120 participants take part in the EELISA Bioblitz at the School

On 29 September, the School hosted the EELISA Biodiversity Bioblitz Challenge. In just two hours, 120 participants recorded 500 biodiversity observations across the campus, contributing to the European Growing a Robust Campus project.

As part of the Growing a Robust Campus (GRC) initiative, the School moved from project launch to field observation by organising a Bioblitz on campus.

A Bioblitz is a collective biodiversity survey carried out over a limited period of time. Its purpose is both to document local biodiversity, contribute to citizen science and encourage participants to look differently at the natural environment that surrounds them every day.

A Bioblitz helps raise awareness of the nature around us every day, which often goes unnoticed − Stacey Benoit

500 observations in two hours
For two hours, participants explored the School’s outdoor spaces to observe, photograph and identify the fauna and flora present on campus.

In total, 120 people took part in the event and recorded 500 observations, including 77 that reached research-grade status on iNaturalist.

Among the groups and species recorded were 60 insects, 7 spider species, 4 lichen species, 6 snail species and 6 bird species.
These first results show that a wide variety of species can be identified simply by taking the time to observe a familiar environment more closely. They provide an initial snapshot rather than an exhaustive inventory. Continuing observations at different times of the year will help document the species present more comprehensively and track how biodiversity evolves over time.
Seven workshops offering different ways to explore biodiversity

The event featured seven thematic workshops, combining scientific observation, awareness-raising, photography and participatory approaches.

Participants could discover:
- Le Fol Inventaire- traces of everyday nature with Anne Brochot and Nicole Huvier
- Take part in the Biodiversity Fresk led by Amokrane Kaddour, and the Soil Fresk with Sophie Cambon-Grau
- Explore quadrat charting with Steve Brown

Other workshops focused on birdwatching with James Cox, nature photography, with Laurent Baneux and observing and identifying fauna and flora using iNaturalist with Jude Gautier, Lucie Agnèse, Louise-Damia Khemici and Rufus Ducom.

This range of approaches helped make biodiversity observation accessible to a broad audience while raising awareness of the richness of the living environment present on campus.

The Bioblitz organised at the School forms part of Growing a Robust Campus, an EELISA project involving several European partner institutions including Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM).

The project begins with the EELISA Biodiversity Blitz Challenge which enables students, staff and members of the public to contribute to mapping the fauna, flora and fungi found across university campuses, with the aim of progressively building a shared biodiversity atlas across the EELISA Alliance.

At the School, this first edition highlights the value of a participatory approach to improving knowledge of campus biodiversity.

The mobilisation of 120 participants and the number of observations recorded in just two hours also show how a short, collective format can be an effective way to raise awareness.

What's next?
From February 2027, students from partner institutions will carry out fieldwork on their campuses.

Their work will focus on ecosystem health, water resilience, the impact of human activities on biodiversity and opportunities to improve university environments.

Depending on the institution, these projects may lead to practical actions such as ecosystem restoration, invasive species removal, improved water management, the creation of habitats for native pollinators and support for local wildlife.
By carrying out similar activities across several countries, the partners aim to create a symbolic biodiversity corridor across Europe, based on shared knowledge and coordinated environmental action.

From February to May 2027, students from the partner institutions will regularly exchange on their projects, discoveries, good practices and the challenges they encounter.

A final hybrid and in-person workshop will be hosted by the School in May 2027. It will provide an opportunity to share results from the different campuses, discuss both successes and difficulties, and reflect on the future of the project.

The event will also mark the inauguration of the EELISA Growing a Robust Campus Garden at École des Ponts, providing a tangible outcome of the work carried out on biodiversity and campus resilience.

Discover more:
- observations from the EELISA Biodiversity Blitz Challenge on iNaturalist
- video of the highlights from the September 29 BioBlitz
- growing a Robust Campus project on the EELISA website