The Environment Chronicle

Avenue of the Year 2014 is a lime tree avenue in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania between Bisdorf and Batevitz.

Poisonous plant of the year 2014 is the Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis).

Stentor, sometimes called trumpet animalcules, is the Protozoan of the Year 2014.

Orchid of the year 2014 is the Ghost Orchid (Epipogium aphyllum).

On 22 March 2014, the Global Nature Fund announced, the choice of the Chiemsee in Bavaria as Living Lake of the Year 2014.

Insect of the Year 2014 is the Phasia aurigera.

Animal of the Year 2014 is the wisent or European bison (Bison bonasus).

The Schönbuch was chosen as Forest of the Year 2014. The Schönbuch is an almost completely wooded area south west of Stuttgart and part of the Southern German Escarpment Landscape. In 1972 the centre zone of the Schönbuch became the first natural park in Baden-Württemberg.

Moss of the Year 2014 is the Hedwigia ciliata.

Lichen of the Year 2014 is the map lichen (Rhizocarpon geographicum).

Endangered livestock breed of the Year 2014 is the Dülmen Pony.

The environmental foundation Global Nature Fund (GNF) proclaims the Philippine’s Lake Sampaloc and the six other crater lakes in San Pablo City, Province Laguna, as the “Threatened Lake of the Year 2014”. In commemoration of World Wetlands Day 2014, the GNF draws attention to the advancing destruction of the crater lakes.

Bird of the Year 2014 is the European Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis).

Medicinal Plant of the Year 2014 is the Plantago lanceolata commonly known as ribwort plantain, English plantain, buckhorn plantain, narrowleaf plantain, ribleaf and lamb's tongue.

Fish of the Year 2014 is the Sturgeon.

Since 2011, the Federal Environment Agency has selected a "water body type of the year".On World Water Day 2014 the Federal Environment Agency proclaimed the 'deep, low-nutrient lakes of Northern Germany' to be the Water Body Type of the year for 2014.

Laboratory animal of the Year 2014 is the monkey, especially the macaque monkeys.

The Christmas cactus is the cactus of the year 2014. The wild species Schlumbergera truncata with its red flowers grow epiphytically on trees in the Brazilian coastal forests. They root in the moss and loose humus that gathers on branches and twigs, sometimes even on the outer bark. Although millions of cultivars are produced each year by garden nurseries for the flower trade, the survival of the wild species of Schlumbergera occurring in the Organ Range in Brazil is endangered.

Fungus of the Year 2014 is the Crucibulum laeve.

The Anise Pimpinella anisum) has been chosen for the Medicinal Herb of the Year 2014 by the NHV Theophrastus.

Wild bee of the Year 2014 is the Wool-carder bee (Anthidium manicatum).

Algal researchers of the German Botanical Society have chosen Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as alga of the year 2014.

Water Plant of the Year 2014 is the Australian Water Clover (Marsilea mutica).

European spider of the year 2014 is the Linyphia triangularis.

Cave Animal of the Year 2014 is the Proasellus cavaticus.

Microbe of the Year 2014 is the microorganism Nostoc.

Flower of the year 2014 is the Butomus umbellatus, also known as flowering rush or grass rush.

Perennial Herb of the Year 2014 is the Epimedium.

Dragonfly of the Year 2014 is the White-faced Darter (Leucorrhinia dubia).

The Yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata) was nominated to the Amphibian of the Year 2014 by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde e.V. (DGHT).

Butterfly of the year 2014 is the Spurge Hawk-moth (Hyles euphorbiae).

Mollusc of the year 2014 is the Garlic glass-snail (Oxychilus alliarius).