Biodiversity research, environmental education, activating for nature

Ms Sommerwerk, how would you describe the project ‘Understanding Diversity – Exploring and Experiencing Nature’ in three or four sentences? What makes this project special?
‘Understanding Diversity’ combines research, environmental education and community involvement in a very practical way. Along Berlin’s main green corridors, urban nature is being explored whilst at the same time being brought to life for local people. What makes it special is the close integration of science and educational programmes, as well as the focus on long-term partnerships – for example, with schools, nurseries and local initiatives, as well as with professional societies and associations. The project demonstrates how biodiversity conservation can be shaped and supported in urban areas.

In your view, what are the three to five most important outcomes of the project?
A key outcome is that ecologically valuable areas in Berlin have been brought to the fore. At the same time, many people – some of whom previously had little access to environmental education – were made aware of nature in their own city and actively involved in shaping it. This took place, for example, through planting initiatives during the creation of so-called ‘stepping-stone biotopes’, which were established as part of the project in cooperation with the Mensch und Umwelt Foundation. Through these and other activities, a total of over 3,000 children, young people and adults were reached during the project period, whilst at the same time improving the connectivity of ecosystems in Berlin!

The project has fostered lasting partnerships with nature conservation stakeholders, environmental education organisations, environmental authorities and civil society. For example, eight long-term educational partnerships with schools and nursery schools have been established. This overall network is complemented by accompanying scientific publications on the state and development of biodiversity in Berlin, which are applied not only beyond the scope of the project but also internationally. In one publication, for example, we analyse and compare various indicators – known as indices – for monitoring the development of biodiversity in cities; these indicators enable an assessment of progress towards global and EU biodiversity targets and, in turn, can be an important aid in political decision-making. We are even providing data for one of these indicators for the very first time anywhere in the world – using data for Berlin, of course. As part of the project, we have also compiled an overview of existing long-term data on biodiversity in Berlin. This means we now have a much better understanding of which biodiversity data is being collected for Berlin – and, conversely, which is not.

All the project’s publications, guidelines and data form the basis for future city-wide monitoring of biodiversity in Berlin. Together with the project’s overall findings, they form key building blocks for the long-term conservation and management of biodiversity in rapidly changing urban areas such as Berlin – whilst also deliberately highlighting issues such as (mental) health, climate adaptation and environmental justice.

Our work on the key areas has met with particular interest, especially within the environmental administration. What is it all about? We have collated and harmonised existing data on threatened biodiversity in Berlin, thereby making it analysable in the first place, and have analysed it. This has enabled us to identify areas across the whole city that are characterised by the presence of threatened species. These are Berlin’s key areas, the so-called ‘Key Biodiversity Areas’! This concept, too, was applied and published here for the first time worldwide in an urban context. We managed to incorporate distribution data for plants, amphibians, reptiles, fish and breeding birds into our analysis. The Key Biodiversity Areas identified in this way – 85 in total, by the way – were subsequently even combined with data and information relevant to planning. This is a significant additional step, as it lays the vital groundwork for developing very specific criteria for better protection and support of these areas. And on a very personal note: the project has brought researchers from the fields of ‘biodiversity research’ and ‘environmental education’ – which form part of the museum’s various research areas – closer together and enabled them to collaborate, and will continue to do so. This has been, and continues to be, an enriching experience; it fits in perfectly with our philosophy and is a living example of the integrated research museum.

Is there any nature in Berlin that would not exist without the ‘Understanding Diversity’ project?
Well, not directly. However, the project has aimed to support nature-friendly design through targeted measures – primarily in the stepping-stone habitats. Above all, though, the project has ensured that people identify with these places and species and thus take responsibility for them. We observed that this effect was passed on, for example, by children to their families. In some cases, a lasting influence was certainly achieved on people’s views of nature and, in particular, on their own specific ways of taking action to protect nature.

Were the Berliners who took part mainly school pupils or mainly adults?
As briefly mentioned earlier, over the course of the project more than 3,000 Berliners took an active part, whether in educational programmes, citizen science activities, workshops or through partnerships. A key focus was on schools and nursery schools, meaning that many children and young people were involved. At the same time, however, many initiatives were deliberately aimed at adults, such as women’s groups and allotment associations. Participatory formats were also developed and implemented to engage social groups that had previously received little attention or had been largely overlooked by environmental education programmes. For example, in 2025, several inclusively organised excursions with picnics to nature spots of their own choosing in Berlin were carried out with the Wattstraße women’s group. It was precisely this mix of age groups, backgrounds and contexts that was a great asset to the project – and thus also to nature.

Does the ‘Understanding Diversity’ project have anything to do with the museum’s Future Plan?
Yes, very clearly. The project fits closely with the Museum für Naturkunde’s self-image of assuming social responsibility and combining research, education and participation. It serves as a prime example of how the museum can bring its expertise and sense of responsibility into the city. The Museum für Naturkunde Berlin’s Future Plan forms the basis for this vision. As a key component of the Future Plan, interdisciplinary research clusters have been established as an initiative within the ‘Collection Access and Development’ project. The ‘Understanding Diversity’ project would certainly not have come about in this form without the establishment of the NaturBerlin research cluster – in other words, without the Future Plan.

Funding for the project has come to an end. What happens next? Are there any concrete plans for the future?
Even though project funding ended in late 2025, many of the structures remain in place. A key component of ‘Understanding Diversity’ was the training of multipliers – particularly teachers – who received targeted training in workshops. This means that environmental education programmes can continue to be delivered in the project’s partner schools. Furthermore, the concepts developed within the project form a basis for new initiatives and an expansion into other districts. The approaches are transferable and can also serve as a model for other cities. The aim is to consolidate these approaches in the long term and incorporate them into new projects. We remain committed to supporting the development of models for a sustainable, liveable city in which biodiversity, health and climate adaptation are considered together – and, of course, in particular, their practical implementation. We are currently in discussions with potential funding bodies in various areas and would also like to continue and further develop project content within different consortia.

The interview was conducted by Dr Andreas Kunkel, Research Officer in the Director General’s Secretariat.