Bumblebee Challenge in Forchheim: Discover our native species!

Bumblebee Challenge in Forchheim: Discover our native species!

In the beautiful Forchheim region, a remarkable project will be launched from today until July 3, 2025: the Hummel Challenge. Organized by BUND Nature Conservation in close cooperation with the Thünen Institute in Braunschweig, this initiative aims to document the occurrence of native bumblebee species in and around Forchheim. Anyone interested in the flying beneficial insects can easily take part and report their observations. As wiesentbote.de reports, photographing bumblebees and identifying them using the app is part of the participant's task.

Participants can simply photograph the bumblebees using their smartphone, follow the call on the BUND nature conservation website and report their findings using the ObsIdentify or Observation apps. These apps not only make it easy to identify bumblebees, but also invite you to provide additional information such as gender or behavior. Friedrich Oehme from the BN Forchheim district group emphasizes how important these reports are in order to contribute to biodiversity and species protection. In particular, data on rare bumblebee species, such as the clay bumblebee, have already been collected through similar campaigns.

Just start

Participating in the Hummel Challenge is incredibly easy. The ObsIdentify and Observation apps can be downloaded with just a few clicks. While ObsIdentify helps to identify the bumblebees, Observation enables in-depth documentation of sightings. A special feature is that users have the option to keep sightings confidential - ideal for those who do not want to show their observations publicly.

To ensure the best observations, not only are every bumblebee invited to be counted, but attention is also paid to the plants that attract the little animals. Knapweed, viper's head, dost, chicory and many other plants are currently blooming, attracting bumblebees and making for spectacular photos.

Nature and technology combined

An exciting aspect of the Hummel Challenge is the combination of citizen research and modern technology. The Observation.org platform, which comes from the Netherlands, is specifically designed for nature observations and is based on European data protection standards. According to bund-naturschutz.de, the NIA identification software is monitored by real experts, which ensures the quality of the transmitted data. This enables valid documentation and helps to further promote biodiversity in our beautiful Bavaria.

In addition, giving importance to biodiversity monitoring offers numerous advantages for companies. As explained artenglueck.de, collected data can be used to measure the social and economic value of nature conservation projects. The trust of stakeholders is strengthened through transparent measures and shows that commitment to nature conservation is not only important, but also future-oriented.

However, the Bumblebee Challenge in Forchheim not only offers valuable insights for nature conservation, but also a great opportunity for all nature lovers to get active. So each of us can draw attention to the fascinating world of bumblebees with a photo and at the same time do something to preserve biodiversity. If you would like to take part, you can find all further information on the BUND Nature Conservation website.