Over the next four months, the Umweltladen will be focusing on the following questions: Why do wild animals leave the woods and fields and move into the city? Which wild animals can be observed in Wiesbaden? And how can we shape our coexistence for the benefit of all?

More and more often we can observe wild animals in urban areas - parakeets in the castle park, raccoons in the garden behind the house or garden dormice on the balcony. Some blend unobtrusively into the urban environment, while others occasionally come into conflict with others. But why do animals leave the woods and fields and move to the cities? The main reasons are the expansion of our cities, but also the intensive use of agricultural land and our forests. As a result, the natural habitats of many wild animal species are shrinking. In search of food and safe retreats, they are colonizing parks and gardens. As cities have extraordinarily diverse structures, they offer a wide variety of habitats.

More background information can be found in the exhibition at the Umweltladen. The exhibition invites you to get to know twelve animal co-inhabitants that you can also encounter in Wiesbaden. Illustrative exhibits on other "wild neighbors" and a wide range of information material complete the offer. The exhibition also provides suggestions on how we can live well together - for the benefit of all.

The exhibition can be seen from March 7 to June 30, 2025 at the Umweltladen Wiesbaden, Luisenstraße 19. Workshops, guided tours, readings and lectures on urban wildlife provide more in-depth information.

• June 4, 6 to 8 p.m.: Everything you always wanted to know about striped insects!
  at the Umweltladen
  Advice on bumblebees, hornets, bees and co. with Yvonne Maack, Wiesbaden Environmental Agency, Nature Conservation, Nature and Landscape
  
  There are more than 560 species of wild bees in Germany. Over half of them are on the Red List. Our expert explains how you can help the animals. She also gives tips on how to avoid unpleasant encounters with wasps and hornets. Both species are useful insect hunters.

• June 12, 6 p.m.: Lecture "Streams, beavers, biotopes"
  at the Umweltladen
  

  For almost 200 years, the beaver was thought to be extinct in large parts of Germany - now it is back and shaping our water landscapes in its very own way: It builds dams, dams streams, builds castles - and creates new biotopes that benefit numerous endangered animal species.

  The beaver has also been active again in Wiesbaden for several years. Traces such as gnawed trees or flooded meadows bear witness to its presence. However, its activities not only create new habitats, but also pose challenges for farmers and landowners. This is why "beaver management" was launched in Hesse.

  Speaker Siggi Schneider, chairman of the Wiesbaden Beekeepers' Association and volunteer beaver manager, knows the Wiesbaden beaver population inside out. In his presentation, he will give a first-hand account of the behavior of the shy, nocturnal animals, their ecological impact and his work in beaver management.

  Participation is free of charge, registration is requested.

• June 27, 7 pm: Reading "Wild animals in the city - who's coming in from outside?"
  at the Umweltladen
  Reading with Armin Nufer. The "cultivated" domestic animals in the city and countryside are now joined by the "uncultivated" and wild (animals) from the suburbs, villages, forests and meadows.
  
  Morgenstern knows a lot about them, as do Loriot, Kästner, Kirchhoff and Thielemann. In addition, there are reports, factual and wild things about wild boar, raccoons and wild rabbits. Perhaps also from the official mold, the spectacled snake and the inheritance sneak.

The Umweltladen, at Luisenstraße 19, is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm and on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1 pm to 6 pm. Reservations for the event can be made by telephone on 0611 313600 or by e-mail to umweltberatungwiesbadende