Frei raus – Abenteuer fürs Leben · Christo Foerster

Tryday #17 – Paragraph 39, Absatz 3 oder die Handstraußregel

·20 min·2 clips

Germany's 'handstraußregel' allows picking a handful of common plants, but species like crocuses are protected.

The episode is part of the Tryday series, where Christoph Förster tries something for one day as an inspirational impulse. He records from Costa Rica, where he is staying with his wife Anja and their children for several months. Christoph discusses the challenges of working online there due to frequent power outages and unreliable internet, which affected podcast interviews. He introduces the Tryday topic: picking wild flowers. He questions when he last did this and whether it's legally allowed, leading to an explanation of Germany's Federal Nature Protection Act. He details Paragraph 39, Article 3, known as the 'handstraußregel' or hand bouquet rule, which permits picking a handful of common plants for personal use, with exceptions for specially protected species like crocuses and tulips. Christoph mentions resources like the Flora Incognita app for plant identification. He contrasts this with Costa Rican regulations, noting similarities but also restrictions on exporting shells. For the Tryday, he rides his bike with a bucket, uses a knife to cut flowers after scissors break, and searches for plants on non-private land. He buys glass vases to arrange the bouquet and surprises his wife Anja with it. Christoph reflects on how such activities change one's focus and connection to nature. He invites listener opinions on picking plants and promotes his newsletter. The episode ends with ambient sounds of frogs and rain in Costa Rica.

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