FLIP stands for "Promoting the quality of life of insects and humans through perfect meadow worlds". And this is exactly what RWTH Aachen University, the City of Aachen and StädteRegion Aachen have done with the FLIP project from 2020 to 2025, promoting the creation of meadows in the region. The "FLIP meadows" made from wild plants typical of the region provide a habitat for insects, arachnids, reptiles and other small animals and are intended to promote biodiversity in urban areas.

"BioBlitz"

I wonder if that worked? What is growing, fluttering, creeping and crawling in the FLIP meadows of parks, schools and private gardens in the city and StädteRegion Aachen? A "BioBlitz" on the Observation.org platform in the period from July 28 to September 12, 2025 is intended to show this and everyone can take part. Observation.org is a global platform for biodiversity, citizen science and monitoring, is organized as a non-profit foundation under Dutch law and operates under EU data protection legislation.

A "BioBlitz" is an event in which you search for as many species as possible in a specific area and time period. With the help of the free ObsIdentify app from Observation.org, animals and plants can be identified and, if the location is approved, uploaded and assigned to the BioBlitz.

Who is taking part? A step-by-step guide, a map with FLIP meadow locations in public green spaces and further information can be found at www.flip-wiesen.de/blog/. The results will also be presented there at the end of September 2025. What to wait for? Off to the meadow with the app!

Further information on the FLIP project, funded by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation with funds from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, can be found at www.flip-wiesen.de.