Our Team

Prof. Dr. Peter Kiermeier worked as a professor for plant use and plant design at the world-famous university of Weihenstephan for a decade. This well-known practitioner retired in 2007. Since then he has been an author or a co-author for a number of books like Kosmos Buch der Gartengehölze, Rosen, die besten Sorten europäischer Züchter (Cosmos publishing house), BDB Handbuch Teil VIII: Wildgehölze des Mitteleuropäischen Raumes. Peter Kiermeier is the person responsible for recording new plants along with their characteristics on this website.

Dr. Christof Manhart has been working as a biologist, nature expert and in monitoring for many years. He regularly works for the University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan - Triesdorf. Mr. Manhart is responsible for the determination of dragonflies and grasshoppers.


Prof. Dr. Christoph Moning is Professor of Zoology and Animal Ecology in Weihenstephan Triesdorf. He has been interested in animals since childhood, especially the secret world of birds, which he researches in his home in Westphalia. His studies in landscape planning led him to Freising in Bavaria. Here, he started putting together books on ornithology while he was still studying. After working in ornithology at the Bavarian State Institute of Forestry, his doctoral work led him to the Bavarian Forest National Park, where he conducted research on ecological thresholds in mixed mountain forests. At that time, he worked at the Munich Institute for Environmental Planning and Regional Development and as a freelance consultant. His specialties included basic concepts, fauna reports for birds, amphibians, reptiles, dragonflies, butterflies and grasshoppers, traditional landscape planning and management plans. His studies and his ornithological excursions and guided tours have led him to the far corners of the Earth. Prof. Christoph Moning is responsible for bird identification.

Johannes-Christian Rost trained as an artist at the Berlin-Weißensee College of Art. As a freelance graphic artist, he illustrated a number of books on plants and animals for renowned publishers. You can see some of his work on his website, rost-grafik.de. He illustrated the bird identifications.

Prof. Dr. Bernd Stöcklein teaches Zoology and Animal Ecology at Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University (HSWT), Friesing. Since 2009, he has been chairman of HSWT and acting chairman of the university council. He works with different teams, specialising in Ecology, Populations, and Species Conservation. Prof. Bernd Stöcklein is responsible for the overall coordination of animal identification at Beste-Natur.eu. This also includes the identification of frogs, turtles, toads, salamanders and newts.

Angelika Throll, graduate in horticultural engineering, worked as a lecturer for 20 years and is now an editor and a writer for many palnting and gardening literature. A few of the examples are Die große Kosmos Enzyklopädie der Gartenpflanzen, Was blüht im Garten, Was blüht auf Balkon und Terrasse, Was blüht auf der Fensterbank. Here, Angelika Throll is responsible for the identification methods and techniques.

Prof. Dr. Volker Zahner studied forestry and advanced wildlife biology before passing his state exams, and started his career at the State Institute of Forestry. In 2002, he became a professor of Zoology and Animal Ecology at the Weihenstephan University Faculty of Forestry, where he is currently Dean. He teaches Ornithology and Field Ornithology, among other subjects. He is a member of bird- and nature conservation societies, and he has written and co-written several textbooks. Prof. Volker Zahner and Dr. Christoph Moning are responsible for the bird identification on Naturetouch.info.

Our international Internet team is made up of four programmers having an experience of over 30 years in some cases. The team has specizlised mainly in providing quick Internet techniques and solutions for individul web applications.