© dpa
The Berlin Botanical Garden wants to promote biodiversity in the city with a new advice center.
The free service for citizens and district administrations is dedicated to questions such as "How can Berlin be greened close to nature?" or "What role do regional seeds and indigenous plants play in this?", as the Botanic Garden announced.
"If we don't want to have interchangeable flowering plants from the DIY store on our urban spaces, then we need to act together now. To do this, we need more knowledge about botanical species conservation across the breadth of Berlin's urban society," said Thomas Borsch, Director of the Berlin Botanical Garden. Not all seeds are the same, emphasized the director of the new facility. "Not all wildflower seeds - even if they are called "bee joy" - should be "scattered" anywhere without hesitation. Many want to help and some then unknowingly cause damage," said Philine Zieschang.
Although Berlin is one of the greenest capitals in Europe, a sixth of the more than 1,500 native ferns and flowering plants are considered extinct or lost, according to the Botanical Garden. A third of the remaining species are endangered. The "Urban Biodiversity, Urban Ecology and Botanical Species Conservation" advice center is available Tuesdays to Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. The Nature Conservation Foundation also runs an advice center dedicated to preserving biodiversity in the capital.