Public outreach
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30-31 May 2024: Emys-R invited at the BiodivRestore Knowledge Hub, Paris, France
Dr Jean-Yves Georges attended, as expert of the BiodivRestore Knowledge Hub, a 2-day event aiming for a more sustainable and structural contribution by the European scientific community and knowledge holders in support of the implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Law.
24 May 2024: President of the European Community of Alsace (CeA) and Landrat of the Landkreis Germersheim (KG) meet Emys!
Denis Schwab (Collectivité européenne d’Alsace) and Uwe Meissner (Kreisverwaltung Germersheim, represented by M. Christoph Buttweiler) presented the former INTERREG project “Cistude sans frontière – Sumpfschildkröte ohne Grenze” (2009-2012) during the “cross-border Roadtour” organized as part of Europe Month and in the run-up to the European elections (9 June 9 2024) where Mr. Fréderic Bierry (President of the European Community of Alsace, CeA), Mr. Fritz Brechtel (Landrat of the Landkreis Germersheim), and Ms. Susanne Ganster (Landrätin of the Landkreis Südwestpfalz) enjoyed holding an Emys moulage used for eduction purpose (photo C. Buttweiler).
22-24 May 2024: Emys-R invited at the LIFE Platform Meeting on Amphibian and Reptile Conservation: Challenges and Opportunities in Europe, Santander, Spain
Drs Andris Čeirāns, Kathrin Theissinger and Jean-Yves Georges attended this LIFE platform meeting (more here) aiming at providing practical advice to be addressed to EU-LIFE, IPBES/IUCN experts and policy makers involved in forthcoming EU Nature Restoration Law and EU Life fundings.
8 May 2024: Emys-R at the Erasmus project Road to Green Future
As part of the ERASMUS Project « Road to green future: Sustainable approach to combat climate change » hosted by Daugavpils University, Drs Mihails Pupins and Jean-Yves Georges presented major achievements of Nature-based-Solutions research and educational projects to a delegation of 15 teachers from Italy, Spain and Turkey.
17 April 2024: Ukraine is the best proof that life and humanity prevail
In their last publication in Responsible Herpetology Journal, Dr Oleksii Marushchak and colleagues from Ukraine published this stunning paper about herpetofauna on the war front and how, despite all risks, people from Ukraine keep taking care of wildlife and life.
Proof that life and humanity will prevail darkness.
Read the article here
🇺🇦 29 March 2024: Emys-R first public outreach to the people of Ukraine
Dr Oksana Nekrasova, Dr Oleksii Marushchak and Dr Jean-Yves Georges published this very article in the Ukrainian popular science magazine Krainaz about the mysterious world of amphibians of the Middle Dnieper in the context of climate change.
Nekrasova O, Marushchak O, Georges JY (2024) Загадковий світ земноводних Середнього Подніпров’я в умовах глобальних змін клімату. Krainaz 2024(4): online, pdf in Ukrainian and pdf in AI-English
18 March 2024: Interview by BMBF (DE Funding Agency)
In an interview to the German funding agency BMBF, Project manager Dr Theissinger highlighted the rationale of reintroducing Emys and presented some of the major results of the Emys-R Consortium. Read here
22 Feb 2024: New public outreach
In the last issue of Responsible Herpetoculture Journal, Dr Oleksii Marushchak and colleagues published a rationale about bilateral benefits for herpetology and herpetoculture experts in sharing knowledge and practices for best species conservation.
Marushchak O, Nekrasova O, Pupins M, Georges JY (2024) Herpetology and herpetoculture: the bridge between. Responsible Herpetoculture Journal 13: 6-12 (pdf)
More about the Responsible Herpetoculture Foundation
18 Dec 2023: Emys-R highlighted in the worldwide spread Responsible Herpetoculture Journal Issue#12
In the last 2023 issue of the Responsible Herpetoculture Journal, Project Leaders Dr Jean-Yves Georges and Kathrin Theissinger presented the origins, rationale, goals and first outcomes of the Emys-R project, with a special focus on the contributions from our EmyStars and other EmySparkles (pdf).
More about the Responsible Herpetoculture Foundation here
14 Dec 2023: Latgales Zoo (Daugavpils) highlights Emys-R outcomes and consortium
Zoological parks play major roles for nature research, conservation and education. Latgales Zoo (Daugavpils, LV) is a major partner for action-oriented research projects in Latvia and Eastern Europe, such as Emys-R. Every year, 50000 visitors of the zoo are informed about past, present and future projects the zoo is involved in.
14 Dec 2023: Lectures of 3 education courses for Master and Bachelor biologists students of Daugavpils University
Dr Mihails Pupins performed several lectures on 1) Ecology seminars, 2) Bioeconomics (herpetofauna reintroduction lectures and practical works) and 3) Field herpetology research (~20 attending students in total in 2023).
14 Dec 2023: Our Latvian team presents Emys-R as part of their long term research and conservation activities in Eastern Europe
Drs Andris Ceirans and Mihails Pupins presented two major contributions about native amphibians and turtle and about invasive threats for Latvian herpetofauna at the public seminar (LIFE Project LIFE19/GIE/LV/000857 seminar « Conservation of amphibians and reptiles » Riga, Latvia) to Latvian lead specialists of Nature Conservation Agency, biologists, scientists, certified Herpetofauna experts, Zoo specialists and other stakeholders (~50 attending persons).
26 Sept 2023: Our partner Collectivité européenne d’Alsace presents the Woerr site to local councillors and stakeholders
The mayor of Lauterbourg and several municipal councillors visited the Woerr site accompanied by the technical services of the CeA to discover or rediscover this natural area. They were informed of the preservation and renaturation actions carried out by CeA and ONF as well as the specific actions of Emys reintroduction program.
The follow-up and research work carried out by the partners was presented and an emphasis was placed on the new approaches developed by the EMYS-R program, which make this site a real life-size research center.
This event also permitted to mobilize these local stakeholders for forthcoing sociological surveys led by WP4 partners.
19 Sept 2023: LIve show of Emys-R pluridisciplinarity for 132 engineer-students on Woerr
PhD candidates Kari-Anne van der Zon and Johannes Meka and PIs Isabelle Combroux and Corinne Grac presented Emys-R to 132 engineer-students from Ecole Nationale du Génie de l’Eau et de l’Environnement de Strasbourg discovering EmysR project and wetland restoration on Woerr
18 Sept 2023: Johannes Meka authors in The eDNA Collaborative blog
PhD candidate Johannes Meka received a Physalia course from The eDNA Collaborative, and presents his view of his PhD in « Unveiling the fascinating world of the European pond turtle ». Read the article here
17 Sept 2023: Emys-R highlighted during the Heritage Day, Munschhausen, France
PhD candidate Kari-Anne van de Zon, Master student Zoé André and Dr Corinne Grac have been representating the Emys-R project during the French national public event Heritage Day – Journée du Patrimoine, at the Center for Introduction to Nature and the Environment, CINE, Munschhausen, France.
12-19 August 2023: ARTE TV team on the Neu Woerr study site!
Reporter Suzanne Roser and her crew will visit the Neu Woerr (DE+FR) study site for shooting a reportage dedicated to Emys-R!
6 July 2023: Press articles highlighting the second Emys release in Neuburg am Rhein
5 July 2023: Emys release highlighed on TV SWR Aktuell Rheinland-Pfalz
A reportage by Janboris Rätz (jump at 12′)
5 July 2023: Second release of the year in Neuburg am Rhein in presence of Federal State Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate for Environment – Katrin Eder
A second release was organised by NABU and SeaLife Speyer in presence of local primary school children, Katrin Eder – Federal State Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate for Environment with Peter Sound, and major stakeholders Fritz Brechtel and Uwe Meissner – Landkreiss Germersheim, Herrmann Knauss – Mayor of Neuburg am Rhein, Kathrin Theissinger and Jean-Yves Georges – representatives of the Emys-R Consortium, and major media coverage! (read more here!)
18 June 2023: Massive public attendance for the Emys release in Neuburg am Rhein
Up to 70 people inhabiting Neuburg am Rhein, including the Major Hermann Knauss and from surrounding villages attended the release of 50 Emys organised by Wiebke Pasligh from NABU with active supports from our PhD candidates Patrycja Romaniuk for the sociological survey and Johannes Meka for the following Emys monitoring.
Johannes Meka presenting the Emys (part1)
Johannes Meka presenting the Emys (part2)
NEW RELEASE OF 50 EMYS in Neuburg am Rhein – 18 June 2023 10.45am!
We warmly welcome all interested people to participate in the Emys release that will take place 18.06.2023 in Neuburg am Rhein. We meet at 10.45 at the playground (Spielplatz on Google Maps), next to the release site. Join us!
9 June 2023: Emys-R on air – podcast Society, wetlands, turtles and biodiversity | Civitas on Air & EMYS-R
Listen to the interview (about 30′) of our Project leader Dr Jean-Yves Georges led by our colleague Dr Krzysztof Kasianiuk in anticipation of the 2nd Annual Consortium Meeting held in Collegium Civitas, Warsaw, Poland.
Listen on YouTube channel
Other external platforms: CC website | Google Podcasts| Spotify | Apple Podcasts | PlayerFM |
3 June 2023: Emys-R at « Les Entretiens de la Biodiversité » at Parc de Sainte-Croix, Rhodes, France
Drs Benoît Quintard and Jean-Yves Georges participated to a public round table about species reintroductions, with a focus on Emys at a public event animated by Patrice Costa, Grand Reporter, guesting Yves Paccalet, organised at Parc de Sainte-Croix.
Read the reportage by Hervé Boggio & Olivier Simon here
Watch the event below (YouTube link)
23 May 2023: World Turtle Day
On this Turtle Day, Kathrin Theissinger has been interviewed by German radio.
Listen to the interview here
17 May 2023: Emys-R as a key actor in monitoring the invasive calico crayfish on German SWR TV
A major reportage about the situation of the calico crayfish in the Upper Rhine Valley, starring Dr Kathrin Theissinger who leads the monitoring of this invasive species on the DE+FR study site as part of Jeanne Bosson’s Master project.
See reportage here (YouTube)
12 May 2023: Webinar for Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University by Dr Oleksii Marushchak
12 May 2023: Emys-R onboard of the « Hausboot auf dem Rhein » on German ARD Mediathek
In their journey between Speyer (where the German Emys are grown) and Strasbourg, Annette Krause and her crew make a break on the Woerr site for visiting Kathrin Theissinger and Jean-Yves Georges during their test of TOTITAGS prototypes.
See the reportage at 18′ (and even more exciting at 20’…) here
5 April 2023: Emys-R and calico monitoring highlighted on German TV SWR3
In this reportage, our Project Manager Dr PD Kathrin Theissinger highlights the relevance of understanding the mechanisms of biological invasions by the exotic invasive calico crayfish for better assessing their impacts on native ecosystems and implications for adaptive management of wetlands for the reintroduction of the European pond turtle Emys and ForNature.
See the reportage by Pascal Kiss at 22’11 here
30 March 2023: Field visit of German TV SWR3 preparing a 26′ reportage on calico crayfish
German TV SWR3 came back in the French-German study site to meet our Project manager Dr PD Kathrin Theissinger leading the monitoring the calico crayfish population and the impacts on native ecosystems and species on the French-German study area (watch the teaser here).
12 December 2022: Emys-R highlighted in DE TV Nano Programm, The struggle for diversity
« The state of our nature affects us all – and it is bad » says Ingolf Baur, reporter at ARD Alpha TV. « Biodiversity is decreasing dramatically despite all efforts. Over one million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction. »
In this reportage, Kathrin Theissinger highlights the relevance of species reintroduction as a strategy for preventing loss of native biodiversity also facing speeding biological invasions such as the invasive calico crayfish.
Within Emys-R, calico crayfish is studied by Jeanne Bosson
See Emys-focused reportage at 21’20 here
18 January 2023: Emys-R and the release of the 500th Emys as one of the 3 major environmentally-relevant events in Alsace in 2022!
In its special issue « Toute l’Alsace » of the New Year, the Conseil européen d’Alsace (CeA, partner of the Project), highlights Emys-centered actions as one of the three major events in favour of biodiversity in Alsace. The newspaper was delivered for free in every post box of the ~2 millions inhabitants of Alsace, from the most southern Saint-Louis, Mulhouse (where the Emys captive facilities stand) to the most northern Lauterbourg (where Emys were reintroduced).
Let say its a kind of public communication act!
Read more here
15 January 2023: Emys-R highlighted in local Est Républicain press release!
Emys-R is spreading out!… and is highlighted as part of the major 2022 events in the Région Grand Est (to which Alsace belongs, as do Lorraine and Champagne-Ardenne).
Read more here
30 December 2022: Emys-R in the yearly highlights in DNA press release
The release of the 500th Emys by the CeA local council in association with school children is considered as one of the major event that occurred in 2022 in northern Alsace!
7 December 2022: TEASER of the forthcoming TV SWR reportage on the invasive calico crayfish
Get prepared! Kathrin Theissinger will set the German TV SWR on fire, explaining the impacts of calico crayfish on native ecosystems and species and associated risks for the reintroduction of the Emys on the French-German study area (watch the teaser here)
12 octobre 2022: Emys-R celebrates Fête de la Science in Strasbourg
During two public conferences held at the library of the Cronenbourg district, where IPHC is located Jean-Yves Georges explains to public at large why wetlands and biodiversity do matter and how science contributes to better protect them (read the announcement)
11 October 2022: Reportage at TV BFM Alsace – Emys release in Lauterbourg
A reportage by (see the reportage)
27 September 2022: Emys-R highlighted in a dedicated press release by Senckenberg
Back in the wetlands: The European pond turtle receives support from the research project Emys-R (link to the press release)
17 September 2022: Article in DNA Newspaper – On Woerr, 500 Emys reintroduced in ten years
An article by Alexandre Rol (link to the article)
17 September 2022: Article in Républicain Lorrain Newspaper – Emys coming back in alsacian ponds
An article by Stéphanie Paquet (link to the article)
16 September 2022: Reportage at TV France 3 – The last release of Emys
A reportage by Nadine Ly for the 500th Emys released on Woerr site, FR (see the reportage, at minute 10 and beyond).
16 Sept 2022: The 500th Emys has been released on the Woerr site, France!
Ringing the last release event out of seven in total since 2013, the Collectivité Européenne d’Alsace has released its 500th Emys, thus reaching its goal for the reintroduction of the species in Alsace. This event is timely since it provides the most complete database for assessing the success of such conservtion initiative over almost 10 years, while permitting massive public outreach with local schools.
14 September 2022: Emys-R highlighted on local radio Top Music
24 June 2022: Emys-R highlighted on RCF Radio
Jean-Yves Georges explain how and why the Emys is a best emissary for protecting wetlands and local biodiversity (listen to the interview)
19 May 2022: Article in University of Strasbourg Letter – Emys and wetlands, a strong link at the European scale
An article by Frédéric Zink (link to the article).
10 May 2022: Emys-R is on LinkedIn!
https://www.linkedin.com/company/emysr/
7 May 2022: Reportage at TV France Info France 3 – How can Emys save wetlands
An article by Florence Grandon (link to the article).
5 May 2022: Reportage at TV France 3 – A reintroduction project for the Emys
A reportage by Claire Peyrot (link to the video)
4 May 2022: Article in DNA Newspaper – Watching for wetlands and the Emys
An article by Alexandre Rol (link to the article)
29 April 2022 – FIRST POST ON OUR WEBSITE!
The Emys-R Consortium released several Emys on the Woerr site
At the closure of the kick-off meeting, the entire Consortium visited the study sites of Neuburg am Rhein (DE) and Woerr (FR) where few turtles were released by representatives of our Partners from all fields (scientists, land managers, decision makers), academic disciplines (humanity sciences, social sciences, natural sciences, veterinary sciences) and countries (DE, FR, LV, PL and Ukraine) as team bounding and large public outreach in front of numerous media microphones and cameras.
Emys-R is funded through the 2020-2021 Biodiversa & Water JPI joint call for research proposals, under the BiodivRestore ERA-Net COFUND programme, and with the funding organisations Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR, France), Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF, Germany), State Education Development Agency (VIAA, Latvia), and National Science Center (NSC, Poland).
