idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
For five years, Frankfurt scientists from the natural and social sciences worked together with practitioners and citizens to investigate how the perception and valuation of insects can be strengthened among the urban population and how municipal green spaces can be better used for insect protection. In the SLInBio research project led by ISOE, a wide range of formats for citizen engagement were designed and successfully implemented. At the closing event on May 14, 2025, the project partners presented their research results and discussed the potential for insect protection in municipalities with guests.
When it comes to insect diversity, many people think of meadows, fields, and forests. But cities also offer valuable habitats for plants and animals. Their diversity is central to ecosystem services. As insect diversity continues to decline, it is extremely important to make even better use of urban habitats for insects. This also applies to the city of Frankfurt am Main with its many parks, green spaces, green strips, gardens, and balconies, where insects find a variety of suitable habitats and food sources. But how exactly can urban green spaces be used to promote insect diversity? And how can municipalities motivate and encourage citizens to actively contribute to the protection of insects?
A key factor here is improving the perception and valuation of insects. “The contribution that insects make to our ecosystems has long played a rather minor role in public perception,” says biodiversity researcher Marion Mehring from the Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE). “In recent years, we have seen that the general understanding of ecological relationships has grown, but a real trend reversal in species loss has not yet begun.” A Frankfurt research team led by Mehring therefore wanted to find out how the perception and valuation of insects and their biodiversity can be promoted in urban habitats.
Frankfurt research network with proven biodiversity expertise
To this end, a unique network of science, research, art, civil society, and city administration was formed in Frankfurt am Main in 2020. The institutions with proven expertise in biodiversity included the Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE), the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum in Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, and NABU Frankfurt in cooperation with the Palmengarten in Frankfurt, BioFrankfurt, Grünflächenamt Frankfurt, Climate and Environment Department of the City of Frankfurt, and the MainÄppelHaus Lohrberg information and meeting center.
The interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research team of SLInBio – Urban Lifestyles and the Valorization of Biodiversity conducted a wide range of social and natural science studies in the Main metropolis until May 2025 – surveys, insect monitoring, and toxicological inventories – and pursued diverse participatory approaches to citizen engagement. At the closing event of the research project on May 14, 2025, the research team presented the key findings of the SLInBio project, which was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), at Frankfurt's Palmengarten.
Head of Climate and Environment Department Tina Zapf-Rodríguez: Groundbreaking collaboration for biodiversity
The event was opened by Frankfurt's Head of the Department for Climate and Environment Tina Zapf-Rodríguez, who emphasized the great potential of the Main metropolis for protecting insect diversity: “In its five years of work, this research network, which is unique in Germany, has impressively demonstrated how citizens can be inspired to protect the insect world.” The successful collaboration between science, the urban population, and the city of Frankfurt has been groundbreaking in this regard. “I am very pleased to be able to say today that Frankfurt is one of the cities where biodiversity plays an important role in maintaining nature and our quality of life. When diversity declines, we all feel the effects, and we want to continue to work together to prevent this.”
To preserve biodiversity in the city, the SLInBio research network recommends consistently using all available green spaces for insects. The project results of the scientific research partners Senckenberg Research Institute and Goethe University clearly show that every area counts. Using a novel environmental DNA monitoring method, a large number of insect species were identified in the urban meadows, gardens, and allotments studied. These included endangered species and species that detected for the first time in Hesse as well. Furthermore, toxicological tests also detected harmful substances in allotments and home gardens, the origin of which now needs to be investigated further.
Because knowledge alone is not enough: new perspectives on insect diversity
The closing event, moderated by journalist Stephan Hübner (hr INFO), was aimed in particular at representatives from local authorities. Around 70 guests gathered in Frankfurt's Palmengarten to discuss the use of urban green spaces, conflicting goals, and possible solutions. Among other things, the social perception of insects and the acceptance of insect protection measures were central topics.
Awareness of the problem of species extinction alone is not enough to motivate citizens to take action, explained project leader Marion Mehring from ISOE. “In practice, we observe that knowledge about biodiversity loss does not necessarily lead to corresponding action.” The SLInBio research project has clearly shown that “in order for people to act in an insect-friendly manner, it is essential that they develop a sense of responsibility in addition to detailed knowledge. We call it ‘valorization’ when awareness of the value of nature actually leads to biodiversity-friendly actions,” says Mehring.
To ensure that this succeeds in practice, the research project relied heavily on innovative and, above all, interactive formats for urban society. Not only exhibitions, workshops, and citizen science offerings, but also artistic interventions offered citizens of Frankfurt opportunities to get involved. The project team designed formats for reflection, learning, and experience to open up new perspectives on the topic of insect diversity and its importance for a livable city. These included the “Insect Embassy,” the art project “Insectopolis,” the exhibition “Verspielt? Roulette with the Insect and Plant World,” the ‘Designing Habitats in the NABU Garden’ campaign, and the special exhibition ‘City Insects – Frankfurt's Little Helpers,’ which was extended until further notice due to its great success and can be visited at the Senckenberg Nature Museum in Frankfurt beyond the SLInBio project period.
About the project
The project “SLInBio – Urban Lifestyles and the Valorization of Biodiversity: Dragonflies, Grasshoppers, Bumblebees and Co.” was funded from 2020 to 2025 by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the ‘BiodiWert – Valuing and Securing Biodiversity in Politics, Business and Society’ funding measure, which is part of the BMBF's research initiative for the preservation of biodiversity (FEdA).
Project and cooperation partners
Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE) (lead)
Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt
Goethe University Frankfurt
NABU Frankfurt am Main e.V.
Palmengarten der Stadt Frankfurt am Main
BioFrankfurt – The Network for Biodiversity e.V.
Green Space Office of the City of Frankfurt am Main
Environmental Office of the City of Frankfurt am Main
MainÄppelHaus Lohrberg Streuobstzentrum e.V.
Dr. Marion Mehring
Head of the Research Unit Biodiversity and People
+49 69 7076919-39
marion.mehring@isoe.de
Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE)
Hamburger Allee 45
60486 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
https://www.insektenvielfalt-frankfurt.org/
https://www.isoe.de/en/news/eine-stadt-fuer-mehr-insektenschutz
Closing event of the “SLInBio” research project on May 14, 2025
Iris Dresler (ISOE)
ISOE
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Closing event of the “SLInBio” research project on May 14, 2025
Iris Dresler (ISOE)
ISOE
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