Experience nature sustainably and win great prizes!

To mark World Environment Day on 5 June, the NFI, together with Naturefriends Austria, launched the 2026 Hut Challenge. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of sustainable living, the protection of our environment and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – whilst enjoying hikes through our mountain landscapes!

Sustainable recreation in the mountains

Four Naturefriends Houses are taking part in this pilot project, where hikers can enjoy vegetarian or vegan climate-friendly delicacies, as well as postcards featuring the recipes to try at home. Guests can access an online quiz via a QR code. The top prize is a voucher for a weekend in a Naturefriends House.

The campaign focuses on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To this end, an SDG quiz has been developed in cooperation with the Austrian Ecolabel and the Austrian Federal Forests (Österreichische Bundesforste), inviting participants to test their knowledge of nature conservation, the role of biodiversity, the ecological footprint and sustainable living, whilst gaining new inspiration for their own everyday lives.

The Hut Challenge combines experiencing nature, education and the protection of our environment, demonstrating that sustainability can be fun and that sustainable choices go hand in hand with positive experiences. For example, many beautiful hiking trails can be reached stress-free and in an environmentally friendly way by public transport. And if you stick to the paths whilst hiking and take your rubbish with you, it’s not just the animals and plants that benefit, but other recreationists, too.

Anyone who wants to take part in the competition without going on a hike and learn more about the SDGs can enter online (currently only available in German)!