ORF-E
German
1 x 25 min

On Fridays, young people around the world are calling for climate protection. But not only the climate is in crisis: biodiversity is, too. 150 plant and animal species become extinct every day, and are lost forever worldwide. Earthworms, birds, hedgehogs or insects cannot call for help when their habitats disappear. Eight million plant and animal species inhabit our planet, but their numbers are declining every day. Animals and plants are running out of space. Individual species are becoming rarer, before disappearing. Their habitats are being destroyed by intensive land and water use. Vertebrate biodiversity has declined by 68 percent since 1970, and by at least 75 percent for insects. The good news: each and every individual can contribute to preserving biodiversity. In Austria, more than 100,000 amateur researchers are involved in various projects. They collect data, and sometimes toads; they observe entire habitats or individual grasshoppers; turn desolate balconies into colorful bee paradises, or landfills into nature reserves; fight invasive plant species or participate in citizen science projects. The commitment to nature is paying off – Austria is only a small country, but one of the most species-rich regions in Central Europe.