Create and use scientific knowledge for conservation

The renaturalization of the water canal Hirtenbach project was part of the larger city-wide initiative that aimed at the naturalization of different parts of the city's drainage system including small trenches and streams. The initiative aimed to decrease the risk of floods, improve the water quality, protect the local flora and fauna from the pollution, as well as provide for an additional recreational area for the citizens. (Reference 1)
In 2000, natural remodelling or the creation of near-natural structures began in sections. A 20, 000 m3 retention basin was also built. These actions improved flood protection and ecology of the area, and it provided local recreation opportunities. However, a study conducted in 2014 revealed that the restoration measures brought positive changes, but it was not enough to achieve a “good water status” defined by the European Water Framework Directive. Intensive care from silting and lush plant growth, wide margins, and the reduction of nutrients coming from the drainage and agriculture, need to be addressed. (Reference 2)
A new landscape is expected to be created when the alder trees grow. Waterbirds and waders, as well as insects like dragonflies, bees, butterflies and crickets, have been observed in the area (Reference 3).
The large drainage system of the city of Hannover includes many small trenches and streams with a total length of 152 kilometres. The intervention in Hirtenbach involved renaturalization worked on the total length of approximately 10,5 km (of which 3,3 km in the urban area). (Reference 2)

The “Animal Species Aid Program”, also a part of “More Nature in the City” project of the Department of Environment and Urban Green, mapped out the occurrences of wild bees in Hannover including Leineaue, Alte Bult and the area of Berggarten and Leibniz University. With this program, 244 wild bees and wasp species were detected in Hannover in 2013/2014. In addition to the inventory, the program has also provided care instructions tailored to the individual species (like frequency and timing of lawn mowing) in order to protect their habitat.

The “Wild Bee of the Year” was launched in 2013 by the Baden-Württemberg Wild Bee Cadastre Working Group in cooperation with the State Institute for Bee Science and the beekeeping associations of Baden-Württemberg to draw attention to the danger to native wild bees throughout Germany. The program is part of the city of Hannover’s activities on biodiversity. As an example, in 2012/2013, occurrences of the endangered nightingale were recorded, extremely rare and highly specialized tree beetles were mapped, and amphibians and dragonflies were stocked in selected small waters. Specific care measures for individual biotopes were provided along with an overall overview of the ecological qualities of the city of Hannover.

(Reference 1 as of 2015. No information was found with regards to the current status of the project)

With the progressive monopolization of the seed trade and the industrial cultivation of hybrid varieties as well as the restrictive seed legislation, the cultivation of old crops has steadily declined and about 90 per cent of the old crops have been lost. This initiative aimed to reverse the trend by the cultivation of old crops, dissemination of their seeds among farmers and educational workshops to protect and increase their biodiversity.

The project involved the building of the propagation garden on an approximately 4500 square meter area in Ricklingen. This project started in 2013 and it involves interested residents, cooperating with Transition Town Hannover (TTH). The city of Hanover supported the initiative by providing the property and financial aid for the construction of the garden. The project has been provided with professional network from BUND (Kreisgruppe Region Han­nover), the School Biology Center, the VEN (Association for the Conservation of Crop Diversity eV) and Leibniz University, Institute of Horticultural Production Systems and the Chamber of Agriculture In 2014, the basic restoration work on the property was completed. (Reference 1, 5).
Frame beds were installed in 2016 while a garden house was built in 2017. The project was funded by the City of Hannover until 2017 but it continues until the present with the help of volunteers (Reference 9).

The project "Sustainable Support Program for Greening Buildings and Minimizing the use of space using the example of Hanover" was established jointly by BUND (Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland) and the state capital of Hanover. The goal of the project is to transform as many barren house walls and dull grey roofs and asphalted areas into green oases throughout the city. Since May 2013, all house and landowners, housing associations and building communities have been able to apply to the BUND for a subsidy for green roofs and facades. On 2017, the project was expanded to include unsealing of areas like inner courtyards, driveways, etc, thus creating new green areas. Advice on the correct greening measures and on professional unsealing have been also offered by BUND.
The project is funded by the state capital of Hanover, the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU), the Sparkasse Hannover and by proKlima. The "Green Hanover" funding program will end on December 31, 2020. (Reference 1)

The project is a close-to-nature maintenance concept that combines the diverse usage requirements in public green spaces and the promotion of biological diversity through near-natural care. (Reference 1) It aims to promote biodiversity in the area through the plantings of local trees, installation of deadwood stacks, dry stone walls and boulders, which will help in the increased interconnectedness of the green areas and provide for structured habitat for the local species. The initiative also involves development of ecological standards for the handling of green spaces in the country, such as natural care practices that will protect local biodiversity (e.g. adapted mowing regime for lawns, flower meadows). (Reference 1, 2)
The "Urban green - species-rich and diverse" project is a cooperation project of the alliance "Municipalities for Biological Diversity eV" (Alliance) and the German Environmental Aid eV and with the participation of the five partner municipalities Frankfurt am Main, Hanover, Wernigerode, Kirchhain and Neu- Response. The project is funded in the Federal Biodiversity Program by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation with funds from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety. The experiences and results of the pilot project are further incorporated into the maintenance requirements for public green spaces in the urban area in other municipalities (Reference 1, 7).

Meadow orchards with fruit trees were an integral part of subsistence farming and form part of the cultural heritage of Wuppertal. To preserve and further develop these meadows as an important habitat for flora and fauna and promote their potential for sustainable consumption, 4 such meadows were sponsored, maintained and promoted by the city of Wuppertal in close collaboration with the working group for fruit meadows via events, communal harvesting activities and hands-on courses since 1999. Since 2015, these meadows have increasingly drawn the attention of "foodsharing" movements and during the nationwide research year "future town". (Ref. 1, 2, 6, 8). Enclosed between areas of intensive conventional agriculture and the federal motorway, the orchards as islands of biological diversity are important places of retreat and relaxation. (Ref. 5) Communal activities are also offered, such as the co-creation of “edible experience spaces”, joint harvesting and providing a base for additional social projects (Ref. 6).

As part of the Fifth Dimension research program of the University of Helsinki that examines green roofs from the perspectives of biodiversity and the three dimensions of sustainable development (ecological, social and economical sustainability), 8 green roofs were installed in Helsinki. The aim was to find economically viable solutions that are applicable to Helsinki’s and Finland’s conditions. The project experimented with green roofs in different parts of the country, over half of which are in Helsinki (ref. 1, 2, 3).

There have been different activities throughout the time to recover and improve the Malecon Botanical Garden. In 2012, the main activity was to recover the Malecon Botanical Garden by introducing a collection of Mediterranean species and of other ethnobotanicals plants and delivering some other environmental services to the location (Ref 1). In 2019, there were different works to rehabilitate the Garden for the September Fair, and also some other plans to create a cultural and artistic space within the Garden (Ref 10 and 11).
The project has completed its first stage, but there is an ongoing number of initiatives to rehabilitate and improve the garden (Ref 9 and 10).
Regarding the status of the project, the first stage has been completed, but an ongoing initiative to rehabilitate and improve the garden is taking place (Ref 9 and 10).

From 1850 to 1956 the area Eskesberg was a limestone mine, after that up until 1972 it served as a landfill. When taken over by the city of Wuppertal, groundwater contamination and outgassing required a large remediation to remove toxic substances and recover the area according to nature conservation guidelines. (Ref. 8) Since 2005, it has been turned into a nature conservation area covering 8.5 ha where several rare plants and animals have resettled and thus the area also serves as an important recreational space for residents (Ref. 1, 2, and 3). The project was initiated by the local government, who also collaborate with different partners for maintaining the nature conservation area, such as the biological station, which organizes excursions, performs monitoring on the terrain and sets up bee hives. Also, residents apart from visiting the area can actively participate in its maintenance as volunteers, guided by the city of Wuppertal and the NGO Biologische Station Mittlere Wupper. Furthermore, the nature conservation association of Wuppertal and scientists from the university of Cologne are involved in the intervention by conducting research on the terrain (Ref. 1, 2, 3 and 6).

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) ran a project to turn Belfast into the first-ever “Swift City”. The Belfast Swift City project aimed to bring nature back to the city and protect the swifts (ref 1). The aim was to find out where the birds are nesting, so work can begin to protect them. Additionally, there was said to be potential for the creation of community gardens in the area of residential buildings undergoing regeneration to aid this project. (Ref 2). As thousands of swifts migrate from Africa and nest in crevices in buildings, nesting boxes were put in a few locations like the parliament building to attract more swifts. (Ref 4)