The Secret Life of Campus
As preserved green spaces in the heart of the city, the University of Montpellier’s campuses teem with unexpected biodiversity, celebrated during the “24 Hours of Biodiversity on Your Campus.” This event is open to the general public and school groups.
Did you know that on the Triolet campus, squirrels and Mauritanian tarants, foxes, and martens all share the same space? While not everyone has the chance to spot these very discreet neighbors, the University of Montpellier Naturalist Group (GNUM) invites you to come discover this hidden world during “24 Hours of Biodiversity on Your Campus” on Thursday, May 12. This event is open to the general public and will feature various associations from the Faculty of Sciences taking turns on the Triolet campus to raise awareness about the challenges of protecting urban biodiversity.
A unique opportunity to learn about identifying plants and animals, building bird feeders, nature photography, or nature drawing…
“The loss of biodiversity is a grim 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 the city. This scientific knowledge will be very useful for observing the biology and dynamics of certain species,” explains Guillaume Bagnolini, science communicator and co-author of the Faculty of Sciences’ Little Naturalist’s Guide, the result of a collaborative inventory project carried out over three years by university students. An initiative called Inventaire Fac, the campus biodiversity observatory (www.inventairefac.com), which GNUM members will present to the public.