Engagierte Dedicated friends of nature founded a local union of the alliance for the protection of environment („Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz“ - BUND) in Schmalkalden in 1991. Goal of this local union was not to create new ideas for the protection of environment but using and developing the existing operations for the long-term. This included the continuous care of the various types of meadows in the thuringian forrest. At the same time the administration of the district of „Schmalkalden-Meiningen“ was looking for qualified and educated partners to support the various activities in this issue.
As a result the association called „Zentrum Umweltbildung und Naturschutz“ (Center for environmental education and protection of environment) was founded together by the administration of the district, the association of „BUND Thüringen“, as well as various other environmentalists and comitted pedagogues. Since 1993 the Association and its 30 employees (on average) are working in an office which used to be a sawmill in former times, surrounded be forrests and meadows in the upper valley of the creek „Schmalkalde“. The board of directors of the association consists of members of both, the „BUND“ as well as the administration of the district. Right from the beginning all involved parties agreed to combine the practical landscape conservation with other environmental activities, such as the protection of species, mapping, and environmental education. Therefore all the activities were coordinated from one central office. This kind of cooperation is unique within the federal state. The existence of the association for ten years has proved that it is working.