Can city residents contribute to promoting biodiversity, and how do you get them on board? With this question, BioArt Laboratories, municipality Eindhoven, Fontys – minor in Circular Economy and Studio Van der Park set to work. Together with Fontys researcher Niels van Maaren at the helm, we look at how we can stimulate greening the ‘smart way’.

For this project, BioArt Laboratories, the municipality Eindhoven and Niels have examined all kinds of data: from livability, neighborhood data, environmental maps to animal species. Out of all this data, we have come up with the ‘Small Five’ for neighborhood Limbeek-Zuid. The species are selected based on observability by the residents. For Limbeek, we ended up with the dwarf bat, the hedgehog, the cockchafer, the swift and the fox. The idea is that residents can ‘adopt’ a species. What does a hedgehog like, and what modifications are needed for a garden to attract the hedgehog? By making it visible and concrete, gets people involved.

This project was a great opportunity for the Fontys students to do hands-on field research; what is going on in the neighborhood that is relevant for participation in greening? Furthermore, Marije van der Park of Studio van der Park engaged in a conversation with local residents about what biodiversity actually is.

The final results were compiled in a special field manual that lists each animal what they eat, its preferred habitat and which plants promote habitat. On April 6, 2023, the outcomes of the survey, along with communication tools and habitat-promoting plants, were handed over to the local nature working group of Limbeek so that they are inspired to continue turning their neighborhood greener than ever.