#Krautschau – How to see and identify plants

Monday, May 22, 2023, 4:00-6:30 p.m.

In a participatory star walk, various Krautschau walks will meet at different starting points on Monday, May 22, at 4:30 pm: In the Martinsviertel on Riegerplatz, in the Johannesviertel on Viktoriaplatz, in the city center on Georg-Büchner-Platz and at the Woog, on the forecourt of the youth hostel.

In Bessungen in the north of the Orangerie, at the future BUND Center for Urban Nature, the Krautschau walk begins already at 16:00.

Interested people can simply come to the starting points – registration is not necessary.

During the walks, attention is drawn to wild plants growing along and on our paths between paving stones, on the curb or between cracks in walls. The various routes of the star walk will finally meet at Karolinenplatz for the joint conclusion at 6:30 pm. Here a final photo is taken together and the action is discussed.

The wild plants on the way to the destination are identified, which is easily doable even for laymen with the help of apps such as Flora Incognita, and then named with chalk. They are thus still a few days for all citizens to recognize. Exciting discoveries are photographed and shared on social media under the hashtag #Krautschau.

The background to the Biodiversity Day campaign, which is taking place in many cities across Germany, is the phenomenon of plant blindness. This refers to the inability to perceive in detail or even remember the plants in one’s environment. The action idea to raise awareness for plants in the city came from France via England to Germany.

In cities, plants are essential for mitigating climate change impacts and providing food for wild bees and other insects. In addition, green joints, for example with mosses, absorb surface water, increase infiltration and bind dust. And at the latest with a closer look, the beauty of the herbs, grasses, mosses and lichens adapted to extreme conditions can be seen with their variety of colors, shapes and flowers.