Partner comments
«Karin takes on new challenges, thinks outside the box and combines different aspects. Her work is characterised by a bunch of ideas, which she pursues tenaciously and presents solutions. Karin reacts very flexibly to the client's requirements and communicates proactively about the milestones achieved.»
Miguel Zahner, Specialist in Protection Forest, Agriculture and Forestry Service lawa, Canton Lucerne
«Karin Hilfiker manages the project to create R RTE 20913 regulation competently and with commitment. In doing so, she takes into account the different requirements of the railways, with the aim of achieving a common consensus when using the vegetation profiles. She is proactive, analyses problems in an integrated way thanks to her broad expertise, and delivers according to schedule.»
Senta Haldimann, Dr Bau-Ing. ETH (civil engineering), Project Manager for Railway Technology, Association of Public Transport
«What I particularly appreciate about Karin Hilfiker is her openness to new ideas and the way she provides constructive criticism, which always leads to better results on projects. Reliability and precision in her work are two other strengths of Karin that I have noticed on joint projects.»
Dr Stefan Suter CEO WildLife Solutions WLS.CH
Waldstudio GmbH projects
Updating the ASTRA documentation 89009 on protection forest management
Developper support, February 2024 – April 2025
Federal Roads Offices FEDRO
Providing technical support for the revision of the FEDRO document on protection forest management and reporting as well as subsequently for drafting of service agreements with the cantons.
Potential study: CO2 storage capacity of biochar
Project management, May - December 2023
Project partner: Gasser Miesch GmbH
Agriculture and Forestry Service lawa, Canton Lucerne
Determining the potential of CO2 storage capacity of biochar for agriculture, road construction, civil engineering and technosoils (sponge city) in the Canton Lucern on the basis of a study.
Projects as a client / employee
Nature strategy of the Swiss Federal Railway SBB
Joint project management, 2019-2022
Collaboration with the contractors Hintermann & Weber AG and Markus Zils GmbH
Developing vision and fields of action in the area of nature in workshops with SBB cross-divisional stakeholders and preparing them for management.
Identifying the vitality of trees using satellite data
Joint project management, 2020-2022
Collaboration with overstory as contractor and the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, the Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape WLS, the School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL and 14 cantonal forest services as support group
With SBB Drone Center of Excellence and overstory, test the potential of an early detection system for trees with declining vitality using satellite data and a deep learning model: identifying pilot areas, forming partnerships, validating vitality maps of trees with declining vitality in the field, and securing funding for the innovation project. Knowledge transfer report (in German)
First installation of rail track amphibian passages
Project management, 2020-2022
Collaboration with the coordination office for amphibian and reptile protection in Switzerland (KARCH), as well as ProRail and KambaBV from the Netherlands
Checking the suitability of the Dutsch faunapassage with railway experts, coordinating installation with railway track renewal and drawing up a concept for project approval.
Development of a bioacoustic wildlife warning system for the first time on the railway
Project management, 2020-2022
Collaboration with WLS.CH WildLife Solutions as contractor and with Association of Public Transport, the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN and the Swiss South-Eastern Railway SA (SOB) as partners
Test whether collisions with wild animals can be reduced with a bioacoustic wildlife warning system on two railroad sections: clarifying technical and organizational requirements within the project team, SBB traction current managers and cantonal hunting administration, regulating financing with the partners and informing the support group consisting of hunting representatives. Further information can be found at bioacoustic wildlife warning system – WLS
Pilot susainability app
Project management, 2020-2022
Collaboration with IT, marketing and sustainability community of the Swiss Federal Railway SBB and school classes in Bern
Developing an app for courses on various SBB sustainability topics for school classes in order to raise awareness of sustainability among tomorrow's rail customers: Checking customer needs through customer survey and qualitative interviews, developing requirements and a concept with IT and testing the app with school classes on-site.
Impact of the forest on superficial landslides and falling rocks as well as risk reduction on railway systems
Joint project management with Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, 2017-2019
Collaboration with the contractors School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences and geoformer igp AG
Demonstrating the impact of the protection forest to the risk reduction on railway infrastructure and operations as well as its cost-effectiveness: Supporting contractors and involving the forest services of the cantons of Bern, Lucerne and Ticino. Case study for ProtectBio shallow landslides and Case study for ProtectBio rockfalls (in German)
Community forest project in Namibia
Consulting, 2008-2011
Cooperation with Namibian forest authorities, NGOs and communities
Advising forestry officers to conduct participatory approaches to empower the rural population in northern Namibia to use their natural resources sustainably on their own and generate an income. Synthesis report
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Hilfiker K., Ackermann N., Abteilung Natur und Naturgefahren SBB (2023): Zustandsüberwachung von Bäumen entlang der Bahnlinie mit Fernerkundungsdaten. In: Eidg. Forschungsanstalt WSL (Hrsg.), 2023: Forum für Wissen 2023. Neue Fernerkundungstechnologien für die Umweltforschung und Praxis. WSL Bericht 134: 31-37. (Monitoring the condition of trees along railway lines with remote sensing data)
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Hilfiker K., Zingerli C., Sorg J.-P., Lüthi R. (2006): Market potential and resource management of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in the Northern Uplands of Vietnam. Swiss Forestry Review 157 (2): 49-56.
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Hilfiker K. (2005): Improving livelihoods through market assessment and sustainable development of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in two selected villages in the norther uplands of Vietnam.
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Hilfiker K., Holderegger R., Rotach P., Gugerli F. (2004): Dynamics of genetic variation in Taxus baccata: local versus regional perspectives. Canadian Journal of Botany 82, 219-227.
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Hilfiker K., Gugerli F., Schütz J.-P., Rotach P., Holderegger R. (2004): Low RAPD variation and female-biased sex ratio indicate genetic drift in small populations of the dioecious conifer Taxus baccata in Switzerland. Conservation Genetics 5, 357-365.
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Hilfiker K., Ulber M., Gugerli F., Rotach P., Bonfils P., Holderegger R. (2003). In kleinen Eibenpopulationen mehr Weibchen als Männchen. Wald und Holz 2, 44-46. (More females than males in small yew populations)
