From a Program for Gifted Students to Winner of the 2026 Environmental Honor Award

On July 1, 2026, Georg-Ludwig von Breitenbuch, Saxony’s Minister of State for the Environment and Agriculture, presented the 2026 Environmental Honor Award—awarded every two years in the Free State of Saxony—to 11 recipients.

Among the award recipients in the “Nature Conservation and Soil/Geology” category was Constantin Schütz from Görlitz for “promoting knowledge of biological species and fostering engagement in the natural sciences.”

From the laudatory speech (paraphrased):

From a young age, Constantin Schütz has demonstrated great expertise and personal dedication to teaching biological species identification, promoting science education, and engaging in community volunteer work. The 19-year-old biology student has been supporting the entomology camps for students in grades 6–9 in the Bautzen school district for over three years. Together with experienced subject experts, he imparts in-depth knowledge of entomology, biological diversity, and scientific methodology at these camps. Initiated by the State Office for Schools and Education (LaSuB), Bautzen branch, as part of its gifted education program, and organized with the support of the State Foundation for Nature and the Environment, these biology specialist camps have made an important contribution for many years to fostering young people interested in the natural sciences.

Planning for the specialist camps is handled by a biology teacher appointed by LaSuB Bautzen; currently, this is Mr. Christoph Drossel from the Joliot-Curie Gymnasium in Görlitz. Subject teachers from the Bautzen school district serve as educational and subject-specific advisors. For example, Mr. Andreas Lehmann, a biology teacher at the Friedrich-Schleiermacher-Gymnasium in Niesky and long-time educational director of the entomology camp, accompanied Constantin Schütz to the awards ceremony.

In June 2025, Constantin Schütz successfully completed his Abitur at the Curie-Gymnasium in Görlitz and has been studying biology at the University of Würzburg since October 2025, with the long-term goal of dedicating himself to entomology and biodiversity research. Constantin Schütz had already gained recognition among experts during his high school years. His paper, “The Species Problem in Biology: The Case of the Owl Moths Noctua janthina and Noctua janthe,” was honored as an exceptional scientific achievement with the 2023 Hans Riegel Prize at the Technical University of Dresden.

In addition to his scientific work, Constantin Schütz is also active in cultural and social spheres. He has been playing the accordion for 13 years, including seven years with the Görlitz Youth Show Orchestra, and was a member of the school band “SWIP” for three years.

Particularly noteworthy is his long-standing volunteer work with the German Life-Saving Association (DLRG). For the past twelve years, he has been a lifeguard, and for the past five years, he has supported lifeguard duties at Lake Berzdorf as well as disaster response efforts in the Görlitz district as a rescue diver.

Background

With the 2026 Environmental HONORARY AWARD, the Free State of Saxony recognizes outstanding achievements and exceptional commitment to environmental protection and nature conservation.

The award recipients were nominated through a nomination process. The specialized departments of the Saxon State Ministry for the Environment and Agriculture, in collaboration with relevant interest groups, were able to nominate particularly outstanding projects, achievements, and activities for the award. An internal jury chaired by State Secretary Ulrich Menke selected the award recipients from among these nominations in the categories “Agriculture and Forestry,” “Water, Air, and Noise,” and “Nature Conservation and Soil/Geology.” Minister of State Georg-Ludwig von Breitenbuch presented the eleven Environmental HONORARY AWARDS 2026 on July 1, 2026, during a festive ceremony at the Saxon State Chancellery.

Each award comes with a cash prize of 1,000 euros (for individuals) or 5,000 euros (for legal entities), as well as a certificate of honor. As a gift, each recipient was presented with a plant of the same name as the award. This plant is the namesake and symbol of the award.