A group of researchers from Taxon Expeditions are currently combing a piece of meadow in Spaarnwoude in search of as many different life forms as possible. The aim is to map the biodiversity, but also to make people more aware of what kind of small animals and insects exist. The research is carried out every year somewhere in or near Amsterdam. “Important work”, according to research leader Menno Schilthuizen. “The more species that are found, the more stable the ecosystem is.”
Taxon Expeditions research team is looking for as many different life forms as possible – NH Nieuws
According to Schilthuizen, the minuscule part of animal life is too easily overlooked. “The term ‘biodiversity’ often refers to birds, mammals, frogs and reptiles. But most species can be found among those small creatures. For example, we have 17,000 different types of insects in the Netherlands,” he says.
“And then there are the snails, worms, woodlice, centipedes. And they are often forgotten. We would like to show people that with a little effort you can also get to know those little critters. If you look under a microscope, you’ll see it’s just as beautiful as that black-tailed godwit or that fire-bellied toad.”
Help from volunteers
Today a group of about fifteen volunteers is looking. Most have an affinity with nature in one way or another. Like Piet Veel, who fishes all kinds of small life forms out of a ditch with a landing net. Scoring once immediately yields something.
“I have a tadpole here,” Piet observes. “And a small newt.” When asked why he spends his time on the investigation, he doesn’t have to think twice. “With a landing net by a ditch… It’s just like when I was six years old. It’s always a surprise what you bring up. It’s great to play outside.”
“Discovering a new species, that’s the dream”
The chance that the team will encounter an as-yet undiscovered species during the multi-day investigation is not considered very high, but it is nevertheless possible. It happened three years ago when the Vondelpark was selected as the research area. “At that time we came across a species of wasp that did not yet have a name”, Menno remembers well. “Something similar could happen again this time.”
Whether new life is actually found will become clear in the coming weeks when all the critters are examined microscopically. “That’s the dream”, muses volunteer Rob Oldenburg. “We all dream about that a little bit.”