Sustainability Report 2016 / 2017

Projects Frosch Protects Frogs The frog has been our corporate logo for more than 100 years. That’s one reason why we have been work­ ing with NABU Rhineland-Palatinate since 1998 on the project “Frosch protects frogs”. Water is the frog’s elixir of life. Especially in the heavily populated Rhine-Main area, protection of waters and floodplains is critically important because so many uses are concentrated in a small area. NABU therefore develops concepts for the harmonious coexistence of humankind and Nature. Scientific studies have proven how important the Rhine wetlands are for the tree frog and other amphibians. For more than 15 years the NABU Naturschutzzentrum Rheinauen has been working hard with Werner & Mertz to improve the tree frog’s habitat. Thanks to their efforts, the occurrence of this rare species of frog has been sustainably secured. NABU documents the status of its projects in its annual report. The focus of activities in 2014 was spec­ ifying concrete measures for the “Upper Rhine Lifeline” project. They included purchasing green areas in order to optimize the frog’s habitat for the spawning season, summer and winter and to improve the biotope function for young frogs. In addition, rare plant species found in marshes and sedge meadows were propagated and placed in existing marshes. This measure ensures a broader range of flowering plants and with them a larger population of insects. And that means an improved food source for the young frogs. 91