Ecsite, EAZA and BGCI’s members really took a stance for Europe’s biodiversity!
The Let It Grow campaign aims to raise awareness and encourage citizens to get involved in the valorisation and protection of their local biodiversity and is doing so by uniting some of the most progressive science engagement institutions in the world. The peak of the campaign was chosen to coincide with 22 May, the International Day for Biological Diversity, 21 May, the first ever European Natura 2000 Day.
During the weekend of 20-22 May many organisations around Europe put together events with the main focus of helping protect Europe’s indigenous species. Let us share a few.
MUSE in Italy chose the International Biodiversity Day to inaugurate their new "Orti d'Italia" garden and organised workshops and visits such as "Seed - The story of a small seed that wants to grow roots", a guided tour for children. In the meantime, more than sixty people of all ages took part in a Bioblitz to explore the biodiversity of the Lamar Lake, listening to the black owl, looking for bats, toads and traces of bears. This activity was organised in partnership with the nature reserve network of Monte Bondone.
Parque de las Ciencias in Spain also offered a special programme during these days. Tours through spaces with mediterranean vegetation allowed visitors to recognise the value of their own heritage and the need to preserve it. And on another scale microorganisms also had their moment of glory in a guided space where visitors could learn about the life behind the process of making local products like cheese or wine.
Centro Ciência Viva do Algarve in Portugal invited students from the EB1 de Paderne school to explore their local fauna and flora at Ria Formosa. A designated nature park and stopping point for migrating birds, Ria Formosa is also an especially rich lagoon with particular biological diversity, which the students got to uncover.
Even specific collaborators joined our efforts to celebrate these biodiversity days.
The Green Teen Team, an initiative featured on the Expect Everything blog - a campaign that brings the message of the Ecsite project Hypatia to teenage audiences - got together to explore local biodiversity, plant trees, transform plastic bottles into self-watering seed planters, and release a rehabilitated owl back into its natural habitat.
This great diversity of events made these days more meaningful, so Ecsite would like to thank everyone who organised Let It Grow events in their institutions.The impact of 180+ organisations working towards the same goals turned out to be positive.
The Let It Grow campaign is still in progress so keep exploring the Let It Grow website and share your pictures and videos by using the #letitgrowcampaign hashtag or by tagging us on Facebook and Instagram @letitgrowcampaign!