2019 is now the year of the earth pig or the Atlantic salmon or the cucumber? The answer is: Yes. Indeed, each of these beings and the nature conservation Federal Germany and 29 other animals, Ecosystems, plants, but also – in the coming year, such an honor. Only in the earth-pig, which does not fall, because it is a get values, but endangered farm animal breed would be on the list, but simply because the Chinese calendar provides for it. It is also only from the 5. In February, the Chinese Neujahrrstag. Endangered Animal of the year, a Relative of the Woolly pigs.

Museum blood streifling

But why go to all this year beings, to 2019, also fluttery elm (flighty!), Green knoll agaric (very poisonous!), Common cave stelzmücke (mean!), Mustard-Blue Schiller Sand Bee (Sting!), Rust-Red Mason Bee (Sting!), Thistle (again sting!) and Öhringen blood streifling (no comment)?

“When listing all the animals, plants, landscapes and Ecosystems of the year, then it is in fact very confusing,” Kerstin Elbing by the Association of biology, Biosciences and Biomedicine in Germany (VBIO). On the other hand, the awards were generally well justified. Each Association, each organization have their own areas of focus, target groups and communication channels, so that a lot more people would be reached as if it would be limited to a few animals, plants or landscapes. “I think, since cups is the constant drop on the stone, and only very few people really have all the individual awards.” In addition, you must be able to in a public campaign, a good story to tell.

Green Toadstool

to create a rule, it is a matter of attention – on the single “year of being”. The society for Mycology linked the nomination of the Green tuber leaves of fungus, of which 50 eaten-grams are life-threatening, the fungus of the year, with the demand for more public support for mushroom consultant. The German fishing fishermen’s Association said at the award of the Atlantic salmon, especially the humans have destroyed the habitats of the species. And the Foundation of the tree of the year want to get in the renaturation of wetlands is a useful flap-elm new to the awareness of urban planners and foresters.

How successful such campaigns is hard to measure. An endangered species could not be within a year saved, makes Birte Strobel of the Zoological society for species and Population (zgap). “During the year, the rule about lobbying for animal species or topics that are the focus of the Public and generate donations for protective measures.” It’s going to its security shortcomings. The population and political decision-makers would be sensitised.

box turtle

The. in 2016, the Zoo animal of the year and has had a good experience. Thanks to the campaigns, many donations come together by the Zoos and their visitors. So could also benefit long-term projects, such as new aquarium technology for the Hinge tortoise breeding station in Münster or new vehicles for the work of the project for the protection of the Persian leopard in Iran.

“the value of The award is primarily in the area of awareness-raising and environmental education – which may, of course, do not stay at the single point type, but also the habitat and the conditions to address,” says Elbing. Then the bird of the year was a good example: 20 years after the first election, it is a lark to 2019 again to the field, because their decline has continued. Responsible for intensive agriculture with pesticides and less fallow land, and was, among other things, a result of the EU agricultural promotion, Elblag. “And this is a clear sperrigeres theme, the is give in the width.”

chess Board

Other organisms like the spider of the year and the soft animal of the year would be chosen mainly to enhance the image says Elbing. The award microbe of the year to correct, especially misconceptions, about to remember that not every bacterium can make you sick.

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The bird of the year was 1971, the beginning. In 1980, the flower of the year. Later, many other categories were added – mosses, protozoa and spiders. 2019 is also the chess Board and the lip – not as a game, and part of the body of the year, but as a butterfly, and a river landscape. rif/dpa