New flower meadows in Berlin-Mitte: Habitat for wild bees and small life

New flower meadows in Berlin-Mitte: Habitat for wild bees and small life

The district councilor for order, environment, nature, streets and green spaces, Dr. Almut Neumann, created two new flower meadows in Mitte together with the German Wildlife Foundation. The areas on the Vinetaplatz and the square in front of the new gate offer habitat and food for wild bees and other microorganisms. These measures are part of the project "More bees for Berlin - Berlin blooms", which comprises a total of 93 areas in Berlin, of which seven in Mitte.

The wildflower meadows were created in autumn 2023 and applied with regional seeds. The plants, such as the wild carrot, ordinary horn clover and snake head, were specially selected to meet the food claims of the wild bee species. Of the 330 wild bee species in Berlin, many are threatened by environmental influences and increasing compression. However, the project "More bees for Berlin - Berlin blooms" shows that the newly created wildflower meadows are well received.

The German Wildlife Foundation takes over the care of the areas and mowed the flower meadows at large intervals with a bar mower so as not to impair the animals. To increase acceptance, signs now provide information about the meaning of the flower meadows for the endangered wild bees. The project is planned for the time being until the end of 2025, but an extension is sought.

The district councilor Dr. Almut Neumann emphasizes the importance of near -natural areas in times of the climate crisis and is happy about the ecological diversity and the colorful flowers that the flower meadows offer in the middle. Tom Bluth from the German Wildlife Foundation is proud of the large number of 170 different wild bee species that were discovered on the flower areas. The first plants will bloom from May and in the second year the area will develop its full variety of flowers.

It is encouraging to see how local initiatives make a contribution to the preservation of biodiversity and help to make the urban environment more livable for wildlife and insects. The creation of flower meadows is an effective measure to create habitats for endangered species and to promote biodiversity.

Table:

| Location | Area (sqm) | Plant species | Number of wild bee species |
| ——————- | ———- | ————————————————————— |
| VinetaSplatz | 400 | Wild carrot, ordinary horn clover, Natter head | - |
| Place in front of the new gate | 300 | Wild carrot, ordinary horn clover, Natter head | - |

The blooming flower meadows on Vinetaplatz and the square in front of the new goal are important steps to preserve biodiversity in the city and to support endangered wild bee species. It remains to be hoped that such measures will be implemented in other districts of Berlin and beyond in order to make a positive contribution to environmental protection.

Source: www.berlin.de