Insect Decline — It’s Going to be All Right

To book private guided tours, workshops (for groups, companies etc.) and events in the exhibition, please contact the Head of Catering and Events or book the event directly on our website. 

Sind Sie in der Stadt Bern auch schon auf überdimensionale Insektenskulpturen gestossen und haben sich gefragt, was die dort wohl machen? Wir lüften das Geheimnis: Sie sind Teil der Sonderausstellung «Insektensterben – Alles wird gut».

Hier finden Sie die Informationen zu diesem Kooperationsprojekt mit der Appenzeller Szenografin Karin Bucher.

From his kitchen, former scientific illustrator and Natural History Museum of Bern entomologist Hans-Peter Wymann talks about his fascination with butterflies and insects, which began in childhood. Take a seat and make yourself at home. And don’t forget to take a look in the kitchen cupboards to find out more about the importance of insects!

A form of agriculture that not only feeds people but also benefits insects and biodiversity – this is possible, as Tina Siegenthaler and her Fondlihof farm demonstrate. This room presents a number of other farms that are already practising the agriculture of the future. They prove that the knowledge and methods for insect-friendly farming have long been available. The farmers rely on approaches such as rotational grazing systems and mosaic farming. This section also addresses major problems, such as the subsidy payments worth billions that contribute to the degradation of biodiversity.

Welcome to the mind of Alex Aebi. Here, the renowned pesticide researcher from the University of Neuchâtel looks back to the heyday of pesticides (the present day) and addresses the problems they raise. This includes the fact that you can’t test the effects of pesticides on nature in the laboratory, and that they not only accumulate in nature over decades, but also in humans. The room also delves deeper into the dubious business of agrochemical multinationals that sell pesticides banned in this country to other countries, which thus find their way back into our ecosystem.

In this room, we travel to Villigen, in the canton of Aargau, and tour the forest which Oliver Frey has spent his professional life tending. The forester has experienced first hand the massive impact that climate change has had on the forest. How should forestry respond to this? According to Frey: with diversity. He plants a wide range of tree species, particularly native varieties. This helps the insects. Climate change, which will still be noticeable in 2053, is producing some winners, such as the southern small white, a butterfly that has gone from rare to common in a short space of time. Alongside individual success stories, however, climate change is mainly producing a lot of losers – and putting further pressure on biodiversity.

Preserving habitats is one of the most important aspects when it comes to protecting insect diversity. The faunaberna association protects important habitats for insects and other native animal and plant species - and creates new spaces. Join them at the table in the clubhouse, build a house of cards with beer mats and find out more. The room also discusses why bodies of water are so important for insects, why it's worthwhile for your wallet to prevent light pollution, why you should take a scythe course - and the benefits of protecting biodiversity. For example, because biodiversity makes you happy, as science proves.

Lucca Barbery, Hannes Baur, Lena Gubler, Lene Halter, Stefan Hertwig, Sidney Kämpfer, Sarah Pearson Perret, Philippe Steiner

Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft WSL, Flora di Berna, Info Fauna, Public Eye

Bei Konzept und Umsetzung der Ausstellung haben wir grossen Wert auf Nachhaltigkeit gelegt. Dabei sind wir den Prinzipien der Kreislaufwirtschaft gefolgt.

• Reduce: Wir haben versucht, möglichst wenig neue Rohstoffe zu verwenden.
• Reuse: Die Technik stammt, wo immer es ging, aus dem Bestand des Museums. Das Mobiliar besteht vollständig aus wiederverwendeten Objekten — aus unserem Museum, aus Brockenhäusern, von Verkaufsplattformen oder es sind Leihgaben.
• Recycle: Die Umsetzung folgte dem Ziel, die Materialien nach der Aus­stellung weiterverwenden, weiterverarbeiten oder kompostieren zu können.
• Nachhaltiges Design: Wo wir neue Materialien einsetzen mussten, war der Aspekt der Nachhaltigkeit das wichtigste Kriterium. Der Grundbau besteht aus Schwartenhölzern, die als Restholz in der Holzproduktion anfallen. Das Holz aus hiesigen Wäldern stammt von der Sägerei Thomas Zürcher in Arni. Die verwendete Farbe wird aus Lehm produziert und ist organisch. Der Holzbau kann nach der Ausstellung kompostiert werden. Der Boden besteht aus Recyclingfilz (100 % PES Recycling).