When the boat becomes your desk

Author: Birgit Hartmann
 
It’s the late afternoon and your eyes are tired from staring at a computer screen all day. How great would it be to sit down at the edge of a lake and watch the day draw to a close. Your thoughts become immersed in the gentle, meditative ripple of the water. You reflect on the events of the day and become calmer with every incoming wave. The quiet, the vastness of the lake – this place has an undeniable energy. Now imagine if your workday actually began on the water.
 

Nine-to-five with Mother Nature

Anna Pirtscher is among the fortunate people who work at one of the 2,000 standing bodies of water in Austria – in her case the Ausseersee, an alpine lake in Austria’s lake region. The forestry manager and biologist with the Austrian Federal Forests not only helps maintain the forests, she also tends to the stock of young fish in the local waters. “It is a gift to be able to spend my day here and to support nature in so many different ways,” she says during a break from work. And the Ausseersee is without question one of the most beautiful open-plan offices one could imagine: you commute on a boat instead of the subway, chirping birds sweeten your coffee break, and your favorite coworker is nature itself.

Water: a source of energy

Lakes and rivers provide energy. They not only have a reviving effect on the mind, but are actually a valuable resource. Like Austria’s forests, water means something special to Anna – it has an almost magical attraction for her. Humans have always sought to be close to water, in part for evolutionary reasons. After all, water is the most important elixir of life, and as such, the sweeping view across the lake shores gives you a feeling of security. It is no wonder that water has a magnetic effect. This is why Anna spends her free time at the Ausseersee as well, either on her own to take a breather, or enjoying the idyllic spot with friends.
 

LIFE Project Ausseerland

The area around Ausseersee in the Styrian lake region is an ecosystem in need of protection. The 530 acre lake, also known affectionately as the “dark-blue inkwell” because of its deep color, is the habitat for many native fish species such as lake trout, char, and perch. To help endangered amphibians like the Italian crested newt and the yellow-bellied toad reproduce, Anna is involved in the EU LIFE project “Ausseerland.” The project builds ponds where newts can spawn and the young can grow up undisturbed. Other items on the agenda of the young biologist are bog re-naturalization, the introduction of mixed-tree species, and the removal of water barriers “so that nature is allowed to be itself again, at least a little bit,” she says with a smile as she heads off to work - in her open-plan office.