Biodiversity on campus

Green spaces and biodiversity on campus

Studentin liegt auf einer Wiese und liest

Nature on campus

The Eichstätt campus, in particular, is situated in a rural setting, right in the heart of the Altmühltal Nature Park. The local and regional landscape is characterized by the Franconian Jura and the floodplains of the Altmühl River, where most of the KU’s facilities are located. The Ingolstadt campus (WFI) is situated in the urban green belt surrounding the Old Town and features two large green spaces. Only the buildings in downtown Ingolstadt (Georgianum, Hohe Schule) and in Eichstätt’s Old Town lack any significant green spaces. Through various initiatives, the KU is committed to creating a campus that is as natural as possible and supports increased biodiversity.

Biodiversity and green spaces

The KU’s green spaces serve various purposes: on the one hand, they provide a recreational area (especially in the summer) for the KU community; on the other hand, they also serve as a venue for research and teaching — and, last but not least, as a setting for environmental and nature conservation initiatives. Maintenance of the green spaces is the responsibility of the KU’s Facility Management Department, supported by selected activities organized by members of the KU community. Planting initiatives are carried out on a regular basis, and in 2023, an international phenological garden was established around the Main Library in Eichstätt. An important initiative at both locations is the creation of insect-friendly flowering meadows to enhance biodiversity.

Current challenges

Since the summer of 2025, a biodiversity strategy has been under development at the KU with the goal of making the university's green spaces even more sustainable in the future. The strategy addresses both medium- to long-term aspects (including which climate-adapted plants should be grown on campus in the future) and more short-term activities such as the maintenance of flowering meadows; in this regard, the strategy provides valuable guidance on how to manage these areas as gently as possible (instructions for maintenance measures, mowing schedules, etc.). Various teaching formats (including in the outdoor classroom) as well as opportunities for research also play an important role in this context.