Core Facility Konrad Lorenz Reseach Station für Behaviour and Cognition

What would Grünau be without its famous gray geese? What would the gray geese be without their beloved home? And what would Grünau be without the Konrad Lorenz Research Center (KLF)?

The Konrad Lorenz Research Center was founded in 1973 by the world-famous researcher and Nobel laureate who was familiar in the Almtal valley. He researched the behavior of the gray geese.
Since 2012, the KLF has been integrated as a core facility in the University of Vienna and, in addition to research and teaching (lectures and seminars in Vienna, internships in Grünau), also fulfills the so-called third mission. This also includes educational offers and knowledge transfer (e.g. KinderUniAlmtal, Biologicum Almtal, Junior Biologicum).

The main research of the KLF relates to the social and cognitive behavior of gray geese, ravens and forest ibis. It examines how individuals live together in social groups, what costs and benefits are involved and what role personality, stress management and social rank play. Furthermore, how individual behavior and the knowledge of the group interact and how traditions are formed.

For some years now, interested non-scientists (interested people, school classes, ...) have been involved in research projects as part of Citizen Science projects. They work side by side with the scientists, support them, for example, in the time-consuming data acquisition or evaluate videos, and they receive specific knowledge and the opportunity to contribute to scientific knowledge.

More information on the website