New Geopark manager welcomed / Dr. Sibylle Knapp takes over

The Swabian Alb UNESCO Global Geopark has a new manager. Ulrich Ruckh (Geopark Chairman / Mayor of Schelklingen) welcomed Dr. Sibylle Knapp, a graduated geologist, on July 3, 2023 in the Geopark office in Schelklingen.

Sibylle Knapp comes from Ulm, she made her high school diploma in Blaubeuren. Her love for the Swabian Alb accompanied her since childhood days and was also the impetus to study geosciences. As a lecturer of the Landslides Research Group at the Technical University of Munich, she previously conducted research on landslides in the Alps. "The landscape shapes our habitats and our way of life. We want to bring knowledge about these fascinating correlations to the people. If children and teenagers already develop an understanding of these facts, it prepares the ground for appreciating and preserving the rich, earth-historical heritage here in the Swabian Alb."

Education for sustainable development is one of the pillars of the Swabian Alb Geopark. The "Geopark School" project addresses interested schools in the Geopark area that have a focus on geology, the natural and cultural region of the Swabian Alb or the topic of sustainability. They can apply to become a Geopark School.

At the office in Schelklingen, where four employees work, the threads of ten Alb districts run together. The office is also integrated into an international network - with rights and obligations. In 2024, the Geopark will be re-evaluated by UNESCO. Ulrich Ruckh looks forward to this date with confidence: "We have made further progress with central projects. In the Swabian Alb, we draw on an incredible potential of earth and cultural history that other geoparks can only dream of."

Photo: Dr. Sibylle Knapp and Ulrich Ruckh at the karst spring Schmiechquelle in Schelklingen-Gundershofen