekeeping course specifically for this purpose. Our goal is to promote species diversity on our grounds and thereby make a small contribution to biodiversity—and it’s all the more wonderful when we end up with a jar or two of honey in the process.
This natural idyll is rounded out by our two fire ponds, one of which—complete with a pergola, seating, and a swimming dock—is set to become a green oasis for breaks or outdoor meetings. We plan to develop the other into a small biotope. We’re also already planning to create beds of native perennials and a sunflower field. The project is far from complete—we still have many ideas for creating a welcoming atmosphere.
