Munich awards sustainable wildflower meadows for insect diversity!

Munich awards sustainable wildflower meadows for insect diversity!

The city of Munich is proud to promote its green spaces and shine with the latest biodiversity efforts. The ecological transformation of green spaces at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) recently received an award. As part of the “More Green for Munich” competition, the biodiversity team of BUND Naturschutz (BN) was honored for its remarkable achievements by receiving second prize in the “Personal Achievements” category. LMU reports that...

The redesign in the Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt district included two special areas: an approximately 100 square meter patch of meadow at Pettenkoferstraße 14a and several flowering islands at Beethovenplatz 1. Originally, these areas were known as intensively maintained, multi-cut lawns, but they were intended to become more. An intensive landscaping process resulted in the removal of the turf and the replacement of the topsoil with nutrient-poor substrate, allowing wildflowers to establish themselves. In addition, specially prepared seed mixtures were sown and local young plants were used.

An important part of the redesign was the sustainable care of the new flowering areas. This is carried out according to an ecological concept that involves reduced mowing and pruning measures in order to preserve flowering plants as nesting places for wild bees. Thanks to these efforts, numerous plant species now thrive in these locations, including meadow sage, common viper's head and meadow bluebell. The result is impressive: many insect species, including wild bees, bumblebees, butterflies and beetles, have already adopted the new habitats.

Community engagement in the city

The commitment to more green in the city is enjoying increasing popularity. With the “More Green for Munich” competition, the city of Munich has created a format that honors the personal initiative of Munich citizens in the natural design of green spaces. The award ceremony will take place on July 10th in the town hall on Marienplatz - an event that underlines the importance of municipal action.

But the topic of biodiversity is not only of great importance in Munich. The “Nature in the Garden” movement has set itself the goal of promoting the natural care of gardens and public green spaces throughout Austria. At a virtual event attended by participants from Lake Constance to Lake Neusiedl and beyond, 17 speakers reported on various aspects of organic garden care. Topics such as insect-friendly design and ecological summer flowers were in the spotlight and are very much in vogue at the time. Gardeners and florists provide information about this...

Cities for the future

Not only the maintenance of individual areas, but also a more comprehensive strategy is required: With the urban nature funding priority, the federal government has launched a program that is intended to promote urban, species-rich green spaces. This is part of the federal biological diversity program, whose motto is: “Greener cities for more biological diversity and a better climate”. Federal Agency for Nature Conservation reports that...

As part of this initiative, various projects were launched, including “Allotments for Biological Diversity”. Knowledge and support are offered here to implement sustainable measures to promote biodiversity in allotment gardens. With its innovative projects, the city of Munich shows how important it is to preserve biological diversity - not only for the ecosystem, but also for a future worth living for everyone.

In summary, one thing is clear: whether through private initiatives or municipal programs, awareness of the importance of natural green spaces is growing and is being enlivened with a variety of options. If we work together, nothing will stand in the way of a blooming future!