The Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Consumer Protection wants to create new habitats for native insects with the ‘Blühpakt Bayern’ programme. Companies and organisations that design their open spaces to be close to nature and thus protect native butterflies, wild bees, flies and beetles are awarded the title of ‘Blühender Betrieb’. Since March 2025, OTH Regensburg has also been one of the 109 companies to receive this honour. Bavaria's Environment Minister Thorsten Glauber presented the award at a ceremony in Munich.
‘The areas on campus offer a lot of potential for sustainable design and biodiversity,’ says Petra Faldum, Occupational Safety / Healthy University Officer at OTH Regensburg. ‘With our commitment to Blühpakt Bayern, we want to inspire other companies and universities to get involved in species conservation.’
From flowering meadows to swimming islands: Biodiversity on campus
OTH Regensburg has been pursuing the goal of making its campus more ecological and promoting biodiversity for several years. The first flowering meadows were created back in 2018. These are planted with native wildflowers and wild shrub hedges. Today, around 2,200 square metres provide a habitat for numerous insects such as wild bees, butterflies and grasshoppers as well as hedgehogs, hares and birds. Several insect hotels and 45 nesting boxes have been installed on the campus to provide shelter for wild bees and birds. Petra Faldum and Karl Griesbeck from the Faculty of Civil Engineering are responsible for their maintenance and realisation. Further objects are also planned - such as a sandarium for earth-nesting insects.
A particular highlight on the campus is the lake, which was recently expanded to include two innovative elements: A duck house as a retreat and shelter for chicks and swimming islands with pond plants. The wooden frames are still mainly visible, but the growing plants will soon filter the water naturally and create a valuable habitat for insects.
Green campus as a strategic goal
Measures such as flowering meadows, insect hotels and swimming islands are just a few examples of how OTH Regensburg contributes to ecological and sustainable development. In December 2024, a comprehensive sustainability strategy was adopted that systematically anchors sustainability as a goal in all areas of the university.
‘One of our central goals is to design the campus as a sustainable living space - with attractive recreational opportunities for students and areas that promote biodiversity,’ says Prof. Dr Christoph Skornia, Vice President for IT Security, Digitalisation, Sustainability and Social Responsibility. ‘Being named a Blooming Company confirms our commitment and motivates us to continue to promote sustainability at the university.’
