Join in
Opportunities for nature lovers and those keen to get involved
Are you interested in nature in our city and perhaps keen to get actively involved? Below you will find an overview of various opportunities to get involved in environmental initiatives relating to Chemnitz’s urban nature.
Offers for nature-loving and committed citizens
Offers for nature-loving and committed citizens
Are you interested in nature in our city and perhaps keen to get actively involved? Here you’ll find an overview of various opportunities to get involved in environmental initiatives relating to Chemnitz’s urban nature.
Chemnitz paves the way
Participation in the Germany-wide competition
abpflaster is a Germany-wide friendly competition in which sealed surfaces such as paving stones, concrete or asphalt are broken up and planted. Residents, local authorities and organisations join forces and unseal public and private areas - to win the competition and improve the future of their neighbourhood. The competition is modelled on its Dutch counterpart Tegelwippen.
The 2026 season runs from 21 March to 31 October 2026.
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Young nature guards
With the Young Nature Guards, children and young people discover the local natural world. Accompanied by experienced environmental educators and conservationists, they learn to identify plants, fungi, birds and insects, observe animals and explore different habitats. Not only is knowledge imparted, but practical work is also carried out - for example, building nesting boxes and feeding stations or clearing rubbish. There are two locations in Chemnitz: the municipal nature conservation station offers the programme in cooperation with the environmental agency and BUND Chemnitz. Young nature lovers can also get involved at the NABU Chemnitz nature conservation centre and actively explore or protect nature.
Nature conservation helpers
Volunteer nature conservation helpers make a valuable contribution to the protection of our natural habitats. In close co-operation with the nature conservation authorities, they take on a variety of tasks:
- Monitoring protected areas and legally protected biotopes
- Supporting the implementation of maintenance measures in protected areas or combating neophytes
- Support with the annual amphibian migration - Documentation of plant and animal species
- Recording special species, e.g. kestrels or beavers, and monitoring their nesting sites or territories
The nature conservation authority provides the volunteers with technical and organisational support. In addition, regular training and information events are organised in the form of lectures and excursions.
Seed garden
The seed garden run by Nachhall e.V. is an intervention area for environmental and social work on the Sonnenberg. Since its establishment in 2010, native wild plants have been cultivated for insect-friendly flowering areas. Since 2016, the City of Chemnitz and the European Social Fund (ESF) have also been funding projects for the social stabilisation of Sonnenberg residents and environmental education programmes with children's and youth facilities in the district.
Shoot axis
Sprossachse - the network of urban gardens and farms in Chemnitz - offers an overview of different types of community gardens and initiatives in the city. People who are interested in nature conservation, healthy nutrition and lifestyles, pesticide-free food cultivation in urban areas, etc. meet here. Knowledge transfer takes place here, whether through joint workshops, exchanging seeds, lending equipment and transport vehicles or organising events.
Sprout axis network
Botanical Garden
A wide variety of associations, working groups and stakeholders are active in the botanical garden, such as NABU, the Mushroom and Cactus Friends, the Bird Breeders and Bird Lovers Association, NAJU, the Beekeepers' Association and the Pomologists' Association. A special highlight is the on-site school biology centre. Here, pupils can experience biology lessons at first hand. In addition, the centre offers the opportunity to do an FÖJ, voluntary work or community service.
Environmental Centre Office
The Environmental Centre office in the Technical Town Hall offers information, education, advice, participation, networking and cooperation on all aspects of sustainable development.
Adult Education Centre Chemnitz
The Chemnitz Adult Education Centre offers a wide range of educational opportunities with courses, events and lectures on topics such as nature, climate, health, science, politics, history and languages. The monthly vhs-Klimatreff invites interested parties to discuss the topic of climate change in Chemnitz and to plan concrete approaches for action together.
Chemnitz green board
The Green Board is a calendar for events relating to ecology, environmental protection, climate protection or sustainability. Here you can find workshops, maintenance work, lectures and excursions. Events and dates can also be entered on the Green Board free of charge and self-managed.</p
Greenpeace Chemnitz
Greenpeace is committed to protecting the environment and the climate, as well as safeguarding the foundations of human life. In its volunteer groups across Germany, anyone can support and help shape Greenpeace’s work – locally and personally. In Chemnitz, this is a diverse group of people of different ages, with varied interests and professional backgrounds. What unites them is the desire to work together to advance environmental protection in Chemnitz. Greenpeace Chemnitz organises various types of campaigns – from information stands on the street, to clothes swap parties and litter-picking campaigns, right through to spectacular photo campaigns. Everyone can get involved in the issue that is closest to their heart: consumption, transport, the oceans, forests, energy and much more.
Meetings are always held on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month at 7 pm at the Environmental Centre on Henriettenstraße.
Nutrition Council
The Chemnitz Nutrition Council (Ernährungsrat Chemnitz e. V.) is an open alliance of various stakeholders who are engaged with the issues of healthy eating and food culture. The association aims to strengthen regional food production across the entire value chain – from field to plate. The goal of good nutrition is to be embedded in the city’s guiding principles and strategies. Through educational programmes and public participation, citizens are educated and made more aware of the issue of healthy eating.
Chemnitz Volunteer Centre
The Chemnitz Volunteer Centre is a contact point for the promotion of volunteering. It brings together people interested in volunteering with associations and social organisations looking for volunteers.
A database provides a wide range of volunteering opportunities in areas such as gardening, landscape conservation, environmental protection and animal welfare. More than 200 opportunities are available to interested parties, with new ones being added every week.
Voluntary Ecological Year (FÖJ)
The FÖJ is an educational and orientation year for young people who want to take an active interest in environmental and nature conservation issues. The FÖJ is open to young people and young adults who have completed compulsory full-time schooling and are no older than 26 at the start of the FÖJ.
Club database
The club database is a service provided by the city of Chemnitz and can be filtered by district and categories such as nature and environment. Contact details, a brief portrait and possible offers can be found for the individual clubs.