German Scientists Seek Public's Help to Count Insects This Summer
2024-06-03
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1How many insects can you count in one hour?
2That was the question being asked by a group of environmentalists outside of Berlin's Natural History Museum recently.
3The 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.
4NABU organizes "insect summer." It is now in its seventh year.
5The effort is a way to follow the movements of insects such as aphids, ladybugs and bees.
6Laura Breitkreuz is an expert on insects and biodiversity at NABU.
7She 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.
9The citizen science project aims to give researchers information.
10It is not like precise scientific observations.
11However, the discoveries of regular people can give formal researchers unexpected insights.
12From bees to butterflies, scientists consider insects an important part of the ecosystem.
13They are important to pollination, the food chain and keeping soil productive.
14In recent years, for example, scientists have expressed concerns about what appears to be a decrease in the bee population worldwide.
15The drop in some kinds of insects is often blamed on human causes including chemicals and damage to the environment.
16Breitkreuz 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.
18Breitkreuz said some people lack knowledge of "what is crawling around outside..."
19The first insect count is happening until June 9 and the next one is from August 2 to 11.
20The NABU provides a document to fill out and an app for the citizen scientists to report their findings.
21I'm Dan Friedell.
1How many insects can you count in one hour? 2That was the question being asked by a group of environmentalists outside of Berlin's Natural History Museum recently. 3The 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. 4NABU 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. 5Laura 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. 7The 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. 8From bees to butterflies, scientists consider insects an important part of the ecosystem. They are important to pollination, the food chain and keeping soil productive. 9In 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. 10Breitkreuz 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..." 12The 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. 13I'm Dan Friedell. 14Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press 15_____________________________________________ 16Words in This Story 17occur -v. (biology) to live in a particular place 18precise -adj. exact 19insight -n. an understanding of the true nature of something 20ecosystem -n. the system of living things that exists in an environment 21pollination -n. the process whereby certain plants exchange genetic materials and reproduce 22food chain -n. the network of animals and plants that provides food for all living things in an area 23role -n. the part that a person or thing plays in an event or an activity 24crawl -v. to move slowly and close to the ground 25app (application) -n. a computer program designed to do one or a closely-related group of tasks 26We want to hear from you. How many insects would you find in an area around your home?