Sustainability Award of the BUW 2024 for Prof Dr Gertrud Lohaus

The BUW awards the Sustainability Prize 2024 to Prof Dr Gertrud Lohaus (Botany working group) and Tom Schürhoff  (Dez. 5) for the project "Natural campus area for plants, animals and people".

Biodiversity is declining worldwide

Biological biodiversity is declining worldwide, i.e. more species are dying out than new ones are being added. One reason for this is a lack of suitable habitats (biotopes) for the species. Species conservation should therefore primarily be understood as biotope conservation.

Our contribution to sustainable development

Urban sites, such as the BUW's outdoor area, can also be a habitat for various plant and animal species. This requires a more natural design of the grounds and various (micro) habitats should be available on the site, as certain plant and animal species only occur in certain habitats.

What has been/is being done on the campus?

Habitats for various plant and animal species are being created through various measures (e.g. bird food bushes, deadwood hedges, species-rich grassland)

• the grounds are maintained in such a way that habitats with as much structure as possible are preserved and other areas are minimised, apart from measures to ensure traffic safety
• the campus grounds and the plant species growing there are utilised and presented in teaching events
• Biodiversity and the ecological relationships on the campus grounds are presented to a wider public through guided tours, brochures and other forms of presentation and the campus becomes a "living exhibition".