The LIB at the Long Day of Urban Nature Hamburg

When summer is just around the corner, we look forward to the Long Day of Urban Nature in Hamburg every year. Initiated by the Loki-Schmidt-Stiftung, the Museum der Natur Hamburg and the LIB are close partners of the event. In addition to a guided tour, there will once again be a Bioblitz in 2023, where our experts will guide you through nature and at the same time take a closer look at the biodiversity of the Hanseatic city together with participants. This year, we will be travelling to Fischbeker Heide.

Last year, we travelled to the Niendorf enclosure. In order to detect as many animal species as possible on the site, ground and malaise traps were set up before the Long Day of Urban Nature, the catches of which were then analysed using DNA metabarcoding. One of these traps was set up permanently and is now part of the biomonitoring programme in Hamburg, which is carried out by the red-backed shrike association in collaboration with the LIB and the Ministry for the Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture (BUKEA).

The researchers and visitors were able to identify 136 species themselves on the Long Day of Urban Nature. More than 70 per cent of these were insect species, but numerous crustacean, snail and bird species were also identified. "One speciality was the grasshopper Omocestusviridulus, which is rarely found in Hamburg. But the longhorned beetle Callidum violaceum was also a nice find," summarises Dr habil Martin Husemann, who accompanied the Bioblitz last year.

The DNA metabarcoding of the trap material was carried out later and resulted in 655 molecular units, of which 351 could be clearly assigned to species. These were mainly flies and wasps, but many bees and other insects were also identified. A total of 474 species were identified for the Niendorf enclosure using both methods; 13 species were found using both methods. This data will now also be made available to the BUKEA and will thus also find its way into faunistic lists and endangerment assessments.

We are continuing this successful model this year and exploring the Fischbeker Heide nature reserve together. We are offering around six guided tours on different animal families such as butterflies, birds and spiders. On the website of the Long Day of CityNature you will find the complete programme overview and the possibility to register directly for the tours.

Our programme items:

17 June 2023, 10:30-16 UHR
BIOBLITZ IN THE FISCHBEKER HEIDE

At the annual Bioblitz as part of the Long Day of CityNature, we look for and count Hamburg's insects, spiders and birds together. Together with the experts from the LIB, we learn about the species, how they have adapted to Hamburg's natural environment and where they can be found. The Bioblitz starts at 10.30 am with about six tours. Be at the meeting point in good time so as not to miss the first tour, at Segelflugplatz-Club Fischbek e.V. (Scharlbargstieg 15, 21149 Hamburg).

Guided tours:
11:45 a.m.: Recording insect diversity
12:45 p.m.: Spider hunt
1:30 p.m.: Insects and their habitats
2:15 p.m.: Butterflies and moths (ENG)

18 June 2023, 10am-12pm
FIND'EM ALL - BUTTERFLIES SIGHTINGS
Learning more about butterflies

An activity for the whole family, to learn more about insects in general, focusing in the colourful-beautiful-intriguing butterflies. Let's talk about their life histories, food preferences, ecological roles, and natural curiosities, while we look for species found in the Loki-Schmidt-Garten (Botanischer Garten Hamburg). In English and Portuguese.