Nature discovery workshops: observing local wildlife
As part of a voluntary awareness-raising initiative, the University of Montpellier has set up free botany and entomology workshops that are open to all staff. They are led by Professors the Faculty of Science and a gardener-botanist from the Jardin des Plantes.
Fun workshops open to all staff members
Protecting nature means, above all, understanding it and realizing that it is everywhere, all the time, with us. Equipped with magnifying glasses for botanical workshops and nets for entomology workshops, staff from the University of Montpellier spent an hour exploring the Jardin des Plantes to discover the biodiversity hidden in the heart of Montpellier. This environmentally friendly adventure also provided an opportunity for the speakers to explain the various interactions between environments and animal and plant species such as bees.
Wild or domestic bees
France has more than 900 species of wild bees, most of which live underground in very small communities and tiny hives. Contrary to popular belief, it is now inadvisable to install hives of domestic honey bees, used to make honey, in order to save biodiversity. This is because their hive lifestyle, which brings together several thousand individuals, represents strong competition for access to pollen and resources and therefore threatens wild species.
Another problem for wild bees is the disappearance of local plant species in favor of exotic species chosen to adorn our towns and villages. Many bee species have a very specific diet based on pollen from only certain plants. If these plants disappear, the bees disappear too.
Promoting biodiversity
With this in mind, it is important to consider how natural spaces are managed so that they meet the needs of local biodiversity. In particular, we can increase the number of different environments: sunny rocky areas, tall grasses, flowery and shaded areas, wetlands, bare earth. Varying the environments means increasing the number of natural habitats for all types of species and improving the health of ecosystems that function thanks to the relationships that living organisms forge. There are also specific ways of caring for natural spaces to promote their ecological health. Late mowing, for example, encourages the development of biodiversity and the emergence of wildflower species, which in turn provide food and habitat for insects. In this way, the entire ecosystem is strengthened, enriched, and restored to health.
What next?
This is the second consecutive year that the University has organized these workshops. Victims of their own success with an increasingly diverse audience, and influenced by the positive feedback received, the University of Montpellier, as part of its ecological transition master plan (SDTE), is continuing these workshops with biannual sessions in the fall and spring. The terms and conditions for accessing future workshops will be identical to the previous ones: they will be free of charge and open to all University staff.