I have been fascinated by insects for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories of that fascination is from our garden pond, where I discovered dragonfly larvae as a child. Finding out that these strange-looking creatures living underwater would eventually turn into dragonflies completely fascinated me. I think that was one of the moments that really started it all.

That interest stayed with me and became much more focused during my biology studies. Field courses gave me the chance to learn more about insects and their identification, and I eventually wrote my Bachelor’s thesis on dragonflies. During my Master’s in biodiversity and evolution, my focus shifted more towards butterflies, which became the subject of my Master’s thesis. Butterflies and dragonflies are still the groups I am most drawn to, but put another insect in front of me and I will probably stop for that too.

What I love most about insects is how much there is to discover. Their diversity is enormous, yet there is still so much we do not know about them compared with many other animal groups. I think learning more about them is incredibly important, especially at a time when so many insect species and their habitats are under pressure.

But for me, it is also about getting other people to notice them. There is so much happening right around us that is incredibly easy to overlook. I love sharing that world through wildlife photography, social media and nature education, and hopefully getting people a little more curious about the animals around them.

If you are based in Berlin, feel free to get in touch! You can also find me on Instagram @birbsnbugs, where I share the wildlife I come across and all sorts of other wildlife-related stuff.