Award celebration of the 10th Bernese Award for Environmental Research

The 10th anniversary of the Bernese Award for Environmental Research was celebrated on 17 March 2016. At the event, the University of Bern and the award’s co-sponsors, CSL Behring AG and Energie Wasser Bern, honored the recipients of the awards that had been presented at the University of Bern’s Dies academicus 2015. Pierrick Buri (Main Prize laureate) presented his work on the extensive management of meadows in terms of the benefits for wild bees. Bettina Scharrer, who received the Recognition Award, presented her work on the problem of “dying lakes” in Lucerne’s central plateau. The event was framed by a speech by National Councillor Stefan Müller-Altermatt, President of the Parliamentary Commission for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy Committees (ESPEC), as well as speeches by the co-sponsors, Energie Wasser Bern and CSL Behring AG. The reception following the event was an opportunity for dialogue between business and science in Bern. After 20 years of service, Peter Gehr, founder of the Award and the first President of the Commission for the Bernese Award for Environmental Research, handed over office to his successor, Joachim Frey. We thank Peter Gehr for his commitment and wish Joachim Frey all the best in his new job. Special thanks to co-sponsors Energie Wasser Bern and CSL Behring AG, which will finance the next three editions of the Bernese Award for Environmental Research, until 2022.