Biologist and worldwide biodiversity researcher Dr. Stefan Pinkert has joined National Moth Week as the country coordinator for Germany.
Stefan has done biodiversity assessment in a long list of countries including China, the Philippines, Ethiopia, as well as the Cape Verdes, andin museums in Leiden in the Netherlands, Paris and Frankfurt.
“I am broadly interested in studying large-scale diversity pattern of insects, with an emphasis on understanding the processes that shaped the remarkable morphological diversity of this group and guiding their efficient conservation,” he said.
Stefan’s research has been communicated on such platforms and organizations as the half-earthproject.org, natura2000manager.de and deutschlands-natur.de.
He explains that his interest in the natural world started in his youth, asit does with so many biologists.
“Like many of us, my interest in natural history started with birding and botany, in my case, before college when I spent a year at the Northern seacoast of Germany at the Wadden sea National Park,” Stefan said.
“That year, I decided to study biology, with all their remarkable detail and complexity. I took every opportunity to complement my curriculum with excursions to breathtaking places in China, the Philippines, Ethiopia and the Cape Verdes during the summer breaks and museum visits during the winter breaks.
“Seeing the diversity of shapes and color of insects and their adaptations to the environment in which they live, made me realize what beautiful nature there is also around us, every day, so often unacknowledged as ordinary or not seen at all, and barely understood.
“In fact, besides photos and memories, what I took home was a fascinationf or the diversity of insects and particularly for Lepidoptera and Odonata -what ultimately became my research focus.
“Today, I enjoy it a lot to put out the light trap with friends and more so with my kids. Every time you learn more, and every record holds the promise to understand a bit more about the tightly woven web of life that represents the past, present, and future of our planet. But it’s not only a nighttime hobby: find a clutch, set up a vivarium, watch the caterpillars grow, pupate and hatch; It’s fantastic, not just for kids.”
“I am convinced that National Moth Week is ideal to strike a spark that goes a long way to fascinate old and young, and it is my greatest pleasure to be part of this initiative.”
Welcome, Stefan! It sounds like you will be inspiring many young people in Germany to start watching moths!