Cool heads, hot ideas: Our writing retreat in the Austrian Alps
From June 30th to July 4th, our MultiTroph team held a writing retreat at Seppalm in the Riedingtal region of Austria. While much of Germany was dealing with a heatwave—temperatures soared up to 37°C—we appreciated the cooler weather and refreshingly crisp mountain air.
The goal was to step away from our usual routines to focus on scientific writing and data work. The setting, with its breathtaking scenery and peaceful atmosphere, helped all of us concentrate and collaborate efficiently.
The retreat brought together seven participants from different universities:
• Prof. Dr. Alexandra-M. Klein, Dr. Finn Rehling, Massimo Martini (University of Freiburg)
• Dr. Georg Albert (University of Göttingen)
• Mareike Mittag (University of Salzburg, who also organized the event—many thanks!)
• Matteo Dadda (University of Bayreuth)
• Henriette Christel (iDiv, Leipzig / TreeDì partner programme)
Instead of only writing, we used the time to discuss new manuscript ideas, clean and analyze data, and rethink our approaches when things didn’t work as planned. Notebooks and coffee cups piled up as we brainstormed, re-conceptualized manuscripts, and dug deep into our datasets. Whenever an analysis didn’t pan out as expected, we simply went back to the drawing board.
After three days, we left with clearer research questions, completed analyses, and concrete next steps for our manuscripts. Beyond the academic progress, it was a productive and fun break from daily tasks. What a chance to recharge and enjoy some hot ideas in cool surroundings as a team.