Biodiversity Challenge - Wageningen University & Research
Will you join us outdoors to see, feel and taste nature on the Wageningen Campus? Once again this year, we will venture outside to admire the extraordinary biodiversity around us. Register for one of our guided excursions, or grab your phone and go discover species with colleagues, friends or just by yourself.
As in 2023, Wageningen University & Research will once again compete against 18 other life sciences universities from the European ICA network. Who will find the most, most beautiful and most unusual wild species on campus?
- See the results of the 2023 ICA Challenge on Observation.org and Artportalen (Sweden)
Bioblitz: record species with an app
How exactly does the Bioblitz work?
Recording species is very easy. To do so, you can download one of three apps from the App Store or Play Store: ObsIdentify (for Android and iOS), ObsMapp (Android only) and iObs (iOS only). With those apps, you take a picture of what you see, and then read on your screen which species it probably is. Then you submit your sighting at the touch of a button. You can also enter sightings directly on observation.org.
Please note that we only count wild species! Planted flowerbeds or animals kept by humans will be rejected.
How do I add my entry to the Biodiversity Challenge?
Your entry will automatically be added to the Biodiversity Challenge when submitted between 2 May and 28 June at a location belonging to Wageningen University & Research. This applies both to the Wageningen Campus and to WUR locations outside Wageningen.
What happens to the collected data?
The data collected from the Biodiversity Challenge will be used to monitor the score, and see how great our biodiversity is compared to other universities in Europe. Afterwards, students will work with the data to map the distinctive observations, and compare them with data from previous years.
Programme of activities
| Activity | Date | Time | Location | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening of the 2024 ICA Biodiversity Challenge | Thursday 2 May | 11.00-12.00 | Online | |
| Kick-off of Bioblitz | Thursday 2 May | 12.00-13.00 | De Zaaier, Atlas | Open to all |
| Expedition to the microcosmos | Tuesday 7 May | 12.00-13.15 | Start at Axis | Register here |
| Birding by sight and sound: guided bird tour of the WUR campus | Monday 13 May | 7.00-9.00 | De Zaaier, Atlas | Register here |
| Hotel CaliWormia excursion | Wednesday 15 May | 12.00-13.15 | Start at Radix | Register here |
| Amphibians excursion (KNNV, 2x) | Saturday 18 May | 10.00-11.00 and 11.00-12.00 | The Field | Register here |
| Butterflies excursion (KNNV) | Saturday 18 May | 14.00-16.00 | Bus stop Campus/Forum | Please send an e-mail to Sjoerdtje de Boer, s.boer816@upcmail.nl |
| Ecological walk | Tuesday 21 May | 12.00-13.15 | De Zaaier, Atlas | Register here |
| WUR works for Wageningen! | Wednesday 22 May | 13:30-16:00 | Kadolokaal (Hoogstraat 31, Wageningen) | Register here |
| Bats excursion (KNNV) | Friday 24 May | 21.30 | Forum, South entrance | Please send an email to knnv.vleermuizen@gmail.com |
| Biodiversity Challenge event in Wageningen | Saturday 25 May | 9.30-15.00 | Wageningen: Grote Kerk, Markt 1 | Register here |
| WBI get-together: Join the Bioblitz | Thursday 30 May | 16.00-17.00 | Start at Impulse | Open to all |
| Moth count (KNNV) | Monday 3 June or Wednesday 5 June (depending on the weather) | 22.30 | The Field | Not required, but revisit this website for the correct date |
| Wasp excursion | Thursday 6 June | 12.00-13.15 | De Zaaier, Atlas | Register here |
| Dragonflies excursion/count (KNNV) | Saturday 8 June | 13.30-15.30 | Bus stop Campus/Forum | Not required |
| Dragonflies excursion (in Dutch) | Wednesday 12 June | 12.00-13.15 | De Zaaier, Atlas | Register here |
| Creative Community Garden Wageningen: Lunch walk | Thursday 13 June | 12.00-13.15 | Bornsesteeg 87 (500 metres walk from Forum) | Register here |
| Pollinators excursion | Tuesday 18 June | 12.00-13.15 | De Zaaier, Atlas | Register here |
| Campus Expedition: Ecological Campus Tour | Thursday 20 June | 12.00-13.15 | De Zaaier, Atlas | Registration starts May 13th |
| Ethnobotanical excursion | Tuesday 25 June | 12.00-13.15 | De Zaaier, Atlas | Register here |
| Closing of the 2024 ICA Biodiversity Challenge | Friday 28 June | 15.00-16.30 | Impulse | Open to all |
More activities will be added soon! Keep checking for updates.