Third-Party Funded ProjectVielfalt Verstehen – Exploring and Experiencing Nature
Vielfalt Verstehen – Exploring and Experiencing Nature
Along Berlin's green main paths, urban nature is researched and made tangible for the people who live there.
Berlin is a green city and a dynamic living environment in which nature and biodiversity are constantly changing. For people living in Berlin, green spaces, parks and protected natural areas are important places for recreation and wellbeing. Yet our knowledge of Berlin’s urban nature is still incomplete in some respects, making it difficult to ensure that it is protected and managed in the best possible way for the people who live in the city. This is where the project „Vielfalt Verstehen - Exploring and Experiencing Nature“, funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Action and the Environment from 2023 to 2025, came in. The project brought together research, environmental education and public participation. Along Berlin’s Green Main Routes, urban nature was studied while also being made accessible for people to experience and actively shape together with local partners.
A particular focus was on making Berlin’s biodiversity visible and measurable. The project brought together and analysed existing long-term biodiversity data, identified gaps in the available data and developed new indicators for monitoring urban biodiversity. An international framework known as Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) was applied to the urban context for the first time worldwide. In Berlin, this made it possible to identify 85 areas of particular importance because of the presence of threatened species. Linking these areas with planning-relevant information has created an important basis for their future protection.
At the same time, the project brought science directly into the city. More than 3,000 children, young people and adults took part in educational activities, workshops, citizen science initiatives and practical nature activities. Training sessions were also offered for teachers and early-years educators. Long-term partnerships were established with schools, nurseries, community initiatives, environmental education organisations, scientific societies and environmental authorities. Together with these partners, new stepping-stone habitats and school gardens were created and planted. In this way, the project not only created new habitats, but also directly involved people in protecting and shaping urban nature.
Photo: Thomas Rosenthal
The project's results extend well beyond its funding period. Publications, datasets, guidelines and educational formats developed through the project provide important building blocks for a future city-wide monitoring system for biodiversity in Berlin and for the long-term conservation and management of urban biodiversity. Throughout the project, biodiversity was deliberately considered alongside climate adaptation, health and environmental justice.
Although funding from the Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Action and the Environment ended in 2025, the networks, educational partnerships and research outcomes established through the project continue to have an impact. „Vielfalt Verstehen“ demonstrates how an integrated research museum can bring its expertise into the city, inspire people to engage with and care for nature, and work together with researchers, public authorities and civil society to create practical foundations for a biodiversity-friendly and liveable city.
The project "Understanding Diversity: Exploring and Experiencing Nature" was made possible by funding from the Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection, and the Environment.