In a small patch of greenery nestled between Berlin’s Natural History Museum and a busy street, various insects can be observed going about their daily lives.
Bumble bees flit from flower to flower, a ladybug makes its way along a leaf covered in aphids, and other bugs crawl around.
This scene is just one of many that will be the focus of Germany’s seventh annual “insect summer,” organized by the country’s Nature And Biodiversity Conservation Union, or NABU.
The environmental group has invited people across Germany to spend an hour counting the insects they see within a 10-meter (33-foot) radius in gardens, balconies, fields, woods, and patches of wilderness.
Laura Breitkreuz, a biodiversity and entomology expert at NABU, notes that they have observed some insects typically found only in the south spreading further north, such as the violet carpenter bee, which she attributes to climate change and rising temperatures.
While the citizen science project doesn’t aim to provide precise scientific monitoring, it can offer researchers valuable information on trends and unexpected insights. Over time, participants seem to recognize more insects, which is a key goal of the project.
Insects play a crucial role in ecosystems, essential for pollination, food chains, and maintaining soil productivity.
However, insect populations, from bees to butterflies, have been declining in recent decades, often attributed to human factors such as the use of harmful chemicals, destruction of natural habitats, and climate change.
Breitkreuz believes that people’s lack of knowledge about the insects around them contributes to this decline, emphasizing the importance of showing people how fascinating and significant insects are.
Organizers have prepared a form and a mobile app to help participants identify and report their sightings during this year’s two insect-counting events, scheduled for May 31 to June 9 and Aug. 2-11, allowing insect-counters to observe the differences between seasons.
No special equipment is needed to participate in this engaging and educational initiative.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.