Name: Max Steinmetz

Biography

Having joined the “Schlammwiss crew” around 2012 during my environmental studies, the interest for ornithology and nature conservation was quite well nourished.

Since then I spent lot’s of early mornings and late nights in the nature reserve and even took my leisure to a more serious level. I spent some months on forein ringing stations like the one at the Col du Bretolet in the Swiss Alps, on Ottenby in Southern Sweden, in Umeälven delta as well as on Stora Fjäderägg in Northern Sweden (of course I never got tired of going back to Schlammwiss).

On the education front, I did my bachelor and master degree in forestry and nature conservation in Freiburg, Germany, as well as wildlife management during 2 years in Umeå, Northern Sweden. Since I recognized the important role of healthy semi- / natural habitats for conserving bird populations and how little is known about connections between them, I decided to focus both of my degree theses on habitat / resource selection of endangered species.

After having absolved university, I started working at the biological station SICONA in Western Luxembourg, focusing on faunisitic monitoring and research. The open, social and positive environment found at the bird ringing station Schlammwiss, led by a super motivated team and located in a beautiful nature reserve, still makes me get up at 4 a.m. and will surely continue to do so ...

If you woud ask me: shrikes are definitely my most favourite bird family and Northern Scandinavia definitely the best place to go birding J