Co-initiator of the Hainburger occupation of the Au to rescue the Danube wetlands, as well as co-initiator of the „Konrad-Lorenz-Volksbegehren“. In 1984 he orchestrated together with Günther Nenning, Peter Turrini, Othmar Karas and others the famous “Pressekonferenz der Tiere”, where the participants of the conference were dressed as animals that are living in the Au. Between 1987 and 1991 he worked in the Cabinet of the Austrian Federal Minister for the Environment Marlies Flemming. In 1992 Gerhard Heilingbrunner became the president of the Umweltdachverband, which is a non-partisan platform for 38 environmental and nature conservation organisations and alpine clubs from all over Austria.