Konrad Lorenz Research Center is being expanded

The plan is for students and teachers to offer a programme for school groups throughout the year in the new Open Science Centre and a separate 'Science Holiday Programme' for children during the holidays, and prospective biology teachers can write their bachelor's and master's theses here. Citizen-minded people – take part in science projects and discuss with experts in the quarterly Science Café.

Broad-based financing

The building is to be built on the site of the Duke of Cumberland Foundation, which also runs the zoo. The centre is being financed by the University of Vienna, the Cumberland Wildlife Park and the state of Upper Austria, which is funding it with 1.2 million euros, State Councillor for Research Markus Achleitner (ÖVP) confirmed. The developer and owner of the building will be Naturtierpark Grünau GmbH.

Architecturally, the aim is to adapt to the other buildings on the site, but the new centre must also provide the conditions necessary to hold national and international conferences with parallel seminars.

Population is included.

Sebastian Schütz, rector of the University of Vienna, sees this as “an important contribution to the promotion of young talent.” KLF president Sonja Kleindorfer also wants to involve the population. “We are currently testing with local landowners whether changing the mowing rhythm increases insect numbers, which in turn has a positive effect on songbirds. We are also measuring whether road noise pollution has a negative effect on bird breeding behaviour. If we achieve these results, we have promised landowners that they will mow their lawns differently and the municipality will reduce the speed limit.”

Nature conservation officer Manfred Heimbuchner (FPÖ) is convinced that only if children and the public are enthusiastic about nature and science will nature conservation gain the acceptance needed to implement long-term measures.

As a branch of the University of Vienna, the KLF specializes in behavioral and cognitive biology and works primarily with birds. Its namesake, Konrad Lorenz, began his famous research on grey geese on the grounds of the Cumberland Foundation in the 1970s.

Today, the free-flying Lorenz geese are still regular guests at the wildlife park, where they also breed and raise their offspring. KLF has been operating a new building next to the wildlife park since 2021, and the Open Science Centre is now being added.