Biodiversity

Botanical gardens

Old Botanical Garden:

Alter Botanischer Garten
Alter Botanischer Garten
Alter Botanischer Garten

The centrally located Old Botanical Garden offers both students and the public a green oasis in the heart of the city. Here, visitors can relax in the shade of old trees or immerse themselves in the magic of tropical vegetation in the historic greenhouses. Additionally, the signs provide interested visitors and students with information about plant species, their families, and origins.
Moreover, the facility serves as an urban refuge for birds, small mammals, bats, amphibians, and a remarkable variety of rare insects. The Old Botanical Garden also houses rare and endangered plant species, which are preserved, propagated, and distributed through the valuable work of the staff.


Experimental Botanical Garden:

The Experimental Botanical Garden is the scientific experimental garden of the University of Göttingen. Scientific research, plant cultivation for teaching purposes, environmental education, conservation of endangered species, and informing the public are among the main tasks of the garden. It provides excellent infrastructure for plant ecological research and, with its numerous research facilities, is unique in Germany and Central Europe.

Experimenteller Botanischer Garten

Forstbotanischer Garten

Forest Botancial Garden:

The Forest Botanical Garden and the Plant Geographic Arboretum showcase over 40 hectares of more than 2000 taxa of woody plants. The emphasis is on collecting pure wild species with their subspecies and varieties. Consequently, the Forest Botanical Garden is one of the most significant and species-rich collections of woody plants in Europe. It is managed largely according to ecological principles, with the meadows recognized for the production of organic hay. This hay is then fed to organic cattle. The large herb-rich meadows harbor a diverse array of species and serve as a food source and habitat for a rich fauna, including small mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects.

Insect-friendly perennial bed

Planting Campaign

A small bee paradise is being created on the lawn in front of the Central Library of the SUB: in the newly established perennial bed, over 400 drought-tolerant perennials are spread over 50 square meters. The soon-to-bloom, perennial plants will serve as an additional food source for wild bees and numerous other insect species.
The project was initiated and coordinated by the SUB Sustainability Working Group. The working group took up the concept presented by Jasper Rasokat in the 2022 Idea Competition for students. The project was funded by the city of Göttingen and the Universitätsbund Göttingen e. V. The Old Botanical Garden provided the self-cultivated perennials free of charge.

Flower strips

Flower strips are narrow strips planted with flowers and offer numerous ecological and aesthetic benefits:

  • They provide food for a variety of insects, birds, and other animals.
  • The grasses and small shrubs provide shelter for reptiles and small mammals.
  • Flower strips act as corridors, allowing animals to move safely under the protection of the plants.
  • They can enhance the landscape and contribute to creating a diverse and attractive environment.
Thus, flower strips can make an important contribution to nature conservation and promoting biodiversity.
The University of Göttingen operates several flower strips on its premises.

Blühstreifen Goßlerstraße Experimenteller Botanischer Garten

Tree population

The University of Göttingen already maintains a population of approximately 3,600 trees and is committed to preserving this large tree population through new plantings.
The Plant Geographical Arboretum in the Forest Botanical Garden contains tree and shrub species arranged according to geographical collection areas (China, Japan, Caucasus/ Asia Minor, Korea, North America).

A rarity on the North Campus - the European Hamster

Feldhamster

The European hamster was once a common inhabitant of our fields in the fertile Börde landscapes. However, the situation has drastically deteriorated: Due to the decline in biodiversity, the food base for the European hamster has decreased, making it unfortunately a rarity worldwide. Nevertheless, there are still European hamsters on the North Campus of the University of Göttingen: Areas south of the Nordmensa and north of Otto-Hahn-Straße are managed in a hamster-friendly way by cultivating grains, various seed mixtures, and fallow strips in small-scale rotations. Please support the European hamsters on campus by not entering these areas and keeping dogs on a lead.

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Contact - Green Office


Do you have questions or suggestions about sustainability in research?
Or in your studies?
Do you have any ideas about sustainability in your studies?
For these and general questions, suggestions contact us!

Email
nachhaltigkeit@uni-goettingen.de

Sustainability Coordinator

Marco Lange, Coordinator of the Green Office
Phone: 0551 39-21356
Email: marco.lange@zvw.uni-goettingen.de

Staff

Tabea Kothe, Student of Geography
E-Mail: tabea.kothe@zvw.uni-goettingen.de

Anna von Borcke, Student of Ethnology and Sociology
E-Mail: anna.borcke@zvw.uni-goettingen.de

Hannah Kalden, Student of Philosophy
E-Mail: hannah.kalden@zvw.uni-goettingen.de