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Discovering endangered Species and Biodiversity with the European Hedgehog
Project week | Grundschule am Kollwitzplatz | 26/11 - 29/11/2024
Project report
The first and second classes at Grundschule am Kollwitzplatz (primary school at Kollwitzplatz) had an exciting week. For four days, the topic was all about hedgehogs. Unfortunately, the European Hedgehog has recently been placed on the Red List and is therefore threatened with extinction! The pupils were keen to find out why this is the case, what insect mortality and other chain reactions have to do with it and, above all, what solutions can be found.
Firstly, the importance of biodiversity was explained to the class using the example of the ‘extinction of ice cream flavours’. The children were allowed to vote democratically on which ice cream flavours would gradually disappear from the ice cream menu forever until only one flavour was left. At the same time, they learnt about selective animal protection, which is shaped by society and culture and in most cases works against the protection of species.
The children then immersed themselves in the topic of hedgehogs. They learned about the most important species and their systematics, explored the connections and causes of hedgehog mortality using various short films and discussed their own experiences in their immediate neighbourhood. Then things got even more exciting: the pupils from the primary school at Kollwitzplatz got active themselves! They sowed a wildflower meadow, planted fruit trees and created an ‘eternal’ pile of leaves. This allows insects and hedgehogs to regain their habitat, which they have largely lost due to habitat fragmentation in the area. A special focus was placed on insect protection as an important basis of life for hedgehogs. For this reason, each child was allowed to tie a caterpillar in a caterpillar rearing bag. With this method, the larva can develop into a finished moth without being eaten and then provide offspring after being released by the respective pupil.
At the end of the week, the pupils were also given the opportunity to creatively present their findings. This resulted in two self-made posters. One, entitled ‘Insect mortality = hedgehog mortality’, illustrates the connection between the two phenomena and shows wildflowers, dead wood, mushrooms, leaves, piles of branches and hedgehog families alongside various insect species. The second is entitled ‘How we are extinguishing the hedgehog’ and clearly shows how the hedgehog's habitat is being affected by (robotic) lawnmowers, pools, monotonous gardens, light pollution and the intersection of habitats by the traffic system. They also compiled their own short ‘red list’ of other local insectivores. All the results were finally presented at a special information point at the school's 50th anniversary. Thus, parents, families and guests were educated on the subject and a successful project week came to an end.
This project week was sponsored by Engagement Global with funds provided by the Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development).
