Biodiversity Challenge 2026

Will you join us outside?

Discover what grows, blooms, and teems on the university grounds. In May and June, the UG is participating in the national Biodiversity Challenge for higher education institutions: we are going to discover as many different plant, bird, insect, and other species as possible on our university grounds. And you can join in too, whether you are a student or a staff member!

Go outside during your lunch break and add observations with your smartphone, or join one of the excursions. There are also prizes to be won in the national photo competition. Don't know where to start? You can find all the information on this page.

Why participate?

Biodiversity is everywhere. By participating, you help map out what lives on the UG grounds and discover more about biodiversity. In this way, we raise awareness about biodiversity in our immediate surroundings.

Activities and excursions

We are organizing an official launch at both Zernike and the City Centre, where you will receive instructions on how to submit observations. Of course, you can also head out on your own during the duration of the challenge. Furthermore, various activities are being organized in May and June to discover just how biodiverse the university grounds are. You can find an overview of all activities at the bottom of the page!

Please note: if the weather is exceptionally bad, an activity may be cancelled. This will be noted in the schedule.

But I am not a biologist!

That doesn't matter. The Obsidentify app helps you identify species. Furthermore, activities are organized and supervised by staff and students from the Ecology and Evolution (BSc) program and the Ecology and Conservation (MSc) track, and they certainly know a thing or two!

How can I participate?

You can report wild species you see or hear via waarneming.nl. Here is how it works:

1. First, create an account on waarneming.nl by following these steps.
   
2. Install the Obsidentify app on your phone and grant the app access to your location.
   
3. You can link your waarneming.nl account via the dashboard in the Obsidentify app.
   
4. And then… Go outside and use the Obsidentify app to take a photo of a wild plant, insect, bird, or other species you encounter. Identify the species with the app and upload the sighting. It will then be automatically added to all sightings in the area.

Prefer a visual explanation? Check out the video linked below (made by the Utrecht University and the HU).

At which locations?

We are going to count species in seven different UG areas:

1. Binnenstad 

2. Zernike 

3. UMCG-terrein

4. Oude Hortus GMW

5. Campus Fryslan

6. Vosbergen, Eelde

7. De Herdershut, Schiermonnikoog

How many species have we seen so far?

On this overview page on waarneming.nl, you can track which species have already been sighted, at the RUG, as well as at other institutions participating in the challenge.

Photo competition

Over 50 educational and knowledge institutions in the Netherlands are participating in this challenge, and a photo competition is being organized for them, featuring a public prize and a jury prize. Submit the most beautiful nature photo you took during the challenge, and who knows, you might win a great prize!

Activities

Below you will find an overview of all activities surrounding the Biodiversity Challenge of 2026.

Please note, for some activities you need to register. A link to the registration form is added in the last column.

Updates

Keep an eye on this page for updates and follow the Green Office on LinkedIn and Instagram for the latest news about the Biodiversity Challenge. Of course, it would also be great if you shared beautiful observations yourself! Please use: #biodiversitychallenge2026.