Germany urges for increased biological diversity: The final push!
The Foundation for Man and Environment is hosting a nationwide planting competition called Germany Buzzes!, with the deadline for entries being July 31, 2025. The competition encourages citizens, kindergartens, schools, clubs, and companies to create nature-friendly balconies, gardens, or company premises that serve as habitats for wild bees, butterflies, and other insects.
Julia Sander, head of the Germany Buzzes! planting competition, emphasizes the importance of short-term actions like planting native wildflowers, setting up nesting sites, creating a water source, or integrating dead wood to contribute to biodiversity. These actions not only help to counteract the endangerment of insect species but also play a crucial role in ecosystems. Wild bees and other insects, whose population decrease could have consequences for us, play a vital part in pollination and food chains.
Participants can find a variety of free materials on the Germany Buzzes! website, including planting lists & guides, a guide to creating a natural garden, and tips for nature-friendly balcony design. The foundation also offers free promotional materials such as stickers, flyers, online banners, and share pictures to support participants' public relations efforts.
The jury values action and celebration photos as much as the planting action, as they help to spread enthusiasm to others. A special highlight this year is the photo competition as a side action, where motifs are sought that authentically and without artificial intelligence capture the theme "My Garden Paradise".
Cash and material prizes, as well as an invitation to the awards ceremony in Berlin, are offered to winners of the competition. For more information and participation conditions, visit www.wir-tun-was-fuer-bienen.de. The website also hosts previous competition entries for inspiration.
As the deadline for entries has passed on July 31, 2025, it is likely that the competition period has already ended. For those interested in participating in future competitions, we recommend keeping an eye on local environmental organization websites, city government announcements, or related official social media channels that manage or promote insect habitat initiatives.
- Julia Sander, the head of the Germany Buzzes! planting competition, encourages creating nature-friendly home gardens that serve as habitats for wild bees, butterflies, and other insects.
- Participants of the Germany Buzzes! competition can benefit from free materials available on the competition's website, including tips for designing a nature-friendly balcony or creating a natural garden.
- To authentically capture the theme "My Garden Paradise" in the competition's photo contest, motifs should be free from artificial intelligence enhancement.
