Environmental associations have called for Easter bonfires to be handled with care. "We don't want to spoil this custom for anyone. It is of course beautiful and atmospheric to stand around an Easter fire and welcome spring. That's why we're giving tips on how to make Easter bonfires a little more compatible for animals and the environment," said Silvia Teich, spokesperson for the German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union in Berlin, on request.
"One argument against Easter bonfires is that the material could be better used in the garden, for example as filling material for a raised bed, as a Benjes hedge or deadwood pile and thus as a shelter and habitat for insects, shrews, hedgehogs and many bird species," emphasized the Nabu spokesperson. Branches and twigs are far too useful to simply burn. In addition, as always, burning wood produces fine dust and releases CO2. Under no circumstances does bulky waste belong in the Easter bonfire. This would release a lot of pollutants.
"The consequences are worse for wild animals that have retreated into the piles, which have often been piled up for weeks, or are already breeding there. They often die or lose their brood when the piles are set alight," said Teich. Animal species such as shrews, amphibians, hedgehogs and insects like to retreat to such piles.
