It’s been a hot start to the Summer in Switzerland. Like, hot-hot. Uncomfortable-hot. Way too hot for the author of this post, who, despite 10 years in Switzerland remains more in tune to the tepid (but wet) summers, dreich shoulder seasons, and mild (but also wet) winters of Scotland. The heat at the moment is compounded by the fact that despite its incredible infrastructure and its place atop the Global Innovation Index, air conditioning remains very much a rarity in these parts. Reserved only for our supermarkets and cars it seems. Relegated to dinky-portable units in homes, air conditioning, despite average daily temperatures floating between 30°C and 80°C (I presume), remains very much an afterthought in Switzerland. But we persevere.
This moaning is leading somewhere – promise!
Small actions, big impact: Our pledge
As part of the b+s PLUS program, and our commitment to Pledge 1%, all Bucher + Suter staff are given 2 days per year of volunteer time off or VTO. As a part of our pledge, we try to organize at least 1 opportunity per year in Switzerland, Germany, and the US to allow people to exercise their VTO rights. Outside of the US it can be tricky. We try to prioritize direct-human-impact when we choose our volunteering days, but Swiss and German charity organizations are less in need of the ultra-short-term help that we can offer within the scope of the b+s PLUS program. We have internal alignment though, that the value of volunteering spreads far and wide, even when the direct-human-impact aspect is missing, and starts with the teams who take part. Whatever the impact we create, it’s always worth pursuing.
When we began shortlisting possible events for this year, we had our annual realization that homeless shelters, soup kitchens, food banks, hospices, and family support housing would remain out of reach. And in many ways, it’s understandable. Organizations that place human connection, warmth, and across-the-aisle collaboration at the heart of what they do rely on dependability and regularity. Connections forged and then nurtured. And for the b+s employees who use their VTO allocation in this way and then volunteer on their own accord, we tip our hats to you.
As we moved off the top-spot of the volunteering shortlist, we did a small survey internally to understand which volunteering opportunities would appeal most to the b+s employees. It was the start of June when we initially put out the feelers and the heatwave was yet to trigger the alarms in our thermoreceptors. The survey responses were initially a mixed bag, but as the temperatures moved towards the ungodly, more and more people began requesting outdoor activities.
After some investigation, we chose to partner with the non-profit organization, Pro Natura for our 2025 Swiss Volunteering. They fit a number of our requirements: they have locations local to our Swiss office, they are Zewo-certified (meaning that we knew the costs we incurred for our guide would be put to good use), and they do excellent work to operate, protect, provide education around, and advocate for Switzerland’s nature reserves.
With the partner locked in and the date set, all that was left to do was gather our crew, roll up our sleeves, and get out there.
Protecting a special place
The day itself started much like any other Friday. A few early-birds were already deep in work mode, but elsewhere in the office, eleven eager volunteers were packing up for a day in the wild. At 8am sharp(ish), we set off toward the unknown. Snacks were picked up, one or two folks were collected en-route, a scenic detour or two was taken, and eventually, the team arrived safely at their destination: Biberaue Ferenbalm.
Biberaue Ferenbalm might sound like a trendy Swiss spa, but it is a roughly three-hectare nature reserve managed by Pro Natura since 2012. The area was once farmland, but after beavers caused enough trouble for the previous owners to call it quits, it was sold and transformed into a rewilding project. Since 2018, following careful engineering that included digging ponds, reopening a mill channel, and making it fish-friendly, nature has been given free rein. The beavers now play lead architect, shaping the wetlands while a grateful cast of amphibians, dragonflies, trout, and other creatures return to enjoy their new digs.
Etienne, our guide for the day, introduces Pro Natura and explains the project.
Mission: Invasive plants
Our mission for the day? Tackle invasive plant species, specifically Impatiens glandulifera, also known as Himalayan balsam. It is a not-so-welcome guest from the Himalayas that is pretty to look at but aggressive in wetland ecosystems. At the makeshift trailhead car park, where forest path meets overgrown shrubbery, our crew met Etienne, the day’s Pro Natura guide and all-around expert in weed wrangling. With a calm authority and the patience of someone who has done this a hundred times before, Etienne briefed the group on what we were up against. The plants were big. Surprisingly beautiful. And, apparently, even edible. This made it slightly harder for some to rip them up with abandon, but rip we must.
Working between water and forest
Equipped with gloves and determination, the team spread out. Two brave souls even donned waders and embarked on a special mission across a narrow stream into the jungle of balsam beyond. The rest remained on the path side, battling their way through nettles and thorns. Despite scratches and sweat, spirits stayed high and focus remained sharp. Each uprooted plant was packed into bags, about 25 of them in total, which were later collected and properly disposed of to prevent those pesky seeds from coming back next year.
Bundling the plants
Our part in the bigger picture
After a solid morning’s work, our volunteering group gathered for a well-earned lunch. Tired but proud, we could physically see the difference they had made. Where there had once been dense invasive overgrowth, there was now space. Space for native flora to grow again, and with them, the frogs, dragonflies, and fish that rely on rich, biodiverse wetlands to thrive.
This effort, sweaty, prickly, and muddy as it was, captured what our b+s PLUS program is all about. Impact and connection. A day away from the screen to work side by side, sometimes literally side by stream, with colleagues. Supporting an environmental project that is making a visible difference. Helping biodiversity thrive. And if that is not worth a few nettle stings and a damp sock or two, what is?
The result of the 3-hour mission
To Pro Natura and especially to Etienne, thank you for hosting us, guiding us, and showing us what is possible when conservation, restoration, and the power of volunteering all come together.
And as for the weather? Let’s just say that after a few hours battling Himalayan balsam in the Swiss heat, even the most A/C-deprived among us found a new appreciation for a lukewarm breeze and a shaded patch of grass. Maybe next year we’ll volunteer in the mountains. Or in January.
Thank you Javi Aparicio for the photos!
