About
Digitize the Planet e. V. is a young organization founded in March 2020. As such, it fulfills its charitable mission to promote nature conservation with a startup mentality, characterized by innovation and agility. The purpose of the organization serves the public good and does not pursue any economic interests of its own.
Digitize the Planet
The association
Philosophy
Digitize the Planet e. V. (DtP) plays a crucial role in making nature conservation understandable and digitally accessible for everyone. As an independent interface between protected areas on one side and outdoor platforms, tourism and sports associations, as well as outdoor companies on the other, we provide the platform that transforms complex regulations into clear, unified digital information.
Through our platform, standardized data on protected areas, laws, regulations, local agreements, and behavioral guidelines are delivered directly to where outdoor enthusiasts need them most – in their preferred digital applications such as tour portals, outdoor apps, and navigation services.
In this way, we make it easier for both visitors and destinations to enjoy nature consciously and responsibly, without placing unnecessary strain on it.
Mission
We are creating a global dataset for all protected areas that includes information about the rules and protected assets. We support all digital platforms in utilizing this data.
Our mission is to digitize and process nature conservation-related information and make it available as georeferenced, machine-readable open data, free of charge. By doing so, we aim to both raise awareness of environmentally responsible behavior and advance digital activity management.
Our short-term goal is to connect as many outdoor apps, tour portals, and navigation services as possible with our database. This way, outdoor enthusiasts can access and consider all relevant conservation regulations, both when planning their routes at home and on-site during their activities.
In the medium term, we aim to establish an international network of stakeholders from conservation, tourism, sports, and industry to create common standards for nature conservation.
We are creating a global dataset for all protected areas, containing information about rules and conservation assets. We support all digital platforms in utilizing this data.
Vision
Our vision is to digitize all information related to nature reserves in Europe and across the entire planet and make it accessible to everyone as open data through our platform. By doing so, we ensure that experiencing nature and participating in outdoor sports are not in conflict with sustainable nature and species conservation.
Our long-term goal is to achieve a harmonious coexistence of people and nature, supported by digital knowledge that is available anytime and anywhere. The standardized integration of conservation information into tour portals, outdoor apps, navigation services, and maps aims to promote nature-friendly behavior, relieve sensitive areas, and prevent conflicts.
Digitize the Planet
Members
Membership in Digitize the Planet e. V. benefits organizations from a wide range of sectors. Contribute your ideas, interests, and expertise to help create a conflict-free and environmentally friendly coexistence. Become part of an important and far-reaching project for the future of outdoor sports, nature conservation, and tourism.
The following organizations and individuals are already members:
Protected Areas
Authorities
Sports Association
Nature Conversation Association
Outdoor Platforms
Mapping Services
Tourism
Destination
Outdoor-Industry
Forest Authority
Corporations
Supporters
David Wewetzer
Alexander Dingeldey
Susanne Groos
Digitize the Planet
Board
The four-member board is composed of representatives from nature conservation, tourism, outdoor sports, and tour portals. This gives the association a broad range of expertise, a deep understanding of stakeholders’ needs, and strong networking capabilities.
During the 4nd General Assembly in June 2024, the board, which has been active since the founding of the association, was re-elected.
Registered Office Mailing Address
Digitize the Planet e.V.
Kreuzbergstraße 20
10965 Berlin
Mail: mail@digitizetheplanet.org
Tel: +49 151 1542 0423
Hartmut Wimmer
Chairperson
Effective visitor management is only possible on a digital basis. Once the guest is on-site, it’s too late. Through digital platforms, every guest can access information about which areas are open and which are closed. They can also get an overview of local regulations, laws, and restrictions.
After graduating in engineering from the University of Munich, Hartmut Wimmer founded his own engineering firm in 1994 before shifting his focus to tourism infrastructure. Confronted with challenges in tour planning, he decided to find a solution for the standardized collection of valuable information. This idea led to the founding of Outdooractive in 2008. Since then, Hartmut’s goal has been to create the world’s largest outdoor platform using pioneering technology. A passionate outdoor enthusiast himself, Hartmut aims to create a virtual home for like-minded individuals to share their nature experiences.
Since the founding of Digitize the Planet, he has been actively involved as the Chairperson. Through his pioneering work in digitalization, he understands exactly what is needed for our new association to succeed.
Dr. Neele Larondelle
2. Chairperson
The digital management of visitors is an increasingly challenging task for the administrative bodies of National Natural Landscapes. Rising visitor numbers and the wide variety of (often unchecked) digital offerings make it difficult for visitors to adequately inform themselves about the rules and regulations in place. The goal must be to protect sensitive areas within Germany’s most valuable landscapes while still enabling remarkable nature experiences. Achieving this is only possible through effective information and communication. Building a comprehensive data foundation from a single source is an essential step—and I am glad to have been part of shaping this process with Digitize the Planet from the very beginning.
Neele Larondelle studied Regional Sciences at the University of Potsdam and Natural Resource Management at TU Dresden. After various stays abroad, she completed her Ph.D. at the Chair of Landscape Ecology at Humboldt University in Berlin. In collaboration with The New School in New York City, she researched socio-ecological relationships in urban areas and developed assessment and modeling methods for ecosystem services.
Until 2016, she worked at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, where she studied conflict potential and communication strategies in urban forests as recreational spaces. Since 2016, she has been with Nationale Naturlandschaften e.V., where she leads the Protected Area Management and Conservation department. In January 2020, she was appointed Deputy Managing Director.
Since the founding of Digitize the Planet, she has been actively involved as the Vice Chairperson, giving a voice to the National Natural Landscapes within the organization.
Mathias Behrens-Egge
3. Chairperson
Nature sports and outdoor activities are increasingly guided by digital information: digital mapping services, offerings from travel destinations and organizers, tour portals, recommendations, or community input. To avoid complete confusion, it is urgently necessary to structure this data in a customer-oriented way. To prevent conflicts, valid regulations (e.g., access rights, detours, seasonal offerings) should naturally be taken into account. For this, information about these regulations must be readily available. I see a need for action here and am pleased that the association is tackling this issue in a structured and consistent manner.
Mathias Behrens-Egge studied Landscape and Open Space Planning with a focus on Tourism Economics and Regional Development at the University of Hanover (Dipl. Ing.). He is the founder and Managing Partner of BTE since 1989 and has also been a guest lecturer on “Tourism Economics for Planners” at Leibniz University Hanover since 2009. At BTE, he leads the company’s departments for Active and Nature Tourism and Regional Development. His work also focuses on destination development and facilitation.
Since the founding of Digitize the Planet, he has been actively involved as the 3rd Chairperson. He contributes primarily his experience in tourism and destination development, as well as in active tourism.
Tilman Sobek
Cashier
Tilman Sobek is one of the founders and managing directors of absolutGPS, a company that emerged from the University of Leipzig. absolutGPS is a developer of numerous active tourism concepts, ranging from hiking and touring cycling to mountain biking.
He is also the initiator and founder of the Mountainbike Tourism Forum Germany e.V., which serves as an industry association dedicated to the professionalization of mountain bike tourism in Germany.
Digitize the Planet
Team
Our team implements the mission of Digitize the Planet e. V. in their daily work by creating a responsible relationship with nature through open, standardized, and internationally digitized rules, conservation purposes, and other environmental protection information.
Registered Office Mailing Address
Digitize the Planet e.V.
Kreuzbergstraße 20
10965 Berlin
Mail: mail@digitizetheplanet.org
Tel: +49 151 1542 0423
Tom Müller
Technology Data
office Berlin
Tom has been a team member of Digitize the Planet since April 2023. He completed his studies in Transportation Engineering with a focus on Traffic Informatics in Berlin. Following his studies, he participated in various international research projects aimed at reducing traffic emissions. Most recently, he worked as a front-end developer for various NGOs in the education sector.
Tom will support the association as a full-stack developer with a special focus on the front end.
Sebastian Sarx
project manager
office Innsbruck (AT)
Sebastian Sarx has been with the association since May 2020, filling the first full-time position, marking the beginning of our work on the digitalization of nature conservation regulations. Sebastian studied Geography in Bonn and Innsbruck, focusing on sustainability and geospatial data during and after his master’s program. A passionate mountain sports enthusiast himself, he is eager to contribute to ensuring that outdoor sports and nature conservation go hand in hand.
He supports the association as a project manager and works closely with the board to achieve its goals.
Thorsten Unseld
Communication
office Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Since June 2023, Thorsten has been part of the Digitize the Planet team. He studied Tourism, Marketing, and Business Administration in Augsburg and Madrid. After initial roles in the event industry in Buenos Aires and Stuttgart, Thorsten spent many years in the tourism sector, particularly in destination management (outdoor) for the Ammergau Alps Nature Park, and later as Managing Director for Garmisch-Partenkirchen Tourism and the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena.
At the association, Thorsten serves as Senior Manager, responsible for communications, network and partner management, events, and the future strategic direction of the organization.
Digitize the Planet
Projects
NUDGE Project
Environmental Education in Digital Services: Conservation Information as Open Data
With our current funding project, we aim to answer the question: Why do we follow rules in nature? We are enhancing the Digitize the Planet datasets with information on the conservation purpose to promote acceptance of environmentally responsible behavior on digital mapping services and platforms.
Communication in and about protected areas is essentially analog and relies on local channels. It typically reaches visitors only once they are on-site, through signs and information centers. However, with the increasing digitalization of our world, particularly in how we plan our leisure activities, new and digital communication methods must be developed to reach visitors during their planning phase and through their usual channels, such as platforms (Komoot, Outdooractive, Google) and mapping applications.
The goal is the digital processing and publication of the rationales behind the rules for the use of nature and landscapes, which are directly targeted at outdoor enthusiasts. The processed information is machine-readable and can be automatically integrated, georeferenced, and disseminated by digital systems such as platforms and mapping services. Published as open data, this information is freely accessible and available globally. Together with stakeholders from conservation, digital providers, tourism, and sports, we are actively working on this solution through joint events.
A user-friendly input interface, which requires no digital expertise, allows protected area managers to enter information into the database. The database then automatically standardizes and processes this information. Through a digital interface, the data is made available for platforms and other data systems to retrieve and integrate automatically. These digitized details enable, for the first time, the ability to reach visitors regardless of location, time, or language—even during the planning phase of their activities. This allows for the effective and targeted communication of vital conservation information to millions of visitors individually. Available in the global digital world, these conservation details contribute to increased acceptance, awareness, and the prevention of conflicts.
Federal Agency for Nature Conservation
The BfN (Federal Agency for Nature Conservation) supports the project NUDGE – Environmental Education in Digital Services and for Mobile Use: Conservation Information as Open Data. The project focuses on enhancing the Digitize the Planet datasets on regulations with information on conservation purposes, aiming to promote acceptance of environmentally responsible behavior on digital mapping services and platforms.
Funding Amount: €146,250.00
Funding Period: May 1, 2023 – April 30, 2025
Completed Funding Projects
Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt
The DBU (German Federal Environmental Foundation) supported the Digitize the Planet project “Open Data for Landscape Use Regulations” by funding two staff positions.
Funding amount: 124.997,00€
Funding period: 28. Mai 2021 – 28. August 2023
Heinz Sielmann Stiftung
The Heinz Sielmann Foundation supported Digitize the Planet in processing area-specific information on the rules for the use of nature and landscapes for selected Sielmann’s Natural Landscapes and other areas managed by the Sielmann Foundation.
Funding amount: 15.000,00 €
Funding period: 01. Juli 2021 – 31. Dezember 2021
Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz
The BMWK (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action) supported the Digitize the Planet project “OutKomm” as part of the tourism promotion program LIFT-Wissen. This funding enabled the association to investigate which digital information is needed for an explanatory communication strategy regarding the rules for the use of natural areas and whether, when correctly communicated, this leads to increased acceptance and awareness of nature.
Funding amount: 34.558,83 €
Funding period: 07. Oktober 2021 – 30. November 2021
Result: Wegweiser zu einer digitalen Kommunikatonsstrategie
We are grateful for the support of our distinguished sponsors, without whom we would not have achieved our current level of development.
The goal of the association is to engage not only public institutions but also companies and individuals in supporting our project.
We invite everyone who inspires people to explore nature to support our project through sponsorships, donations, or membership.