Long day of urban nature in Küchwald
Focus on native flora and fauna at the 16th GEO Biodiversity Day
On Saturday, 14 June, the 16th GEO Biodiversity Day will take place nationwide: In Chemnitz, nature lovers are taking part under the leadership of the Environmental Centre and have prepared a long day of urban nature in Küchwald from 6 am to 10 pm. With an exciting, educational and professionally accompanied programme for young and old, the aim is to draw attention to the multifaceted topic of the environment and the native flora and fauna on our own doorstep, even in a big city. The motto of this year's Biodiversity Day is "Every species counts: How diversity keeps nature stable".
The long day of urban nature is supported by, among others: NABU/Regional Association Erzgebirge, Naturschutzjugend (NAJU), Verein Chemnitzer Pilzfreunde, Verein Natur-Hof Chemnitz and the Umweltmobil "Planaria". The event is sponsored by the Saxon State Foundation for Nature and the Environment.
Take a look at the programme - details in the attached flyer:
The first excursion starts bright and early on 14 June: the meeting point for the first excursion is 6 a.m. for a bird song walk and 9 a.m. for a forest walk (both from the Wittgensdorfer Straße/Botanischer Garten bus stop). Those who prefer to explore the woods and meadows in the afternoon can join the official start of the events at 2 p.m. - the meeting point for this and all other excursions and activities is at the school hostel in Küchwald (Küchwaldring 28). Events on the topic of nature will be offered here, as well as hands-on activities for the youngest visitors to GEO Day. The information and advice on offer will focus, for example, on beetles, spiders and snails, plants by the wayside and in the forest as well as the mysterious world of mushrooms and forest trees. There will also be demonstrations of how bio-mapping works and how species lists are compiled using GPS. To round off the GEO Day, the programme includes a moth light catch and bat observation from 9 pm (introduction at 8.30 pm). All events and excursions will be accompanied by experts.
Background: The Küchwald was originally the property and an important source of wood for the Benedictine monastery in Chemnitz. After secularisation, the property passed to the Saxon state forest in 1546. The city of Chemnitz acquired the Küchwald in 1884. Otto Werner reported in 1922 after the completion of the Küchwald Park: "Individual large clearings offer meadow grounds, a welcome change and provide pretty distant views." In particular, the fauna of the Küchwald differs fundamentally from that of inner-city parks: around 50 species of breeding birds alone, including many species of birds of prey. 50 species of breeding birds, including many cavity-nesting birds and other migrants, can be observed in the area. The sparsely mown meadows are also home to many species of plants and grasshoppers.
GEO Biodiversity Day is an initiative launched by GEO magazine in 1999. Every year in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, over
20,000 people take part in the campaign in many different places. The idea of GEO Day is to identify as many animals and plants as possible in a limited area within 24 hours in order to show that there is diversity to be discovered on your own doorstep. The aim is not to break records. The experiences count more than the results. The aim is to sharpen our awareness of the richness of species in our own environment and to discover the fascinating life forms that are hidden nearby.
Information online: www.geo.de/artenvielfalt