Knowledge transfer

Society's demands on modern science include the adequate communication of research results and open dialogue with the public. Research can only contribute to solving urgent social problems if its results are perceived and applied by relevant actors. For the Leibniz-IZW's vision of understanding and improving the adaptability of wildlife, knowledge transfer and knowledge exchange with actors outside of science therefore play a decisive role. In this way, we enable society to understand and use research-based knowledge and to enter into an exchange with us in order to gain additional information and promote the development of new questions.

 

NEWS

Conserving wildlife can help mitigate climate change

Solving the climate crisis and biodiversity crisis are not separate issues. Animals remove billions of tons of carbon dioxide each year. Restoring species will help limit global warming, new science reveals. More information...

 


RESEARCH ABOUT KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

Collaborative Project VIDET

In this interdisciplinary project, we investigate whether pupils learn better from videos to interpret and classify scientific results if the films convey not only research results but also insights into the scientific knowledge process. We want to find out whether such videos can be used as a tool for knowledge transfer and which factors are important in this process. More information...

 


CHILDREN'S BOOK

The Great Migration

The comic book "Bono's Adventure: The Great Migration" conveys scientific knowledge about the bats' way of life, their seasonal migrations, their navigation skills and their diet in an entertaining way. In addition, the book raises awareness of the dangers posed by the influence of humans to which these fascinating fluttering animals are exposed today. More information

 


EXHIBITION

Epigenetics is when the environment "talks" to the genetic material.

On March 13, 2020, the Rostock Zoo in Darwineum opened a new exhibition on epigenetics. Epigenetics as "the second code" is the instruction manual for the use of our first code - the genome (DNA). The exhibition is the first ever on this topic and a cooperation between the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin and the Rostock Zoo. Under the title "EPIGENEUM – Treat yourself well", it is intended to convey to visitors the fundamental importance of epigenetics for all living creatures and what visitors themselves can do to positively influence the "use of their own genetic "construction kit". The exhibition is bilingual in German and English

More information: www.epigeneum.com.


STAKEHOLDER PUBLICATION

Wolf territories in Germany

Within Europe, wolves have returned in the last three decades to areas where they once occurred and were once exterminated, and thus also to Germany. In the year 2000 the first offspring of wolves in Germany could be proven after more than 150 years. Since then the wolf population has been increasing steadily. In the publication "Habitat modelling and estimation of the potential number of wolf territories in Germany" („Habitatmodellierung und Abschätzung der potenziellen Anzahl von Wolfsterritorien in Deutschland“, BfN-Skript 556) the habitats currently populated by wolves in Germany and their characteristics are analysed. From this it can be deduced which areas in Germany are potentially suitable for wolves.

Download teh full publication (only in German)


POLICY ADVICE

Health monitoring in European wolves

All wolves found dead in Germany are sent to the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW). At the Leibniz-IZW the cause of death of the wolves is investigated. A wide variety of methods, techniques and research equipment are used: computer tomography, dissection, histology, parasitology, sample securing, forensics, disease diagnosis and preparatory genetics. The Leibniz-IZW currently coordinates all activities on health monitoring of wolves throughout Germany together with authorities and NGOs and publishes its results on the platform of the Federal Documentation and Advice Centre on Wolf Health (DBBW).

Website of the DBBW (in German)


FURTHER TRAINING

Leibniz IZW Academy

In 2017 the Leibniz-IZW founded the Leibniz-IZW-Academy. It offers regularly recurring, highly qualified advanced training programmes for special professional groups for a fee. The aim of the academy is to impart our professional expertise in zoo and wildlife research to specific professional and target group working with wildlife. These include freelance ecological experts, veterinarians, animal keepers, volunteer conservationists, biologists, hunters and representatives of authorities. Current news


GUIDELINES

EUROBATS - Guidelines for consideration of bats in lighting projects

In these guidelines, the available evidence related to the effect of artificial light at night (ALAN) on bats is compiled. Using the current state of knowledge, solutions are formulated on how to avoid, mitigate or compensate the adverse effects which ALAN has on bats in their network of functional habitats.

Download guidelines (pdf)


CITIZEN SCIENCE

Cheetah research for evidence based conservation

The largest remaining free-ranging cheetah population in the world lives on private farmland in Namibia. The cheetah population in Namibia is threatened because farmers regularly shoot cheetahs to prevent losses to their livestock. The approach of carrying out the research project together with local stakeholders has resulted in an effective and sustainable solution to the farmer cheetah conflict. Project

More about citizen science projects


SCIENCE BASED USER'S GUIDE

Studying terrestrial mammals in tropical rainforests

The aim of this user’s guide is to provide practitioners step-by-step instructions for biodiversity assessment and monitoring of tropical forest mammals using camera-traps and e/iDNA. More and download


CHILDREN'S BOOK

The Magic Trick - the first book for children published by the IZW

Bono, Jinny and Otto live under the hot African sun. One morning, a stranger comes to the desert. The three friends follow him and find they have embarked on quite an adventure …  Read this exciting story through which we learn about oryx antelopes, life in the desert and how science works.  More


COMIC

Epigenetics - Bridge between genome and environment

The Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) has translated the results of its research into a comic. It tells a story about wild guinea pigs and teaches us that genes are not everything: environmental conditions and individual experiences can influence which passages of the genetic material are used. The Leibniz-IZW-comic "Epigenetics - bridge between genome and environment" is published by Jaja-Verlag.  More