German Scientists Seek Public's Help to Count Insects This Summer

2024-06-03

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1
  • How many insects can you count in one hour?
  • 2
  • That was the question being asked by a group of environmentalists outside of Berlin's Natural History Museum recently.
  • 3
  • The Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union, or NABU, is asking regular people to help count the insects they see in any 10-meter area available to them.
  • 4
  • NABU organizes "insect summer." It is now in its seventh year.
  • 5
  • The effort is a way to follow the movements of insects such as aphids, ladybugs and bees.
  • 6
  • Laura Breitkreuz is an expert on insects and biodiversity at NABU.
  • 7
  • She said the project helps scientists observe the effects of climate change.
  • 8
  • "We have seen that a few insects that normally occur only in the south might be spreading further north," she said, noting the appearance of the violet carpenter bee in Germany.
  • 9
  • The citizen science project aims to give researchers information.
  • 10
  • It is not like precise scientific observations.
  • 11
  • However, the discoveries of regular people can give formal researchers unexpected insights.
  • 12
  • From bees to butterflies, scientists consider insects an important part of the ecosystem.
  • 13
  • They are important to pollination, the food chain and keeping soil productive.
  • 14
  • In recent years, for example, scientists have expressed concerns about what appears to be a decrease in the bee population worldwide.
  • 15
  • The drop in some kinds of insects is often blamed on human causes including chemicals and damage to the environment.
  • 16
  • Breitkreuz said the insect count project helps the scientists, and it also helps people respect the role insects play in their daily lives.
  • 17
  • "It's very important for us to show people how important, great and interesting insects are," she said.
  • 18
  • Breitkreuz said some people lack knowledge of "what is crawling around outside..."
  • 19
  • The first insect count is happening until June 9 and the next one is from August 2 to 11.
  • 20
  • The NABU provides a document to fill out and an app for the citizen scientists to report their findings.
  • 21
  • I'm Dan Friedell.
  • 1
  • How many insects can you count in one hour?
  • 2
  • That was the question being asked by a group of environmentalists outside of Berlin's Natural History Museum recently.
  • 3
  • The Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union, or NABU, is asking regular people to help count the insects they see in any 10-meter area available to them.
  • 4
  • NABU organizes "insect summer." It is now in its seventh year. The effort is a way to follow the movements of insects such as aphids, ladybugs and bees.
  • 5
  • Laura Breitkreuz is an expert on insects and biodiversity at NABU. She said the project helps scientists observe the effects of climate change.
  • 6
  • "We have seen that a few insects that normally occur only in the south might be spreading further north," she said, noting the appearance of the violet carpenter bee in Germany.
  • 7
  • The citizen science project aims to give researchers information. It is not like precise scientific observations. However, the discoveries of regular people can give formal researchers unexpected insights.
  • 8
  • From bees to butterflies, scientists consider insects an important part of the ecosystem. They are important to pollination, the food chain and keeping soil productive.
  • 9
  • In recent years, for example, scientists have expressed concerns about what appears to be a decrease in the bee population worldwide. The drop in some kinds of insects is often blamed on human causes including chemicals and damage to the environment.
  • 10
  • Breitkreuz said the insect count project helps the scientists, and it also helps people respect the role insects play in their daily lives.
  • 11
  • "It's very important for us to show people how important, great and interesting insects are," she said. Breitkreuz said some people lack knowledge of "what is crawling around outside..."
  • 12
  • The first insect count is happening until June 9 and the next one is from August 2 to 11. The NABU provides a document to fill out and an app for the citizen scientists to report their findings.
  • 13
  • I'm Dan Friedell.
  • 14
  • Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press
  • 15
  • _____________________________________________
  • 16
  • Words in This Story
  • 17
  • occur -v. (biology) to live in a particular place
  • 18
  • precise -adj. exact
  • 19
  • insight -n. an understanding of the true nature of something
  • 20
  • ecosystem -n. the system of living things that exists in an environment
  • 21
  • pollination -n. the process whereby certain plants exchange genetic materials and reproduce
  • 22
  • food chain -n. the network of animals and plants that provides food for all living things in an area
  • 23
  • role -n. the part that a person or thing plays in an event or an activity
  • 24
  • crawl -v. to move slowly and close to the ground
  • 25
  • app (application) -n. a computer program designed to do one or a closely-related group of tasks
  • 26
  • We want to hear from you. How many insects would you find in an area around your home?