Science communication on biodiversity honored twice
The project "Translating Soil Biodiversity" teaches children and young people about the importance of biodiversity – in 26 languages. It has now been honored twice in a short period of time.
The project "Translating Soil Biodiversity" is dedicated to making the significance of soil biodiversity accessible to a broad international audience—especially children and young people aged 8 to 15.
Coordinated by Romy Zeiss, Elisabeth Bönisch, Dr. Rémy Beugnon, and Professor Malte Jochum, scientists from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE) in France, as well as the universities of Leipzig and Würzburg, collaborate on this initiative. Since May 2023, Malte Jochum has been an assistant professor for Above- and Belowground Interaction Ecology at the newly established Chair of Global Change Ecology at the University of Würzburg.
An Online Journal on Soil Biodiversity Research
As a key element of its public outreach, the team has initiated, partially authored, fully edited, and translated a comprehensive collection of articles on soil biodiversity research into 26 languages for the online journal "Frontiers for Young Minds." This effort has involved a network of over 100 volunteers.
The range of topics is broad: the researchers explain the effects of drought and over-fertilization on soil organisms, introduce little-known soil creatures, discuss plant defense strategies against nematodes, and address the issue of microplastic pollution.
Double Recognition for the Project
The project has now received two prestigious awards: the 2025 Science Communication Award from the Werner and Inge Grüter Foundation and the Transfer Award from the University of Leipzig.
Contributing to Soil Protection
The Werner and Inge Grüter Foundation Prize, endowed with 15,000 euros, was presented at a formal ceremony on February 18, 2025, at the Munich Adult Education Center.
"The project is dedicated to not only imparting knowledge about the fascinating world of soil organisms to children and young people but also encouraging them to actively contribute to soil protection," stated the foundation in its press release. Through this innovative approach, the often invisible and overlooked topic of soil biodiversity is made accessible and engaging. The project helps to emphasize "the urgency of protecting soil ecosystems worldwide."
The University of Leipzig honored the team around Malte Jochum for their dedication to co-creative science communication as a vital aspect of university knowledge transfer to society. The Transfer Award, valued at 7,500 euros, must be used for knowledge and technology transfer. The University of Leipzig presents this award to projects that make a significant contribution to the university's societal responsibility.
Great Joy Over the Recognition
"We are absolutely thrilled about this special recognition of our long-term project and the appreciation of science communication as a whole, especially the dissemination of biodiversity and soil ecology knowledge to children and young people worldwide," said Professor Jochum after receiving the Grüter Prize. "Our project demonstrates that thinking big and working together with a strong network can generate lasting impact and reach target groups in science communication that each of us could only dream of achieving."
Project Participants
The following individuals are involved in the project: Romy Zeiss, Elisabeth Bönisch, Evangelia (Linda) Chronopoulou, Vrinda Dabas, Amelie Hauer, Ioannis Constantinou, Stefan Bernhardt (all iDiv / University of Leipzig), Dr. Rémy Beugnon (iDiv / University of Leipzig & University of Montpellier), Prof. Dr. Helen Philips (University of Helsinki), and Prof. Dr. Malte Jochum (Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg).
Contact
Prof. Dr. Malte Jochum, University of Würzburg, Assistant Professor for Above- and Belowground Interaction Ecology, Tel.: +49 931 31-80482, Email: malte.jochum@uni-wuerzburg.de
Links
More Information about the Project
Link to the 33 original English-language articles at Frontiers for Young Minds
Link to the collection of all translations on the iDiv website
Source: Press Office JMU
