Day 7

1m² of paradise for insects in the Middle Rhine Valley

A safe place for butterflies & Co.

Preserving and protecting Germany's most insect-rich area in the long term

Would you like to visit the super-rare steppe saddle grasshopper? You can do so here: In the Dörscheider Heide in the Middle Rhine Valley! It is one of the most valuable habitats for insects in all of Germany (MKUEM, 2020; Schmidt, A., 2022). Alongside, there are also many rare birds and reptiles, but what is particularly impressive is the diversity of insects: among them are an incredible 650 different butterfly species, some of which are endangered, attributed to the special habitats and unique climatic conditions found there (Eichler, L., 2022). While in many other regions of Germany the decline in insect diversity is concerning (Hallmann et al., 2017), the populations— including rare species listed on the Red List, such as the onion borer or the Loreley skipper butterfly, which is only found in this region in Germany—have not only been stabilized in Dörscheider Heide but in some cases even increased (Schmidt et al., 2018; Schmidt, A., 2022). The secret recipe? Maintaining the many open and warm areas with their specific food plants for the insects (Schmidt, A., 2022).

Ute Graßmann stellt dir das Projekt im Video vor

need

Restore and preserve the habitat of native and rare insect species

activity

Professional bush clearing by Naturefund, as well as mowing of meadows + grazing by sheep, restoration of dry stone walls, sowing and planting

Measurable performance

Number of square meters of habitat restored for insects

Result

The food supply and the protected habitat for insects in the Dörscheider Heide will be significantly improved in the long term

Systemically relevant impact

The number and diversity of insect species in the Dörscheider Heide are stabilising and increasing in the long term

background

Over the centuries, humans have shaped the landscape of the Dörscheider Heide through viticulture, slate mining, sheep grazing, haymaking, agriculture, and fruit cultivation. In combination with the dry-warm climate and poor rocky soils, this created a great variety of open habitats for heat-loving animal and plant species (Eichler, L., 2022). These species have developed alongside humans over millennia and rely on the habitats that humans create through their use of nature (Schmidt, A., 2022). However, as people around the Dörscheider Heide suddenly abandoned many of the centuries-old practices over the last hundred years—because they became uneconomical during industrialization (e.g., winegrowing on countless small plots, abandonment of transhumant sheep farming)—the landscape quickly changed: If the areas are not kept open by human use, they quickly become overgrown, leading to bushy conditions within a few years, sometimes even turning into woodland. This is detrimental to many species of valuable open spaces and dry stone walls (Schmidt et al., 2018). Due to lack of maintenance, large parts of these important, species-rich open habitats have been lost, and with this decline, the exceptional biodiversity of the region is in great danger. The relevance of this biodiversity is well-documented: The UNESCO World Heritage Committee recognized the Upper Middle Rhine Valley as a "cultural landscape of great diversity and beauty" (UNESCO, n.d.), and it is also designated as a Natura 2000 area. The state ordinance explicitly highlights the enormous importance of preserving and restoring this habitat (Schmidt A. et al., 2018). The then Minister for the Environment of Rhineland-Palatinate, Ulrike Höfken, also referred to the area as "one of the central areas for nature conservation along the Middle Rhine and a biodiversity hotspot" (MKUEM, 2020).

The good deed

Your good deed enables the restoration and care of one square meter of insect paradise in the Dörscheider Heide. One square meter may seem small, but for some insects, it's the whole world! Many insects, especially rare ones like the Loreley skipper, need sunlight, warmth, and an open landscape full of flowers. However, when orchards and vineyards are no longer in use, bushes and shrubs quickly grow, creating shady and cooler conditions, causing insects to lose their habitat. Naturefund aims to "debrush" the Dörscheider Heide, meaning they remove the shrubs and bushes to preserve the flower-rich open landscape. The areas are regularly mowed, and once a year, a transhumant shepherd with his large flock of sheep helps by moving through the Dörscheider Heide. Dry stone walls are uncovered, wildflower meadows are sown, and wild fruit trees are planted.

About Germany

Berlin

Capital city

84,482,267

population

as of 2023

52,745.8

Gross domestic product per capita per year in USD

as of 2023

0.950

Human Development Index (Human Development Index)

as of 2023/2024

Another tongue twister: "Red-winged grasshopper"! This grasshopper is considered to be threatened with extinction in Germany - but it still occurs in the Dörscheider Heide!

About the organization and further information