The Environment Chronicle

Rosmary(Rosmarinus officinalis)has been chosen for the Medicinal Herb of the Year 2011 by the NHV Theophrastus.

Fungus of the Year 2011 is the Clathrus ruber. Clathrus ruber is a species of fungus in the stinkhorn family, and the type species of the genus Clathrus. It is commonly known as the latticed stinkhorn, the basket stinkhorn, or the red cage.

The 2011 water body type of the year, which experts refer to as “Small coarse substrate-dominated siliceous highland river (type 5), is most worthy of our attention, as its more than 18,000-km of waterways are the most common water body type in Germany. The new “Water Body of the Year” campaign, launched in 2011, is how UBA is seeking to raise awareness of water bodies as they deserve special attention on account of their widespread presence, properties, uses, condition, and more notably, their risk potential. In addition to this year’s winner, there are another 50 other types of river, lake, transitional and coastal waters.

Endangered livestock breed of the year 2011 is the Limpurger cow.

Moss of the year 2011 is the Thuidium abietinum.

Lichen of the year 2011 is the Fulgensia fulgens.

Spider of the year 2011 is the common labyrinth spider (Agelena labyrinthica). The labyrinth spider is one of about 500 funnel-web spiders (Family Agelenidae) found world-wide. In Europe there are 150 species and in central Europe about 30. The labyrinth spider lives in sunny, dry habitats with low vegetation and sparse shrubs and bushes. It can also be found in forests and on the edges of pathways, as well as in dry grassland. In central Europe the labyrinth spider is widely distributed and thus commonly encountered.

Cave animal of the year 2011 is the greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis).

Laboratory Animal of the Year 2011 is the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis).

Flower of the Year 2011 is the Narthecium ossifragum, commonly known as bog-, Lancashire- or bastard asphodel.

Medicinal Plant of the Year 2011 is the purple passionflower(Passiflora incarnata).

Cave animal of the year 2010 is the Herald (Scoliopteryx libatrix).

Orchid of the Year: Lady's Slipper orchid (Cypripedium calceolus))

Fish of the year is the Crucian Carp (Carassius carassius).

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) named 2010 Medicinal Herb of the Year by the NHV Theophrastus.

Algal researchers of the German Botanical Society have chosen Batrachospermum gelatinosum as alga of the year 2010.

Butterfly of the Year 2010 is the Scarlet Tiger (Callimorpha dominula).

Spider of the year 2010 is the garden spider (Araneus diadematus).

Insect of the Year 2010 is the Antlion (Myrmeleon formicarius).

Euglena is the protozoa of the year 2010.

Perennial Herb of the year is the Nepeta cataria ("catnip" or "catmint").

The NFI presidents' conference has designated the karst region in the borderland of northern Hungary and southern Slovakia the Landscape of the Year 2010/2011 – Slovak Karst – Aggtelek Karst.

Fungus of the Year 2010 is the Golitah Webcap (Cortinarius praestans).

Fluvial Topography of the Year 2010 and 2011 is the Emscher a relatively small river and tributary of the Rhine, flowing through the Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. Its total length is 84km.

Laboratory Animal of the Year 2010 is the pig.

Poisonous Plant of the Year 2010 is the autum crocus (Colchicum autumnale).

Endangered livestock breed of the year 2010 is the Meissner Lop.

Animal of the Year: European Badger or Eurasian badger (Meles meles)

The Wild cherry, Sweet cherry or Gean (botanic name Prunus avium) is the tree of the year 2010.

Flower of the Year 2010 is the Sibirian Iris (Iris sibirica).

The Smooth newt or Common newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) was nominated to the Amphibian of the Year 2010 by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde e.V. (DGHT).

German Mollusc of the Year 2010 is the Two lipped door snail (Alinda biplicata).

Moss of the Year 2010 is the Common haircap moss (Polytrichum commune).

Lichen of the Year 2010 is the Pink earth lichen (Dibaeis baeomyces).

Since 2004, on the Worlds Wetlands Day (2nd February) GNF nominates the “Threatened Lake of the Year” to call attention to a threatened lake and help solving environmental problems. Pulicat Lake is an important habitat for 160 different fish species and more than 110 varieties of terrestrial and aquatic birds and small mammals and reptiles. Up to 15,000 flamingoes visit the lake on their annual migration route.

Bird of the Year 2010 is the Great Cormorant or Great Black Cormor (Phalacrocorax carbo).

Avenue of the Year 2010 is a chestnut-lined avenue in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania (Solzow near Vipperow).

Cactus of the year 2010 is the Pink Easter Lily Cactus or Red Easter Lily Cactus (Echinopsis eyriesii).

"Soil of the Year 2010" are soils of urban and industrial environment (Tecnosol).

Medicinal Plant of the Year 2010 is the Common Ivy (Hedera helix).