Insect-friendly district: Schools in Gotha focus on environmental protection!

Insect-friendly district: Schools in Gotha focus on environmental protection!

There has recently been a significant call from the Greens in Gotha to encourage schools in the district to take part in the “Insect-Friendly District” project. The district association of the Gotha Greens supports this initiative, which was submitted as an application in 2019 and was decided in 2023. Matthias Kaiser, the Green district spokesman, emphasized the urgency of quickly implementing the catalog of measures. The focus is on promoting the native insect fauna and thus counteracting the dramatic decline in insect species and numbers that has been going on for years bfn.de is documented.

Insects play an indispensable role in our ecosystem. Not only are they pollinators of flowers and contribute to the decomposition of organic material, but they also serve as food for numerous animals. Nevertheless, the total number of insects and their biodiversity are constantly decreasing, which has prompted the district administration and the Greens to take active countermeasures.

The “Insect-Friendly District” project

The Gotha district office, in collaboration with the district council, has launched the “Insect-Friendly District” project since 2021. A related development and measures catalog was created two years ago, in which 38 schools in the district play a central role. These schools are not only educational institutions, but also potential hotspots for insect-friendly measures, such as the creation of insect hotels, bee pastures and hedges. For the year 2025, 11,400 euros are available in the Gotha district's budget, which will be used specifically for school projects and teaching materials, reports oscar-am-freitag.de.

Particularly noteworthy is the Herzog Ernst Cooperative Comprehensive School, which is considered a pioneer with its beekeeping group “BEE-Ernst”. The school recently received the Gotha district's environmental award for the insect-friendly redesign of its schoolyard, a recognition that brought in prize money of 750 euros. Antje Naumann, the district spokeswoman for the Green Party, was enthusiastic about this success and hopes that other schools in the Gotha district will follow her example.

A call to participate

The district office encourages schools to submit funding applications for insect-friendly projects. The contact person for project consultations is Madlen Kästner, the department manager, who can be reached on 03621 214 267. Schools have the opportunity to prepare the ground for a new appreciation of nature with their own initiatives and thus actively contribute to saving insects.

The threatening development is reflected negatively in the Red Lists of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, which document over 3,000 insect species. The use of pesticides and the destruction of habitats are among the main causes that work against the preservation of the insect population. It is up to all of us to raise awareness of insect and nature conservation and to develop measures that give the diversity of our environment a new chance. With commitment and funding, schools in the Gotha district can make a valuable contribution.