Every species has a story—but without a name, that story may never be told. The TETTRIs project is a coalition of Europe’s leading natural history museums and botanical gardens. We are calling on the world to celebrate taxonomy – the science that names, classifies, and describes life on Earth.
Join the #NameItToSaveIt Movement
We’re asking everyone—scientists, students, nature lovers—to help make taxonomy visible. Here’s how you can participate:
📸 Take a photo of a plant, animal, fungus, or microbe that fascinates you.
🔤 Find its scientific name (or ask for help—we’re here for that!).
📲 Share it on social media with the hashtag #NameItToSaveIt.
Every name is a step toward protection. Every post is a voice for biodiversity. You can do this all-year-round, but our main event is always on May 23rd which we have declared Taxonomy Recognition Day! May 23rd is the birthday of the “grandfather of taxonomy,” Carl Linnaeus (1707). It’s also the day after the UN Observed global Biodiversity Day, but how can we protect what we don’t know? #NameItToSaveIt.
From Europe and around the world celebration
On May 23rd, 2025 Taxonomy Recognition Day reach hundreds of thousands of people. From the Canary Islands to Norway, and Portugal to Greece, over 30 institutions in Europe came together to shine a spotlight on taxonomy as the foundation of biodiversity research and conservation. Events included expert talks, debates, behind-the-scenes tours, hands-on activities, and networking opportunities, all aimed at raising awareness about the critical role of taxonomy in our world.
The social media campaign was seen and shared by people and institutions all over the globe. Reaching over 700,000 people. We’d like to build on this momentum with the #nameittosaveit campaign.
Below you can see some of the events that took place in May 2025.
Why It Matters
A million species are currently threatened with extinction—many of them still unknown to science. Naming a species is the first step toward protecting it. Taxonomy plays a crucial role in agriculture, medicine, conservation, and policy-making. Without it, we cannot fully understand, protect, or restore the biodiversity that sustains us all.
“Taxonomy is more than just naming species—it’s about understanding the ties that bind every living thing on earth,” says Ana Casino, Technical coordinator for the TETTRIs project. “With species vanishing at an unprecedented rate, the work of taxonomists has never been more urgent. How can you conserve something if you don’t know it’s name”
For further information please contact:
Michael Magee magee@snm.ku.dk
Stay informed on the latest developments and announcements via official TETTRIs channels.
@Tettriseu (Bluesky, Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn)
