Wageningen Biodiversity Challenge
Biodiversity is everywhere, including on Wageningen University & Research's campus. That is why every year we set out to count the number of species of animals, plants and insects together. In 2022, we found more than 800 of them! Besides this 'Bioblitz', there are also excursions, lectures, exhibitions on biodiversity for WUR and campus students and staff and this year also for the municipality of Wageningen. Will you join us?
How can I participate in counting species?
This year, WUR participates in a competition with 16 other universities of the Association for European Life Science Universities (ICA) in a Bioblitz: a challenge to find as many species as possible. Which university counts the most, and which one finds the most unique species? We hope you will all contribute.
Anyone can participate in this Bioblitz, no matter if you know very little or a lot about nature. To record species, you can submit them on waarneming.nl between 22 May and 1 July 2023. Download any of the apps 'ObsIdentify', 'iObs' or 'ObsMapp' on your mobile phone, take a picture of your observation and the app will tell you what you see. You can then report the observation through the app.
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Where does it take place?
The Bioblitz takes place on the entire Wageningen Campus including adjacent WUR sites, such as Unifarm Droevendaal. A number of external locations also take part, such as in Lelystad, at the Dairy Campus in Leeuwarden and at Wageningen Marine Research.
Check the Bioblitz map to see if your location is also participating. All observations made within the boundaries of these locations during the Bioblitz period will automatically count towards the final result.
Which activities can I join?
Many (bio)diverse activities will be organised in the period between 22 May and 30 June. There are excursions, presentations and exhibitions, freely accessible to all students and staff of WUR and of the Wageningen Campus. Registration in advance is not necessary, but is appreciated for some activities due to capacity.
On July 1st, the Wageningen Campus will be open to the entire municipality, partly in celebration of WUR's 105th anniversary. This day also there will be many fun nature excursions, presentations and stands for all ages. So, bring your friends and families too!
Activity calendar - 22 May to 30 June
Week 1 - 22 to 26 May
| Date | Time | Activity | Location | Organised by | Registration/info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 May | 12:00-13:00 | Joint start Bioblitz | Gather at statue De Zaaier (in front of Atlas) | Wageningen Biodiversity Initiative | No need to register, just join in |
| 23 May | 14:00-15:00 | Webinar: Landscape restoration and nature-based solutions | Online | WUR Student Challenges | Register online |
| 25 May | 12:00-13:00 | Excursion: Dragonflies and other aquatic species, with Luc Elshout | Gather at statue De Zaaier (in front of Atlas) | Wageningen Biodiversity Initiative | Register by sending an email to biodiversitychallenge@wur.nl |
| 25 May | 14:00-15:00 | Excursion: 'Food crops: from wild species to tasty vegetables' by Roel Lemmens | Start at Wageningen Student Farm (next to Vitae) | Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN) | Read more |
| 25 May | 16:00-18:00 | WBI get-together: Bioblitz - join the fun! | Impulse, Speakers' Corner | Wageningen Biodiversity Initiative | Register by sending an email to biodiversity@wur.nl |
| Ongoing | 9:00-13:00 | Stories Plants Tell: Flora Batava 1800-1934 | WUR Library Special Collections Reading Room | WUR Library | Read more |
Week 2 - 28 May to 2 June
| Date | Time | Activity | Location | Organised by | Registration/info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 May | 12:30 | Lunch walk | Start at reception Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (Houtribweg) | Wageningen Bioveterinary Research | No need to register, just join in |
| 30 May | 18:45-20:30 | Food forests: tour and concert | Food forest Droevendaal, Kielekampsteeg 32, Wageningen | Stichting ReGeneratie, student choir Veya | No need to register, just join in |
| 1 June | 12:00-13.00 | Excursion: 'What is the CGN farm animal gene bank and how does it contribute to biodiversity conservation?' by Annemieke Rattink | Start at reception of Radix | Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN) | Read more |
| Ongoing | 9:00-13:00 | Stories Plants Tell: Flora Batava 1800-1934 | WUR Library Special Collections Reading Room | WUR Library | Read more |
Week 3 - 5 to 9 June
| Date | Time | Activity | Location | Organised by | Registration/info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 June | 19:30 | Lecture: 'Pollinators' by Luc Elshout and Reinier de Vries | Forum C222 | BOA Biologica | No need to register, just join in |
| 5 June | 22:00 | Excursion: Moths | Dassenbos, adjacent to Aurora | Youth association NJN | No need to register, just join in |
| 6 June | 12:00-13:00 | Presentation 'Stories Plants Tell' by Anneke Groen, Liesje Mommer and José van Paassen | Impulse, Speakers' Corner | WUR Library | No need to register, just join in |
| 8 June | 12:00-13:00 | Excursion: Amfibians and reptiles, with Jan-Freerk Kloen | Gather at statue De Zaaier (in front of Atlas) | Wageningen Biodiversity Initiative | Register by sending an email to biodiversitychallenge@wur.nl |
| 8 June | 12:30-13:30 | Excursion: Pollinators, with Reinier de Vries | Gather at statue De Zaaier (in front of Atlas) | BOA Biologica | No need to register, just join in |
| Ongoing | 9:00-13:00 | Stories Plants Tell: Flora Batava 1800-1934 | WUR Library Special Collections Reading Room | WUR Library | Read more |
Week 4 - 12 to 16 June
| Date | Time | Activity | Location | Organised by | Registration/info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 June | 19:30 | Lecture 'Water quality' by Christian Platvoet and Age Reindersma | Forum C222 | BOA Biologica | No need to register, just join in |
| 13 June | 12:00-13:00 | Presentation: 'Challenges of a biodiversity-positive food system' by Dirk van Apeldoorn and Mira Theunissen | Impulse. Speakers' Corner | Investment theme Biodiversity-Positive Food Systems | No need to register, just join in |
| 13 June | 12:30 | Lunch walk | Start at reception Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (Houtribweg) | Wageningen Bioveterinary Research | No need to register, just join in |
| 14 June | 12:00-13:00 | Expedition to the WUR Microcosmos | At the entrance of Axis X | BioNanoTechnology (BNT) & Open Science Community Wageningen (OSC-W) | Read more |
| 15 June | 12:00-13:00 | Excursion: 'Plants' with Jasper van Ruijven | Gather at statue De Zaaier (in front of Atlas) | Wageningen Biodiversity Initiative | Register by sending an email to biodiversitychallenge@wur.nl |
| 16 June | Excursion: 'Water quality' | BOA Biologica | No need to register, just join in | ||
| Ongoing | 9:00-13:00 | Stories Plants Tell: Flora Batava 1800-1934 | WUR Library Special Collections Reading Room | WUR Library | Read more |
Week 5 - 19 to 23 June
| Date | Time | Activity | Location | Organised by | Registration/info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 June | 12:00-13:00 | Soundscape 'Voice of the North Sea' by Remco de Kluizenaar and Tinka Murk | Impulse | Impulse | No need to register, just join in |
| 19 June | 19:30 | Lecture: 'Detrivores' by Rosanne Dodde and Jeroen Helmer (ARK) | Forum C222 | BOA Biologica | No need to register, just join in |
| 20 June | 12:15-13:00 | Presentation: 'Co-existence with wolves – a multidisciplinary challenge' by Hugh Jansman | Impulse, Speakers' Corner | Wageningen Biodiversity Initiative | No need to register, just join in |
| 21 June | Excursion: 'Detrivores' | BOA Biologica | No need to register, just join in | ||
| 22 June | Excursion to count species and launch of Biodiversity Toolbox | WUR Field Crops, Edelhertweg, Lelystad | WUR Field Crops | Only for employees of WUR Field Crops | |
| 23 June | 7:00-8:30 | Excursion: 'Early birds' by Lysanne Snijders and Hugo Loning (please bring your binoculars) | Gather at statue De Zaaier (in front of Atlas) | Wageningen Biodiversity Initiative | Register by sending an email to biodiversitychallenge@wur.nl |
| Ongoing | 9:00-13:00 | Stories Plants Tell: Flora Batava 1800-1934 | WUR Library Special Collections Reading Room | WUR Library | Read more |
Week 6 - 26 to 30 June
| Date | Time | Activity | Location | Organised by | Registration/info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 June | 19:30 | Lecture: 'Parasites' by Luc Elshout and Matthijs Courbois | Forum C222 | BOA Biologica | No need to register, just join in |
| 27 June | 12:30-13:30 | Lunch concert 'Entomophonia!' | Impulse (outside) | Impulse | No need to register, just join in |
| 28 June | 12:00-13:00 | Excursion: 'Broadening our food base with tropical crops' by Martina Huber | Unifarm (poly tunnels) | Investment theme Biodiversity-Positive Food Systems | No need to register, just join in |
| 29 June | 12:00-13:00 | Excursion 'Pollinators' | Gather at statue De Zaaier (in front of Atlas) | Wageningen Biodiversity Initiative | Register by sending an email to biodiversitychallenge@wur.nl |
| 29 June | 12:30 | Lunch walk | Start at reception Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (Houtribweg) | Wageningen Bioveterinary Research | No need to register, just join in |
| 30 June | Excursion: 'Parasites' | BOA Biologica | No need to register, just join in | ||
| 30 June | 15:00-16:30 | Closing of the ICA Biodiversity Challenge and announcing the results of the Bioblitz | Impulse, Speakers' Corner | Wageningen Biodiversity Initiative | No need to register, just join in |
| Ongoing | 9:00-13:00 | Stories Plants Tell: Flora Batava 1800-1934 | WUR Library Special Collections Reading Room | WUR Library | Read more |
Open campus day - Saturday 1 July
| Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 6:00-8:00 | Excursion round 1 | Start at Omnia entrance |
| 9:00-9:45 | Presentation 'Biodiversity; what is it, and why is it so important for the functioning of the planet?' (Liesje Mommer) | Omnia, Podium |
| 10:00-12:00 | Excursion round 2 | Start at Omnia entrance |
| 12:30-12:50 | Presentation 'Biodiversity around the house' (Wieger Wamelink) | Omnia, Podium |
| 13;10-13:45 | Presentation 'Ode to weeds' (Norbert Peeters) | Omnia, Podium |
| 14:00-16:00 | Excursion round 3 | Start at Omnia entrance |
I want to organise my own excursion or exhibition, where can I go?
Do you have a nice idea for an excursion, exhibition or other activity about biodiversity in the period from 22 May to 1 July? Then send an e-mail to biodiversitychallenge@wur.nl.
Where can I find information about last year's Biodiversity Challenge?
This event is organised in collaboration with
