Verein Naturschutzpark

Verein Naturschutzpark e.V. (VNP) is a German nature conservation organization founded in 1909. According to its official website, the Lüneburger Heide nature reserve would not have come into existence without the association and its VNP foundation. The VNP umbrella covers three institutions: the Verein Naturschutzpark e.V., the Stiftung Naturschutzpark Lüneburger Heide, and the VNP Naturpark GmbH. The association has been active in the conservation and development of the heathland since its founding.

Verein Naturschutzpark e.V. was founded in 1909. Its first general assembly took place in 1910 in Stuttgart. From 1913 to 2016, the VNP or its foundation owned 3,500 hectares of property in the Austrian Hohe Tauern. In 2001, the annual members' assembly of the association decided to establish the Stiftung Naturschutzpark Lüneburger Heide, which was implemented in 2008. With the founding of the foundation in 2002, the VNP continued the ideas of its founding fathers. To date, around 90 km² of valuable and irreplaceable heath, moor, and forest areas in the Lüneburger Heide have been purchased or leased long-term to preserve the historic cultural landscape sustainably.

1. 1Seit 1909 Hüter der Heide: Verein & Stiftung Naturschutzpark Lüneburger Heideverein-naturschutzpark.de
2. 2Die Historie des VNP | VNP Verein Naturschutzpark Lüneburger Heideverein-naturschutzpark.de
3. 3Verein Naturschutzparkwikidata.org