This episode explores how Una Europa partner Universidad Complutense de Madrid uses citizen science to monitor campus biodiversity. Researchers José Aguirre and José Antonio Molina share the fascinating origin story of their project and how it has gone on to inform university policy and guide Madrid’s sustainability efforts today. Find out how university campuses can be living labs for biodiversity!
Our Citizen Science podcast series takes you on a tour across our 11 partner universities. Explore a new campus each episode and talk to members of our Una Europa community, to active citizens, volunteers and experts. They tell us more about their involvement with citizen science projects that want to make positive, impactful contributions to their local communities, cities, countries or Europe.
Our latest podcast episode takes you to Universidad Complutense de Madrid, where the campus has become a vibrant living laboratory for sustainability and community engagement. We’re joined by José Aguirre, an expert in urban bird ecology and evolutionary biology, and José Antonio Molina, a botanist with many years of research experience, who together spearhead a pioneering biodiversity monitoring project.
Launched in 2008 during the global financial crisis, when funding for outside course activities was limited, the project provides students with hands-on experience in tracking local wildlife and plant communities right on their campus. What began with monitoring butterflies, dragonflies, and birds has expanded to include detailed studies of campus vegetation. Surprising discoveries—such as an unexpected diversity of orchid species—are just one example of the rich biodiversity revealed through this systematic citizen-led monitoring.
The project welcomes participation from across the university and the local community — whether as students, citizen scientists, or bird ringers. Its success is demonstrated by the project’s influence on university policies, such as the elimination of the use of Glyphosate on campus, which led to the return of healthy butterfly populations. And the project's impact goes even beyond the campus grounds, as the team’s expertise has been shaping broader conversations with Madrid city officials about urban green spaces and sustainable planning.
Listen in as José Aguirre and José Antonio Molina share how combining research, teaching, and citizen science can empower communities and inspire meaningful action for a greener future — on campus and beyond.
Learn more about the biodiversity project at Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
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