Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Institut für Europäische Ethnologie

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin | Institut für Europäische Ethnologie | Das Institut | Aktuelles | [Exhibition] If you take care of birds, you take care of most of the environmental problems in the world

[Exhibition] If you take care of birds, you take care of most of the environmental problems in the world



Date: June 12 - July 19 2025

Location: Tieranatomisches Theater Berlin, Philippstraße 13, Campus Nord, Haus 3, 10115 Berlin

Entry: Free


By ornithologist Gabriele Pinna (Italian League for Bird Protection) and anthropologist Magdalena Buchczyk (Institute of European Ethnology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), a guest exhibition as part of muddy measures. when wetlands and heritage converse!

 

If you take care of birds, you take care of most of the environmental problems in the world

— Thomas Lovejoy

What can birds teach us about the health of wetlands?
Birds weave together water, land, and air as they journey across diverse landscapes, both near and far. Their presence shapes ecosystems—enriching biodiversity and acting as barometers of environmental change. Within wetlands, they play a pivotal role in the food web, serving as natural pest controllers and helping to maintain ecological balance.
 
Understanding the lives of birds and advocating for their protection is essential to safeguarding wetlands. Yet birds remain a muddy measure—fleeting and elusive, easily disturbed by noise or human presence. Observing these ecosystem weavers demands patience as they slip between reeds or vanish into the sky. As opaque and unpredictable indicators, birds teach us humility and quiet attention. They remind us how to dwell with wetlands—not as detached observers, but as participants in a fragile, shared ecology.