Im Bann der Jahreszeiten

At the end of February, nature is in a mood of awakening, which is transmitted to humans. Fittingly, the birth of Konik foals is announced among the animals of "horse whisperer" Marlena Boron in the Popielno nature reserve in the Polish Masuria. Meanwhile, in the forests of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, forester Jens Mielke is searching for antlers that the deer in his area have shed after the rut and which he is now cataloging. Martin Funk needs precisely such antlers for his work in the small manufactory in Thuringia. The traditional family business processes the "ivory of the forest" into chandeliers and other precious objects in true handicraft. In the Gardena Valley in South Tyrol, avalanche expert Dietmar Insam and pilot Gabriel Kostner are preparing a spectacular avalanche blast from the air. The two hope that everything goes according to plan. Things are a little quieter for Bruno Springmann. During the still long winter nights, he carves elaborate masks out of wood for the upcoming Alemannic Fasnet in the Black Forest. The unique and individually tailored masks transform the fools into witches, ghosts and demons every year. The days are now getting longer again. The light is a powerful stimulus for people, animals and plants; and for winter the sign to retreat to higher regions. But even there it is getting warmer every day.