Initiative launched to create Campus Biodiversity Registers across colleges, unversities in India

Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), a Mysuru-based wildlife research and conservation organisation, and the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) have launched an initiative to document biodiversity found within college and university campuses across India.

The objective of the year-long nationwide exercise is to create a Campus Biodiversity Register (CBR) for each higher education institution.

According to the NCF, the CBR has been inspired by the People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR), which contains comprehensive information on locally available bio-resources, including the landscape and demography of a particular area, and traditional knowledge.

“The CBR project enables educational institutions to document the biodiversity found within their campuses. While the PBRs document the biodiversity of villages, towns, and cities, the focus of the CBRs is on educational institutions, bringing together students, faculty, and other staff to explore nature around them,” a statement from the organisation said.

Conservationists have underlined the importance of college and university campuses as green spaces in India’s expanding urban landscape. Many such institutions harbour a diversity of trees, birds, butterflies, insects, reptiles, mammals, fungi, and countless other organisms.

“These campuses often serve as biodiversity hotspots and refuges within urban landscapes, yet surprisingly little is known about the species they support. Without this knowledge, it is difficult to appreciate, conserve and manage these valuable ecosystems,” the statement read.

The organisation said colleges and universities can register for the initiative until November 2026, and the documentation will be concluded in June 2027.

Specific platforms

Over the course of a year, participating institutions will document biodiversity using the recognised platforms iNaturalist, eBird, and SeasonWatch. “Whether through organised biodiversity surveys, campus walks, or everyday observations, participants will record the plants, animals, fungi, and other life forms they encounter. By the end of the project, each institution will have the information, skills and resources needed to compile its own CBR,” the NCF said.

The biodiversity observations generated through the project are envisaged to contribute to global biodiversity databases while also helping institutions better understand and manage their own campuses. The initiative also aims to foster curiosity about the natural world and encourage a deeper connection between students and the biodiversity that surrounds them.

“This is an opportunity to notice the biodiversity that often goes unnoticed geckos on classroom walls, moths around campus lights, ants around us, and countless other organisms that quietly share our campuses,” NCF’s programme manager Devica Ranade said on Tuesday (July 21, 2026).

NBA Chairperson Virendra Tiwary said India’s youth have a crucial role in fulfilling the nation’s commitment to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. “Documenting the biodiversity around them is the first step towards conservation,” he said.