From May through June, the Mainz Environmental Store will host a special traveling exhibition: The interactive I²-CAMPUS Infotrail brings the diversity of insects from the campus of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz right into downtown Mainz.

At the Mainz Environmental Store, three exhibition towers featuring large-format photos and digitally accessible, vividly designed fact sheets showcase a selection of native insect species that have already been observed on campus. These were developed during the 2023/24 winter semester by biology students in the Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science programs. The multimedia exhibits offer insight into the diversity and importance of the insect world and demonstrate how science, teaching, and social engagement can be linked.

Janina Steinkrüger, Head of the Environment Department, invites you to visit the Mainz Environmental Store: “Take a look at the diversity of species, try out the interactive elements, and pick up small identification guides for five insect families to take home. I am very pleased about the renewed collaboration between the Biology Didactics Working Group and the Mainz Environmental Store. Following the project ‘Help the Bumblebees! Rhine-Main,’ the topics of biodiversity and species identification are once again being brought to life in the city center.”

The I²-CAMPUS Info Trail on campus invites visitors to explore the world of insects in an interactive way. In addition to offering fascinating insights into the lifestyles of various species, it also addresses key challenges such as insect decline and presents concrete conservation measures. “We’d be delighted if visitors to our exhibition at the Mainz Environmental Store then make their way to the university campus to learn more at the stations along our Infotrail,” says Laura Aporius from the Biology Didactics Working Group.

Several hundred different insect species have been identified on the university campus so far—including striking species such as the blood-red darter or the blue-winged grasshopper. The Botanical Garden itself was not included in this count, as regular surveys of flora and fauna are already conducted there.

The underlying educational project “I²-CAMPUS” was independently implemented by students in the Department of Biology from August 2022 to July 2024. The goal was to make the university campus more insect-friendly in a targeted manner and thereby make an active contribution to nature and species conservation. Various stations were set up across the grounds, featuring ecologically enhanced areas, informational displays, and interactive elements. “With another prominent station for our traveling exhibition in downtown Mainz, the insect profiles designed by our students with great dedication and creativity are receiving further attention,” says Prof. Daniel Dreesmann, head of the Biology Didactics Working Group. “In this way, the city of Mainz offers us the opportunity to bring the results of university teaching to the public.

The project was funded as part of “ModeLL-M” by the Foundation for Innovation in Higher Education.

With the traveling exhibition at the Umweltladen, the successful campus project is now being made accessible to a broad public for two months and encourages people to take measures to protect biodiversity in their own communities as well.