Bettlaubsammeln als Streunutzung im St. Galler Rheintal | Collecting leaves for beddings – a traditional forest use in the St. Galler Rheintal

So far, only little is known about the traditional forest use of collecting leaves for beddings. In a study in the St. Galler Rheintal, oral history interviews were conducted to collect traditional knowledge about the use, extent and the reasons why this special type of litter collection has been abandoned. The study shows that factors other than the availability of beach stands and the economic situation were responsible for the existence of this use. Amongst these, access to alternative materials for bedding, and regional traditions are the most prominent. In areas with a lack of access to alternatives, beach leaves were highly valued, but only rarely were they given a monetary value. According to the forest service, intensive leaf collection had negative effects on the forests, giving rise to the need for regulations. Our results show that these regulations were regionally very variable. The declining demand for leaves for beddings led to a slackening of the regulations, which were then subsequently abandoned altogether.