Urban biodiversity

The aim of the project was to carry out a study of the biodiversity situation around the high school and to take different actions to enhance biodiversity and spread this information by creating a communication campaign.

During the first outing, the students discovered the nature of Ellergronn and its particular industrial history. Equipped with an observation notebook, they each collected a different plant to identify them and use them to create a first print with the riso printer.

The second session took place around the high school. The students observed biodiversity by identifying the plants that grow outdoors using the iNaturalist application.

They then planted perennials in two locations outside the school. These plants, such as lavender, have lots of nectar and increase the food supply for insects. They learned how to plant new plants and why it’s important to increase the number of flowering plants.

© Minett UNESCO Biosphere / Lucie Majerus

The next session, they built insect hotels with the help of CIGL Esch, as there are no natural places around the school like dead trees where insects can live naturally. The zoologist Marie Kayser gave explanations to them, and at the end they decorated the hotels with paint.

The next time, they brainstormed on how the information they had learned could be communicated appropriately. The group was divided into 3 groups to create posters on the following subjects: Pollination, insect hotels and biodiversity. They learned how to create a hierarchy of information on the posters, what sizes the different elements should be and the importance of visuals. They drew by hand and used dried plants as images. The text was written by hand. As the riso printer can only print one colour at a time, the students learned how to create two versions of their poster to overlay two colours. The posters were printed in two parts so that the ink could dry in between.

During the last session, with the posters finished, the pupils enjoyed a final nature trip to Ellergronn to learn about the different trees on the site. They finished off with a game.

The project was supervised by three facilitators: Malika Pailes, botanist, Isabelle Mattern, graphic designer and Lucie Majerus, environmental education coordinator Minett UNESCO Biosphere.