Bee project: flowering areas help protect species in Berlin

According to a project review by the German Wildlife Foundation, flowering areas planted in large cities such as Berlin successfully protect bees and other insects as well.

In the German capital, 103 different species of wild bees have been found on ten evaluated flowering areas that the foundation had created together with the Berlin Senate over the past five years, This was announced by the foundation on Tuesday (March 15, 2022). In total, there are about 320 species of wild bees in Berlin. Among the 103 species, there were some particularly threatened species that need a very specific type of pollen to survive.

Improving living conditions for wild bees in cities

In cooperation with the Berlin districts, the German Wildlife Foundation and the Senate Department for the Environment have been testing measures to upgrade the city's open spaces to make them livable for insects since 2018. The living conditions for wild bees in cities are being improved "by creating flowering meadows, planting flowering shrubs, promoting natural nesting structures and installing artificial nesting aids," Christian Schmid-Egger, head of the "Berlin blüht auf" ("Berlin in bloom") project, explained.

"We are very pleased with our results."

In Berlin, wild bees can now find optimal living conditions on 71 sites. "Biotopes in the city can also harbor many valuable species," Schmid-Egger emphasized. "We are very pleased with our results." In the future, he said, the project wants to work even harder on bee-friendly management of parks and medians on roadways.