Karow (dpa/mv) - Germany's crane protectors and the Nossentiner/Schwinzer Heide nature park mourn the loss of Wolfgang Mewes - one of their most famous crane researchers. The biology teacher and author of numerous scientific crane studies and books died on October 20, a spokeswoman for his family told the German Press Agency on Sunday. Mewes was 79 years old. A memorial service is planned for November 12 at the headquarters of the nature park in Karow (Ludwigslust-Parchim).
After 1990, the Mecklenburger, who lived in Karow near Plau, was a co-founder and first manager of the Nossentiner/Schwinzer Heide nature park, which is one of the largest in northern Germany. Mewes was also one of the founders of the German Crane Protection Working Group and spokesman for many years. He also ensured that the nationwide crane information center was established in Groß Mohrdorf near Stralsund.
At Mewes, numbers about distribution, offspring situation and migrations of gray cranes in Germany and Europe flowed together. "He counted the cranes that have now begun their migration to their wintering grounds," said the family spokeswoman. Of the approximately 10,000 gray crane breeding pairs in Germany, around 5000 crane pairs live in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, 2750 in Brandenburg and 1500 in Lower Saxony.
