One year with squirrels - a Citizen Science project
Many people see them scurrying along pavements, through gardens and up trees almost every day, but how do squirrels cope with changing environmental conditions? To find out, the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) and NABU, in cooperation with NABU|naturgucker, are conducting a nationwide citizen science project on squirrels in Germany. The project is looking for citizens who, ideally, regularly observe squirrels at a fixed location such as their own garden or in a park. Sightings can be reported all year round via a web app. In this way, volunteers help to collect valuable data on the occurrence and behaviour of squirrels. The project runs until 28th February 2025.
| Duration: | 15/02/2024 – 28/02/2025 |
| Involvement of citizens | yes, all over Germany |
| Involved Department(s): | Dept. of Ecological Dynamics, Science Management |
| Leibniz-IZW Project Team: | Sinah Drenske, Stephanie Kramer-Schadt, Conny Landgraf (all: Dept. of Ecological Dynamics), Anke Schumann (Science Management) |
| Cooperation Partner(s): | Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin NABU in cooperation with NABU | naturgucker |
| Research Foci: | Understanding traits and evolutionary adaptations |
| Understanding the environmental context |
Concerning the background of the project:
Since 2021, the Leibniz-IZW has been conducting a research project on the ecology of squirrels in Berlin. In this established field research project, squirrels are studied in various areas. Since February 2024, citizens throughout Germany have been able to support this project by reporting sightings of squirrels. The data obtained will provide new insights into the occurrence and lifestyle of squirrels.
The aim of the project is to collect long-term data on squirrel reproduction with the help of citizens, e.g. how often and when squirrels produce offspring in the course of one year, and how many per litter.
Citizens can contribute to answering these and other questions by reporting their squirrel sightings in the project's web app and, if available, uploading photos of the animals sighted.
You can find detailed information about the project here: https://www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/aktionen-und-projekte/naturgucker/34508.html (Website only in german)
You can report your sightings here: https://www.nabu-naturgucker.de/eichhorn (Website only in german)
Photo: Squirrel | Leibniz-IZW