Discover the hidden diversity of wild bees
More than 20,000 species of wild bees exist worldwide, with over 560 species in Germany alone. Together, they play a vital role in pollinating wild plants and many of the crops we depend on.
Each species has its own way of life, from the flowers it visits to the places where it builds its nest. These interactive panels invite visitors to explore this diversity through observation, play, and discovery.
The physical panels are installed at the ÖBZ in Munich. To extend the experience to everyone, I recreated several of the physical interactions as a web experience.
Scroll down to explore the activities.
For the best experience, please use a desktop or tablet.
Wild bees may look similar at first glance, but each species has unique anatomical features. This panel introduces four different species, highlighting common characteristics such as five eyes, sensory antennae, pollen-carrying hairs, and distinctive wing vein patterns that help scientists identify them.
Can you assemble the bee?
Click to rotate each cube to match the three body parts and discover four wild bee species.
0 of 4 species discovered
Where do wild bees build their nests?
Open each flap to discover the hidden nesting places used by different wild bee species.
Specialist bees and their plants
Some wild bees are specialized to feed on very specific plants.
Drag each bee to the flower it depends on.
Excellent!
Each of these specialist bees depends on a particular group of flowering plants. Protecting these plants also helps conserve the bees that rely on them.
For the best interactive experience, view this panel on a desktop or tablet.
These interactive panels are permanently installed at the Ökologisches Bildungszentrum München (ÖBZ) and were also developed in collaboration with the Chair of Urban Productive Ecosystems at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).
The project was funded by the Stiftung Nachhaltigkeit der Stadtsparkasse München.
The physical panels were produced by Werbebrüder.de.