The moor as climate protector: Güstrower Schlossquell launches fundraising campaign in partnership with the Müritz National Park

For climate and environmental protection: Güstrower Schlossquell has launched the "Steinstückenwiese" moor and climate protection project in partnership with the Müritz National Park. The aim is to re-wet a drained moor in the national park near Mirow and thus turn it into an effective carbon store once again. This is because the moors in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are not only a unique habitat for plants and animals, but also have a rich vegetation. They also serve as important climate protectors by permanently storing carbon from the atmosphere in their peat bodies - provided that the peatlands are not artificially drained. In order to preserve these natural carbon stores, well over 2500 hectares of moorland have been renaturalised in the Müritz National Park over the past 30 years. The donation campaign by Güstrower Schlossquell now supports the National Park Authority in finally supplying one of the last larger areas in the park with sufficient water again.

All mineral water friends can take part in the project. Under the motto "Sip by sip for the region", 10 cents per crate of Güstrower mineral water sold will flow into the donation fund "Müritz National Park Moor and Climate Protection Project", which Güstrower Schlossquell has set up especially for this purpose. The campaign runs until 31 October 2022, with the proceeds going in full to the Müritz National Park for the rewetting of the drained peat body under the Steinstückenwiese. This will reactivate an important reservoir for climate-damaging CO2 on an area of around 8 hectares.

Axel Schümann, Head of Marketing Güstrower Schlossquell: "We have been firmly rooted in Mecklenburg for almost a century and therefore feel a special responsibility for our home region. This also includes an intact environment. The moors in our region regulate the climate in an effective way and must therefore be particularly protected. For this reason, we are pleased to be able to support the important work of the Müritz National Park and effectively contribute to climate protection with our project in favour of the Steinstückenwiese."

Eike Lucas, spokesperson for the National Park Authority: "Drained moors are one of the largest sources of CO2 emissions in northern Germany. With the rewetting of peatlands in the Müritz National Park, our colleagues have already done outstanding work for climate protection in recent decades. We are very pleased to have found active support for this work with Güstrower Schlossquell's "Steinstückenwiese" campaign."

The importance of peatlands as climate protectors

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has peatlands covering an area of around 300,000 hectares, making it one of the federal states with the most peatlands. However, large parts of them were drained between 1960 and 1990 in order to be able to use them intensively for agriculture. Peatlands can have a considerable impact on the climate: They have a peat soil that consists largely of carbon. Provided that peatlands are sufficiently wet, they sequester this carbon to a considerable extent: for example, although peatlands make up only three per cent of the world's land area, they store twice as much carbon as all the world's forests put together. However, this function can also be reversed: as soon as peatlands are drained, they release the stored carbon back into the atmosphere in the form of CO2. Therefore, the protection of peatlands is of particular importance.

Güstrower Schlossquell: "Genuine from here. Genuine like us."

Since 1926, mineral water of a very special quality has been bubbling up in Güstrow in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: with its pleasantly mild taste, balanced mineralisation and low sodium content, it is a pleasure for the whole family and also ideal for preparing baby food. It is not without reason that the mineral water with the castle is the market leader in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's gastronomy. However, Güstrower Schlossquell not only stands for the best mineral water quality, but also for a particularly environmentally friendly and energy-efficient production in the region for the region. True to the company motto "Genuinely from here. Genuine like us.", distribution focuses on Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as well as parts of Brandenburg and Berlin. Suppliers also come from the region wherever possible. This secures jobs in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and protects the environment through short transport routes. Since 2021, Güstrower Schlossquell has been part of the Hassia Group, the strongest German brand supplier of non-alcoholic beverages.