In search of the little beast
Inventory urban biodiversity by learning to identify plants and animals: that's the idea behind "Inventaire fac", a participatory science project open to all.
"There's life in the city!". This is the credo of the Groupe Naturaliste de l'Université de Montpellier (GNUM). A teeming, omnipresent life: " Biodiversity is everywhere, even in the heart of the city, where animal and plant species abound. It's up to us to keep an eye out! "continues Guillaume Bagnolini, one of the organizers of this student association. A biodiversity that they are actively inviting students to discover through their "Inventaire fac" project, officially launched on March 2.
Fun and scientific walks
Objective: to take part in a scientific inventory of Montpellier's flora and fauna. The principle is simple: every week, Jean-Baptiste Le Floc'h leads two outings during which he guides a group of volunteers, their noses to the wind or close to the grass. " We herorize, spot plants and animals, and just wander around," sums up this botanist by training, who coordinates the project.
The preferred sites for exploration are the city and all its green spaces: " Montpellier's student campuses, but also the banks of the Lez, public gardens, university residences...". Both scientific and fun, these walks are open to all: enlightened amateurs or beginners, but also students or university staff curious to recognize edible plants or identify a bird or insect. This is the principle behind "participatory" science: to enable the general public to play a full part in research.
Discovering and protecting the environment
The exercise's first virtue is to help raise awareness of the fragility and beauty of living things. "Above all, it's an educational approach. Knowing the environment makes you want to protect it. You learn scientific methods in the field, then find yourself in a position to pass them on to others. Acting and passing on are two effective ways of learning ".
Participants in the operation also find themselves on the front line of ecological monitoring. " We are in a position to alert public authorities and green space managers to certain urgent issues. For example, the need to protect grass cover. This natural niche, home to a whole host of insects, is often damaged by the intensive use of lawnmowers," continues Jean-Baptiste.
Online scientific inventory
Inventaire fac lets you post your contributions online, in a dedicated database. You can upload photos, observations and identification hypotheses. All contributions will be submitted to the community of contributors, then to a scientific committee.
Once validated or completed, your contributions can then be put to good use by researchers: " studying the distribution of species, their migrations linked to global warming, or even detecting the presence of pests: there are many scientific research subjects" concludes Guillaume Bagnolini.
- Participate : inventairefac.com
- Contacts: assognum.free.fr