Ecological diversity on campus: University of Augsburg is committed to species conservation
The “Biodiversity on Campus” project strengthens nature conservation through research, teaching and sustainable maintenance.
Biodiversity Day on 3 March 2025 ‘Our campus is not only used for research and teaching, but is also an ecologically valuable habitat,’ explains Prof. Dr Jens Soentgen, Head of the Environmental Science Centre (Wissenschaftszentrum Umwelt, WZU) at the University of Augsburg. ‘With our projects, we want to further strengthen biodiversity and at the same time raise awareness of the value of nature on campus.’ As new buildings have been erected on designated building sites in recent years due to the growth of the university, the importance of the remaining green spaces is constantly increasing. The University of Augsburg has been committed to the preservation of biodiversity for several years and has implemented numerous projects in collaboration with internal and external partners. The following measures will be carried out in the coming years: An important part of the project is the involvement of students. They are actively involved through courses, further education programmes and direct participation in nature conservation measures. The project is based at the Environmental Science Centre, which works together with the Department of Construction and Technology, which maintains the green spaces, and the Augsburg City Landscape Conservation Association. In addition to practical measures, the project is complemented by communication and educational programmes. The aim is to raise awareness of the ecological value of the campus and sensitise students and employees to the need to protect nature. To this end, the digital nature guide, for example, will be significantly supplemented and expanded. The new measures extend the commitment to biodiversity that has existed for many years. The Environmental Science Centre has already implemented numerous projects in collaboration with internal and external partners. For years, not only the university's two-person gardening team, but also several teaching staff, for example from school education, have been committed to the preservation and expansion of biodiversity.
With its meadows, woods and bodies of water, the University of Augsburg campus provides habitats for numerous animal and plant species. The green spaces are not only important for the climate and people, but also play a role in regional nature conservation. To ensure that these valuable areas are developed sustainably, the university is specifically promoting biodiversity with a further project.
‘Biodiversity on Campus’ project: New impetus for nature conservation
Science meets nature conservation
While the focus will be on planning in 2025, the concrete measures will be implemented in 2026 and 2027.With this project, the University of Augsburg is emphasising its long-term commitment to the preservation and sustainable use of natural areas on campus.
Sustainable measures to protect species
The numerous lime trees on the campus are used to produce the university's own organic honey, while sheep graze meadows as ‘living lawnmowers’ in cooperation with Cityfarm Augsburg. Together with the Landschaftspflegeverband Augsburg-Stadt, the WZU has not only created a Lechheide around its building, which has developed into a hotspot of biodiversity with over 120 plant species, but has also created a large flowering meadow in front of the physics centre. Several new butterfly and insect biotopes have been created around the university lake. Teaching programmes - such as the school garden for student teachers initiated by biology didactics expert Dr Maria Erhart - are linked to these activities and integrate the students.
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