I'm Reiner Philippi, I live in Idar-Oberstein, and since 2015 I've been a ranger in the Hunsrück Hochwald National Park, Germany's youngest national park, which stretches across the highlands of Hunsrück.

In our national park, nature is allowed to be nature - that's important for species conservation. Especially mushrooms, beetles and many plant species need peace and quiet just like the wildcat, black stork and black woodpecker. This tranquility is offered here on an area of more than 14,000 soccer fields.

My tasks as a ranger include :

• Public relations
• Environmental education with children
• Visitor guidance and supervision of visitor facilities
• area monitoring
• species protection
• maintenance measures
• Ranger tours and patrols
• Supervision of interns 

The special thing about the EdelSteinLand and the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park is that both regions benefit from each other. Those who are looking for deceleration from everyday life can hike through the beautiful nature in the national park and enjoy the "primeval forest of tomorrow" in its unspoiled beauty. In turn, in EdelSteinLand you can visit and experience everything that makes the hearts of gemstone enthusiasts and jewelry lovers beat faster in exciting exhibitions, various museums and the many gemstone processing companies.

The Hohenfels near Katzenloch and the dream loop "Kirschweiler Fortress" with the Celtic fortification "Ringskopf" are my favorite places in the gemstone country and national park. Even before I became a ranger, I enjoyed spending time here. Try it, too: Hike there, sit down and just let your gaze and thoughts wander into the distance... you're guaranteed to feel better afterwards!