There's life on our campuses!
Preserved spaces in the heart of the city, the campuses of the University of Montpellier are teeming with unexpected life...
Raise awareness about protecting biodiversity
Did you know that squirrels, Mauritanian tarantulas, foxes, and other weasels all live side by side on the lush Triolet campus? Not everyone is lucky enough to catch a glimpse of these very discreet neighbors. That's why the Naturalist Group of the University of Montpellier (GNUM) gave the public a chance to discover this hidden world during the "24 Hours of Biodiversity" event held on April 20 and 21.
This event was open to the general public, with various associations from the UM Faculty of Science taking turns on the Triolet campus to raise awareness of issues related to biodiversity protection, particularly in urban areas. Many school classes were also present: the association's goal was to raise awareness from an early age. It was also an opportunity to deepen one's knowledge of nature (fauna and flora) and to learn photography or naturalist drawing.
Raising awareness of the flora and fauna living in the city
“The loss of biodiversity is a terrible reality, whether in the countryside or in the city. It is therefore important that citizens take ownership of this issue. Another objective is to increase ecological knowledge about the fauna and flora living in cities. This scientific knowledge will be very useful for observing the biology and dynamics of certain species," explains Guillaume Bagnolini, scientific mediator and co-author of the Faculty of Science's Petit guide naturaliste (Little Naturalist's Guide), the result of a collaborative inventory project carried out over three years by UM students. The initiative, called Inventaire Fac, the campus biodiversity observatory, was honored at this event.