Making the invisible visible: groundwater creatures at the centre of seven events as part of this year’s GEO Nature Day – including with us in Halle!
On 25 June 2022, a colourful bouquet of events focusing on the groundwater habitat will take place at seven locations in German-speaking countries: Berlin, Halle, Karlsruhe, Landau in der Pfalz, Luxembourg, Rust (Baden) and Vienna. The aim of the concerted events as part of this year’s “GEO Nature Day” is to familiarise as many people as possible with the groundwater habitat and its fascinating fauna, to inform them about current water management challenges in relation to groundwater and to contribute to the recording and protection of its biodiversity.
Clean drinking water is taken for granted; in Germany, two thirds of it comes from groundwater. However, few people realise that it is primarily living organisms that purify groundwater: Only healthy groundwater ecosystems provide clean drinking water! Although groundwater is the largest and oldest continental habitat in Central Europe, it is just as poorly researched as the deep sea; many mysteries have yet to be solved. What is known is that a very special, blind and colourless animal world exists there, which in some regions has a remarkable biodiversity (see attached photo). This diversity needs to be researched and protected. But we can only protect what we know. On GEO Nature Day, we would also like to make our contribution to making the invisible visible, i.e. to publicise the groundwater habitat hidden in the darkness and draw attention to its biodiversity.
Julia will organise the event for our working group on this day and provide an insight into the groundwater ecosystem. To get the day off to a good start, we will digitally switch on to a demonstration of the so-called groundwater zoo – a diverse collection of living groundwater animals. To kick off the activities on site, there will then be a short introduction to the ecosystem, followed by a joint groundwater sampling session and an opportunity to observe groundwater animals under a stereomicroscope. All interested citizens are cordially invited to attend. The event will take place on the Make Science Halle citizen research vessel on the banks of the River Rive.
We are looking forward to an exciting day!
When: 25 June 2022, 9:30 – 15:00
Where? Make Science Halle, Saalepromenade, jetty 5, 06114, Halle (Saale)
Registration & enquiries: Julia.Becher@geo.uni-halle.de
The events are sponsored by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) and are part of a three-day series on the groundwater habitat as part of this year’s GEO Nature Day. Two further major events will take place in Berlin on 24 June and in Neuenburg am Rhein on 26 June.
Further information on the entire three-day series of events can be found at
https://gemeinsamforschen.senckenberg.de/de/mitmachen/aktionen/geo-tag-der-natur-2022/
and on the kick-off event in Berlin on 24 June 2022 at
https://gemeinsamforschen.senckenberg.de/de/auftaktveranstaltung-geo-tag-der-natur-2022-grundwasser/
Picture: Karsten Grabow
