Project management: Christian Lichtenau, Alexander Harpke
Staff responsible: Christian Lichtenau, Alexander Harpke, Thomas Misera, Michael Voigt, Jette Michalski (DWS)
Funded by: Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN)
Project duration: 01.04.2026 - 31.03.2032

Project description

In the “HuMI” project, the German Wildlife Foundation (DWS) and the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ) are collaborating to establish a nationwide, standardized bumblebee monitoring program involving citizen participation, while also raising awareness of the importance of wild pollinators. The project will launch in 2026 with a pilot phase in Berlin and Brandenburg and will be expanded nationwide starting in 2028.

At the heart of the project is a citizen science monitoring program designed to assess the current status and trends of bumblebee populations in representative areas of the typical landscape. Trained volunteers collect data through standardized transect surveys, which take place regularly between March and September. This will create a long-term dataset that enables reliable conclusions about the trends in bumblebee populations at the local, regional, and national levels. In addition, expert monitoring will be established in ecologically valuable areas to fill gaps in knowledge regarding the distribution of rare and endangered bumblebee species.

Another goal is to build a long-term network of volunteer bumblebee experts. This not only ensures data collection but also serves as a multiplier effect within society. Participation in the monitoring program is open to anyone interested and is supported by training sessions and expert guidance.

At the same time, the DWS is launching “Hummeln machen Schule” (Bumblebees in Schools), an educational and informational program that teaches about bumblebees, wild bees, their habitats, and their conservation. Among other things, the program builds skills for pollinator-friendly design and maintenance of green spaces. In addition, the project connects existing initiatives in wild bee conservation and promotes dialogue between science, conservation organizations, government agencies, and the public. As part of a “Species Ambassador Initiative,” politicians from state and federal parliaments are sponsoring selected bumblebee species and publicly advocating for their protection.

HuMI combines scientifically solid biodiversity monitoring with environmental education, networking, and public engagement. The project lays the groundwork for long-term bumblebee monitoring in Germany while also fostering knowledge, appreciation, and commitment to the protection of wild pollinators and biodiversity.

Data Infrastructure (BioMe Framework)

In the Bumblebee Monitoring program, volunteer transect counters enter their data into a central database via an online portal. In addition to the observation counts, this database also records the locations of the transects and the habitats covered by them. A platform based on the BioMe framework is used for data collection and management. BioMe offers a modular, generic framework for data collection and curation with spatial and temporal scaling that can be adapted to individual needs. This significantly simplifies the long-term provision and maintenance of the software components and infrastructure. BioMe also includes an app for collecting data in the field.

a project website is currently under development

 A project funded by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) as part of the Federal Biodiversity Program, with funding from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN)