Our campuses are bustling with life!
As preserved oases in the heart of the city, the University of Montpellier’s campuses are teeming with unexpected life…
Raise Awareness About Biodiversity Conservation
Did you know that on the lush Triolet campus, squirrels rub shoulders with Mauritanian tarants, foxes, and other martens? Not everyone is always lucky enough to catch a glimpse of these very elusive neighbors. That’s why the University of Montpellier Naturalist Group (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, open to the general public, featured various associations from the Faculty of Sciences at theUM , which took turns hosting activities on the Triolet campus to raise awareness about the challenges of protecting biodiversity, particularly in urban areas. Many school classes were also in attendance: the student group’s goal was to raise awareness from a very young age. It was also an opportunity to deepen participants’ knowledge of nature (flora and fauna) and to learn about photography or naturalist drawing.
Raise awareness about the flora and fauna found in the city
“The loss of biodiversity is a terrible reality, whether in rural areas or in cities. It is therefore important for citizens to take ownership of this issue. Another goal is to increase ecological knowledge about the flora and fauna living in cities. This scientific knowledge will be very useful for studying the biology and dynamics of certain species,” explains Guillaume Bagnolini, science communicator and co-author of the Faculty of Sciences’ *Petit guide naturaliste* (A Naturalist’s Guide), the result of a three-year collaborative inventory project carried out by students at theUM. This initiative, known as *Inventaire Fac* (the campus biodiversity observatory), will be in the spotlight during this event.