Members of Freie Universität Berlin gathered on March 21 to share ideas and suggestions for the university’s new biodiversity strategy.

The think camp made it clear that people wanted more “places to relax in nature” and more “scope for natural gardening” on campus, concepts that were then able to be integrated into the strategy. The welcome address was held by Professor Verena Blechinger-Talcott, Executive Vice President of Freie Universität and responsible for sustainability at the university.

Blechinger-Talcott’s speech was followed by a presentation by Professor Aletta Bonn, Berlin’s Officer for Nature Conservation and Landscape Maintenance, on the significance of biodiversity, how it relates to human health, and the updated version of Berlin’s strategy to promote urban biodiversity. Rebecca Rongstock, Coordinator for Biodiversity Management at Freie Universität, then presented updates on Freie Universität Berlin’s Biodiversity Strategy.

The main focus of the event was on ensuring participation from across the entire university. Ten small groups were formed, each dedicated to a specific set of potential measures for topics such as green areas and buildings, integrating research and teaching into the strategy, transdisciplinary education, communication, participation, and collaboration. The ideas and suggestions that arose in the think camp were integrated into the latest draft of the Biodiversity Strategy and presented to the Executive Board in early April.

The official Biodiversity Strategy will be presented on May 22 at the launch event for the university’s Year of Biodiversity. All university members are welcome to attend this event, which will take the form of a science picnic in the Botanic Garden Berlin. More information on the event will be published in due time.