Testimonial von Ernst Löschner für Baum 9
Hans Lerch was a man of the first hour, when Alpine Peace Crossing was founded in 2007, and our first ranger on the first APC Peace Hike.
Unforgettable is Hans, as he led the 155 participants at the 1st APC on June 29, 2007 over the Krimml Tauern with his long walking stick as area manager for the Oberpinzgau in the Hohe Tauern National Park, and the next day many of them back to Krimml on the Birnlücke , together with the wonderful Paul Rieder from Maria Alm as our first mountain guide. With great expertise on the geology and fauna of the NPHT, he kept stopping to give us insights into the mountain and natural world of the Hohe Tauern National Park. His knowledge of the prehistory of the escape route 2007 was also impressive.
In the following years Hans was "our" ranger in the APC peace hikes. In 2016/17, when it came to initiating the permit process to the Grove of Flight and finding suitable project partners for the installation of the grove, Hans was a prudent, always reliable and competent consultant and organizer. When the inter-religious celebration of the inauguration of the Grove took place on October 17, 2017, it was also a day of honor for Hans, because without him and Judith Forthuber, the idea of a Grove of Flight would never have become a reality.
For me Hans is one of those special people with whom I will always feel connected. So I am very happy to be one of the founders of the tree # 9, which is dedicated to him.
Above all, I want to thank you, Hans, for your valuable contributions to APC, and above all for your friendship and the soothing tranquility that you have always aired.