10,000 reports: Garden sleepers in Idar-Oberstein viewed!

In Germany, conservationists and scientists have devoted themselves to a very special mission in recent years: maintaining the garden sleeper. These small rodents belonging to the Bilche family are classified as highly endangered. A significant success in this research was recently announced: the 10,000th view of a garden sleeper was reported. This event is not only a success for the project, but also a sign of growing environmental awareness in the population.

meaning of the registration office

The project "Spurenschuche Gartenläfer", which has been active in cooperation with the Justus Liebig University Gießen since 2019 and the Senckenberg Society for Natural Research, has set itself the task of systematically capturing the distribution area of the garden sleeper in Germany. The population is called to report sightings, ideally supported by photos or videos. The newly set up registration office at www.gartenschlaefer.de has proven to be extremely successful, since people take part in the data collection very actively.

The sighting in Idar-Oberstein

The 10,000th report came from Idar-Oberstein in Rhineland-Palatinate. This discovery provides valuable information about the current status of the garden sleeper population in the region. Sven Büchner, an expert in garden sleepers, emphasizes that the demand for information and sightings has exceeded the expectations of the project team since the registration office was set up.

decline in the regions

Despite the positive development, the garden sleeper has become increasingly rare in many parts of Germany. In the past, it was widespread in southern and Central Germany, but today his population focuses on the southwest of the country, especially in urban areas. The rodents can settle back here, while their stocks in other regions have decreased significantly.

protective measures are taken

Based on the data recorded, suitable protective measures are currently being implemented to stabilize the stocks of the garden sleeper. Experts review all received reports, and about two thirds of this information can be confirmed for the scientific work, which underlines the important role of citizens in this project.

background of the project

As part of the project, it is also examined why the garden sleeper disappears from more and more areas. The Federal Nature Conservation Office supports these important research through funding from the Federal Ministry of the Environment and thus contributes to the preservation of biological diversity in Germany.

more information

For interested citizens, there is further information on the BUND website as well as special offers for active participation in research and the protection of the garden sleeper. Sustainable use of our environment is becoming increasingly important, and projects such as this show how effective cooperation between science and the population can lead to positive results.