About the association

As an active member of a nature conservation organization, environmental protection has always been of great importance to the Munich & Oberland Alpine Club in order to preserve our primary area of activity—the mountains. The urgent need for greater climate protection is particularly evident in the Alps: Rising temperatures have a greater impact in the mountains than in other regions, which is why we are stepping up our efforts.

Our recognized nonprofit association, with over 200,000 members, is Munich’s second-largest sports club. Our offices and service centers primarily provide alpine services to our members, including alpine equipment rentals, nature and environmental conservation, and the operation of 16 staffed huts and 26 self-catering huts. In addition, through our alpine program, we offer over 6,000 individual events annually—mostly alpine in nature—and coordinate some 100 volunteer groups.

The Northern Alps are remarkable for their extraordinary landscape diversity and their ecological and cultural significance. The Karwendel Nature Park, with its limestone peaks, encompasses species-rich mixed mountain forests, alpine meadows, and high-altitude bogs that have become rare. These ecosystems provide essential services such as the CO₂-sequestering effect of the forests, water retention by intact soils (flood protection and drinking water), and the soil fertility of diverse landscapes. At the same time, the nature park is a place of inspiration and rejuvenation, attracting millions of tourists each year—thus demonstrating the economic potential of the region’s cultural ecosystem services.

However, this landscape cannot be taken for granted: climate change, extreme weather, rising visitor numbers, and diverse land-use demands are noticeably altering the Alpine region. The preservation of protective forests, soils, habitats, and the water cycle fulfills key functions for nature, people, and mountain sports alike. Safeguarding and enhancing this local natural capital is therefore not an end in itself, and its preservation requires attention, knowledge, and, above all, reliable funding.

With financial support from the Stiftung Zukunft jetzt! Foundation, the Munich & Oberland Alpine Club is working together with the Karwendel Nature Park and the Landbanking Group to develop a model for the systematic assessment and financing of ecological services. Among other things, the model will consider biodiversity, water, soil, carbon sequestration, and protective functions. These ecological services are to be translated into a financial value and made investable for regional stakeholders, businesses, and private individuals through a new financing model that is yet to be developed and tested. The funds will then flow directly into initiatives within the nature park, such as strengthening protective forests, restoring sensitive wetland areas, preserving valuable habitats, or protecting heavily visited areas (visitor management).

This initiative does not mean “selling” nature, but rather making its value visible and—beyond traditional donations—creating the financial foundation to protect nature reliably and over the long term. It relies on cutting-edge technologies, transparency, and regional cooperation.

The project in the Karwendel Nature Park is intended as a pilot. If the project succeeds, it could serve as a model for numerous other regions both within and outside the Alps and help to better harmonize nature conservation, tourism, and the economy in the long term.