June 18, 2021

Aktioun Schléifer

Matmaach-Aktioun Gaardeschléifer, Siweschléifer an Hieselmaus

Nom Erfolleg vun der Aktioun Kéisecker, rifft de Mouvement Ecologique an den Oekozenter Pafendall an hir Partner 2021 zur Aktioun Schléifer op. Et geet ëm de Gaardeschléifer (Muscardinus avellanarius), de Siweschléifer (Eliomys quercinus) an d’Hieselmaus (Glis glis), déi europäesch Vertrieder vun der Famill vun de Schléifer (ob däitsch Schläfer oder Bilche, op Latäin Gliridae), déi och zu Lëtzebuerg virkommen.

D’Schléifer zu Lëtzebuerg

Wëll se virun allem Nuetsaktiv sinn, ass iwwert d’Schléifer zu Lëtzebuerg net esouvill gewosst. Och d‘Bezeechnung als „Maus“ oder „Uebstrat“ wéist, datt vill Leit des Déieren nach ni zu Gesiicht kritt hunn an och net richteg wësse wouhin domat.

De Mouvement Ecologique an den Oekozenter Pafendall, an Zesummenaarbecht mat der ABIOL, der SNL an dem natur musée, wëlle mat Ärer Hëllef erausfannen, wou et nach iwwerall Gaardeschléifer, Siweschléifer an Hieselmais zu Lëtzebuerg gëtt. Esou kënne bestoend Populatioune besser geschützt an d’Uspréch déi dës Déieren un hire Liewensraum stelle besser identifizéiert ginn. Mat dëser Aktioun soll awer och op de Schutz vun hiere Liewensraim opmierksam gemaach a sensibiliséiert ginn.

Wéi matmaachen?

Mellt all Är Beobachtunge wou a wéini Dir e Schléifer gesinn hutt hei iwert den iNaturalist!
Är Observatioune ginn analyséiert an iwwert den iNaturalist-Projet-Site „Aktioun Schléifer“ kënnt Dir live verfollegen, wou d‘Schléifer am Kader vun eiser Aktioun iwwerall gemellt ginn.

Mei Informatiounen zu der Aktioun fann Dir och um Site vum Mouvement Ecologique an den Oekozenter Pafendall: https://naturelo.meco.lu/projekt/aktioun-schleifer/.

Participate in the dormouse project

Following the success of the Aktioun Kéisecker, the Mouvement Ecologique and the Oekozenter Pafendall and their partners launche in 2021 the “Aktioun Schléifer". The campaign concerns the Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius), the Garden Dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) and the Edible Dormouse (Glis glis), the European representatives of the family of dormice (Gliridae) which also occur in Luxembourg.

Dormice in Luxembourg

Because they are primarily nocturnal, not much is known about dormice in Luxembourg. Many people have never seen these animals before and do not really know where to place them.

The Mouvement Ecologique and the Oekozenter Pafendall, in collaboration with ABIOL, the SNL and the natur musée, want to find out where there are still Dormice in Luxembourg with your help. In this way, existing populations can be better protected and the demands that these animals place on their habitat can be better identified. However, this project should not only raise awareness about the animals themselves but also to the protection of their habitats.

How to participate?

Report all your observations of where and when you saw a dormouse to iNaturalist!
Your observations will be validated and you will be able to follow live where dormice are reported via our iNaturalist project site “Aktioun Schléifer".

More information about the project can be found on the website of the Ecological Movement and the Oekozenter Pfaffenthal: https://naturelo.meco.lu/projekt/aktioun-schleifer/.

Posted on June 18, 2021 08:15 AM by paul_luap paul_luap | 0 comments | Leave a comment

May 18, 2021

Minett UNESCO Biosphere BioBlitz 2021

The first BioBlitz in the Minett UNESCO Biosphere

From May 22 to June 6, 2021, the Minett UNESCO Biosphere is organizing the first BioBlitz in the south of Luxembourg in collaboration with the 'natur musé'. It has never been easier to become an explorer yourself and help scientists at the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN) complete the inventory of biodiversity in southern Luxembourg.

What is a BioBlitz?

The concept of the BioBlitz has its origins in North America: it is an activity which aims to find/identify as quickly as possible as many living species in a given region, not only by scientists, but by anyone who wishes to participate.

The goal of a BioBlitz is therefore to create a vast inventory of local biodiversity but also aims to better understand the local flora and fauna and to identify, using a fun and educational approach, which plants and animals are present in the Minett UNESCO Biosphere. The MUB includes the 11 municipalities that are members of the PRO-SUD intercommunal union: Bettembourg, Differdange, Dudelange, Esch-sur-Alzette, Bascharage, Mondercange, Pétange, Rumelange, Schifflange and Sanem.

Who can participate in the BioBlitz?

Between May 22 and June 6, 2021, anyone wishing to survey and discover the nature of the Minett UNESCO Biosphere can participate: all you need is an iNaturalist account. To do this, simply download the iNaturalist application (for iOS or Android) on the smartphone or visit the iNaturalist.lu site.

Thanks to this application, visitors to the biosphere can download their observations either directly in the field, or subsequently on iNaturalist.lu. The geo-localized photos thus taken will be collected, analyzed and evaluated by researchers and scientists during the activity in order to create a map of the biodiversity of southern Luxembourg. This map will be accessible live on iNaturalist.lu in the Minett Unesco Biosphere BioBlitz: 2021 project.

Where can we find the results?

The results can be viewed directly online on iNaturalist.lu under the heading concerning the project “Minett UNESCO Biosphere BioBlitz: 2021”. They will also be distributed by municipality in order to have a complete picture of biodiversity in each of the eleven municipalities labeled as members of the biosphere reserve by UNESCO.

What do those responsible for iNaturalist.lu expect?

Beyond the two weeks of the BioBlitz, the objective of the project is to establish a detailed inventory of biodiversity in the Minett UNESCO Biosphere and to set up a network of nature observers from this region, the first and only UNESCO biosphere in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Thanks to this inventory and the contributions of observers, the aim is to document the flora and fauna present and to understand (long) term the changes in biodiversity in the region.

Le premier BioBlitz dans la Minett UNESCO Biosphere

Du 22 mai au 6 juin 2021, la Minett UNESCO Biosphere organise le premier BioBlitz dans le sud du Luxembourg en collaboration avec le 'natur musée'. Il n'a jamais été aussi facile de devenir soi-même un explorateur et d'aider les scientifiques du Musée national d’histoire naturelle (MNHN) à compléter l’inventaire de la biodiversité dans le sud du Luxembourg.

Qu'est-ce qu'un BioBlitz ?

Le concept du BioBlitz vient trouve ses origines en Amérique du Nord : il s’agit d’une activité qui vise à trouver/identifier le plus rapidement possible autant d'espèces vivantes dans une région donnée, et ce, non seulement par des scientifiques, mais même par quiconque souhaite y participer.

Le but d'un BioBlitz consiste donc à créer un vaste inventaire de la biodiversité locale mais a également pour objectif de mieux comprendre la faune et la flore locale et de repérer, selon une approche ludique et pédagogique, quelles plantes et quels animaux peuvent être trouvés/identifiés dans la Minett UNESCO Biosphere. La MUB comprend les 11 communes membres du syndicat intercommunal PRO-SUD : Bettembourg, Differdange, Dudelange, Esch-sur-Alzette, Bascharage, Mondercange, Pétange, Rumelange, Schifflange et Sanem.

Qui peut participer au BioBlitz ?

Entre le 22 mai le 6 juin 2021, tout un chacun désireux d’arpenter et de découvrir la nature de la Minett UNESCO Biosphere, peut y participer : il suffit de disposer d’un compte iNaturalist. Pour ce faire, il suffit de télécharger l'application iNaturalist (pour iOS ou Android) sur le smartphone ou de visiter le site iNaturalist.lu.

Grâce à cette application, le visiteur de la biosphère peut télécharger ses observations soit directement sur le terrain, soit par la suite sur iNaturalist.lu. Les photos géo-localisées ainsi prises seront collectées, analysées et évaluées par des chercheurs et scientifiques lors de l’activité afin de créer une carte de la biodiversité du sud du Luxembourg. Cette carte sera accessible en direct sur iNaturalist.lu dans le projet Minett Unesco Biosphere BioBlitz: 2021.

Où peut-on trouver les résultats ?

Les résultats peuvent être consultés directement en ligne sur iNaturalist.lu à la rubrique concernant le projet « Minett UNESCO Biosphere BioBlitz : 2021 ». Ils seront également répartis par commune afin de disposer d’une image complète de la biodiversité dans chacune des onze communes labélisées membres de la réserve de biosphère par l’UNESCO.

À quoi s’attendent les responsables de iNaturalist.lu ?

Au-delà des deux semaines du BioBlitz, l’objectif du projet consiste à établir un inventaire détaillé de la biodiversité dans la Minett UNESCO Biosphere et à mettre en place un réseau d'observateurs de la nature de cette région, première et unique biosphère de l'UNESCO au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg. Grâce à cet inventaire et à l’apport des observateurs, il s’agit de documenter la faune et la flore présente et de comprendre à (long) terme les changements de la biodiversité de la région.

Posted on May 18, 2021 08:54 AM by paul_luap paul_luap | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Results City Nature Challenge 2021 in Luxembourg

Over 250 participants during City Nature Challenge 2021 in Luxembourg

City Nature Challenge: a global event

The City Nature Challenge (CNC) is an annual initiative of cities around the world, where citizens are called upon to observe and record wild species around them. This year’s edition focussed on the global collaborative effort to record as many species as possible. This year it took place between April 30 and May 3!

A total of 52,777 people participated in last week’s 6th annual City Nature Challenge! A total of 1,270,767 biodiversity observations were made in the 419 participating regions covering 44 countries. More than 45,300 species were documented, including more than 2,100 rare/endangered/threatened species. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we had over 10,000 more people participate compared to last year, and for the first time ever, we made over one million observations in the four days of the challenge! The City Nature Challenge also contributed to the most observations uploaded in a week on iNaturalist again - and also gave iNaturalist the first two weeks ever with over one million observations uploaded!
All the contributions made to the CNC2021 via iNaturalist can be consulted in the City Nature Challenge iNaturalist project.

City Nature Challenge Luxembourg

In Luxembourg, the CNC2021 was the third edition of the challenge organised by the ‘natur musée’. Though the absolute numbers for Luxembourg are lower than in previous years, the challenge can be considered a success. A total of 268 people participated and recorded a total of 5,341 observations with the iNaturalist app. A total of 888 different species were documented.
The area of the CNC2021 was once again extended to include the entire country to give the opportunity to everyone in Luxembourg to participate without needing to travel too far. All results for Luxembourg can be found in the City Nature Challenge 2021: Luxembourg iNaturalist project.
This year also marked the launch of the iNaturalist.LU portal and the official partnership of the ‘natur musée’ in the global iNaturalist network.

With 268 participants (2019: 415, 2020: 424), 5,341 observations (2019: 8,091, 2010: 5,913) and 888 species (2019: 942, 2020: 1,082) we unfortunately fell short of last year's count. However the quality of the contributed data can be considered significantly better this year! Much less “captive/cultivated” occurrences were reported and the percentage of already validated (research grade) observations of 60% (2019: 42%, 2020: 48%) is impressive and way above the global CNC average. A total of 316 specialists, from Luxembourg and all over the world helped identify and validate the reported occurrences.

Globally the most recorded species was the mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos), in Luxembourg the most common species were the red deadnettle (Lamium purpureum - 78 observations), the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale - 73 observations) and the wood anemone (Anemonoides nemorosa - 70 observations). Far off were the most common animal species: the western honey bee (Apis mellifera - 30 observations), the eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula - 27 observations) and the house sparrow (Passer domesticus - 24 observations).

Besides these very common species, some rare species for Luxembourg were recorded by amateurs and naturalists alike. Here are some of those noteworthy records:

THANK YOU

Our special thanks goes to the top 5 users, which combined contributed 2,150 observations: @paul_luap (477 observations), @odovacrius (465 observations), @claudekolwelter (445 observations), @pinkgrasshopper (350 observations) and @bee-together (232 observations). But also those other that contributed each more than 100 observations: @hera-pt @svenjachristian @fraentz @ebbalux @krauselguy @cheidt @francisbirlenbach @marielouise2 @georges3 @michaely0907
Another big thanks goes to the users who contributed their time to identify what others found: @sleguil with 1,296 identifications (impressive), @svenjachristian 665 IDs, @paul_luap 435 IDs, @thierryh 320 IDs and @wollef 313 IDs.

We would like to express our gratitude to each and every participant (observer and identifier alike) and hope they had fun exploring biodiversity in Luxembourg and that they keep doing so using iNaturalistLU, thereby contributing valuable species occurrence data to the scientific community in Luxembourg and the world. We hope to see you again for the Nature Challenge 2022!

Posted on May 18, 2021 08:53 AM by paul_luap paul_luap | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 27, 2021

City Nature Challenge Luxembourg 2021

COMMUNITY SCIENTISTS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GLOBAL CITY NATURE CHALLENGE, APRIL 30 – May 3, 2021

Sixth annual challenge to document biodiversity grows to over 400 participating cities on six continents; results announced on May 10.

CNC 2021 banner Lxuembourg

As community science initiatives;

which provide a safe way to connect people with nature and each other during the pandemic—continue to grow in popularity, this year’s sixth annual City Nature Challenge is expanding to more than 400 cities across six continents. Beginning on Friday, April 30 at 00:01 in each time zone, the Challenge runs through Monday, May 3, 23:59. The global event, co-organized by San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County calls on current and aspiring community scientists, nature and science fans, and people of all ages and education backgrounds to observe and submit pictures of wild plants, animals, and fungi using the free mobile app iNaturalist. From Friday, April 30 to Monday, May 3, participants can upload their observations to the app, with identifications happening from Tuesday, May 4 to Sunday, May 9. Final results will be announced on Monday, May 10. For Luxembourg the National Museum of Natural History is the local partner.

Nature is all around us;

in our cities, neighborhoods, and even in our homes. One of the best ways to study nature and its biodiversity is by connecting scientists and local community members through community science. As global human populations become increasingly concentrated in cities, it’s more important than ever to document urban biodiversity and help ensure the future of plants and wildlife. Large pools of data built through iNaturalist, natural history museums, and science organizations help leaders make informed conservation decisions that allow both human and natural communities to thrive.

The “natur musée”

will, for the third time be the local partner in this global challenge. Observations from the entire country of Luxembourg will be permitted in the challenge, to make sure everyone can participate without having to travel too far from the safety of their homes.

In response to the pandemic, this year’s Challenge will not be focused on competition, but rather global collaboration as more than 41,000 people around the world are estimated to participate however they can. For both budding and veteran community scientists, participating is easy:

  • Find wildlife in your home, neighborhood, backyard, or anywhere else! It can be any wild plant, animal, fungi, slime mold, or any other evidence of life, such as scat, fur, tracks, shells, or carcasses. Check out this guide for tips on finding the surprisingly abundant biodiversity in and around your own home!
  • Take pictures of what you find using iNaturalist. A powerful image recognition algorithm will help you identify what you saw. You can find some useful iNaturalist video tutorials on the “natur musées” youtube channel.
  • Learn more as your observations are identified by the global iNaturalist community.

To learn more about the Challenge and how to participate using iNaturalist.LU watch our webinar from the 26th of April on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poI9beBzLNM

Big thanks to last years top observers, we hope to see you participating this year as well: @pitheyart @paul_luap @svenjachristian @claudekolwelter @cecellina @taniaw @fraentz @martinadivis @bee-together @miroslav32 @odovacrius @ebbalux @beatrix-daniele @nattchen @weige
We are also looking forward to the contributions by Luxembourg's top observers: @francisbirlenbach @raedwulf68 @pinkgrasshopper @michelfrisch @ykrippel @wolffchristiane @wollef @erpro239_5c2 @carlobraunert and many more.


CNC 2021 Luxembourg Flyer

Posted on April 27, 2021 06:28 AM by paul_luap paul_luap | 2 comments | Leave a comment

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