On Monday, May 9th, 2022, 20 eager young researchers set off from Schongau towards Berchtesgaden. After arriving at the youth hostel, settling into their rooms, and enjoying a delicious lunch, we set off for a four-hour geological excursion to the Wimbach Valley. On foot, we hiked through the impressive Wimbach Gorge up to the Wimbach gravel plain and back again. Friendly national park ranger Josef explained the formation of the terrain, the various types of rock, as well as plant species and ongoing research projects in the national park. We examined bark beetle traps and searched the skies for the pair of eagles that regularly nest high up in the rocks of the valley.
The next day began with a visit to the “Haus der Berge” and the interactive exhibition “Vertical Wilderness.” There, we were able to deepen and expand our knowledge of the national park. Equipped with lunch packs, we continued with a boat trip on Lake Königssee. The scenery was breathtaking, the water color stunning, and the famous echo demonstrated with a flugelhorn was unforgettable. The hike to the Ice Chapel was full of adventure and ended with a fun snowball fight on the wide snowfield at the base of the impressive Watzmann east face. Back at the lake, some brave young researchers even took a dip in the crystal-clear water.
On Wednesday, the real research began. One group of researchers attended a very exciting and informative computer science course on "Website Design and Development," while the other took part in a biology course on “Small Creatures in the Stream and Subsequent Microscopy.” They examined the water quality of a nearby mountain stream by catching, classifying, and counting indicator insects such as mayfly and stonefly larvae, and then studied the most beautiful specimens under stereo microscopes.
The second day at the research center began for some students with the math workshop “Everything Is Number,” which was very interactive and engaging. For the others, the day started in the workshop with the construction of a “sound-reactive LED cube.” After lunch, the groups switched. Drawing the circuit diagram, soldering, filing, and screwing to build the LED cube was definitely the highlight of the week. At the end of the workshop, each participant was able to take their finished creation home.
Before returning to Schongau on Friday morning, the group visited the Berchtesgaden salt mine. The train ride deep into the mountain, the wooden slides, the boat ride across the mystical salt lake, and all the fascinating facts left a lasting impression.
The participating students from classes 8a, 8b, and 8c,
Michael Frauendorfer, Caroline Neumeier
