The Secret Life of Campus
As preserved spaces in the heart of the city, theUM campusesUM 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, Mauritanian tarants, foxes, and martens all live side by side? While not everyone is lucky enough 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, open to the general public, will feature various student organizations 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, photography, and naturalist drawing…
“Biodiversity loss 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 urban areas. 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’ *Petit guide naturaliste* (A Short Naturalist’s Guide), the result of a collaborative inventory project carried out over three years by university students. This initiative, called “Inventaire Fac: The Campus Biodiversity Observatory” (www.inventairefac.com), will be presented to the public by members of GNUM.