INSECT UTOPIAS IN UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES AND BEYOND
What is Insectopia?
A creative and science-based initiative where students, researchers and local communities come together to create meaningful and creative utopias for insects to promote biodiversity across Europe.
Originally launched as a small-scale activity to install insect hotels on university campuses, Insectopia has evolved into a dynamic, cross-disciplinary action that supports education, research, creative expression, and sustainability.
Its core aim is to reconnect people with nature—transforming campuses into living laboratories for pollinator protection, ecosystem restoration, and nature-based learning. Through collaborative projects, public engagement, and scientific dialogue, Insectopia invites participants to explore how insects contribute to food systems, climate resilience, and community wellbeing.
From co-creation workshops and hackathons to cultural events and mobility opportunities, Insectopia serves as a platform where academic knowledge meets real-world action, rooted in the shared values of the EU GREEN Alliance.
Insectopia Festival & Hackathon
🗓 Dates: June 2–6, 2025
📍 Location: Jarandilla de la Vera, Spain
The Insectopia Festival is a vibrant, hands-on gathering that brings together the EU GREEN community (over 70 participants including university and VET students, researchers, experts, policy makers and external stakeholders) to co-create insect utopias -solutions for biodiversity- and celebrate our shared connection with nature.
STARTING POINTS
THE HUMMINGBIRD HAWK-MOTH CHALLENGE
DOWNLOAD THE CHALLENGE INFO
The EC pollinators team vision
DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
SESSIONS
Europe's Vision for Pollinators: Connecting Policies, People, and Biodiversity
Nicolas Manthe, Policy Officer – European Commission, DG Environment, Pollinators Team. A high-level talk linking the EU Pollinators Initiative with youth action, campus biodiversity, and emerging policy tools.
BeeSage: Innovation with Sensors to Decode Nectar Flows and Habitat Health
How sensor-based monitoring is transforming our understanding of floral landscapes and pollinator well-being.
Architectural Spaces for Insects and People
Exploring how buildings, campuses, and public spaces can be reimagined for multispecies cohabitation.
Europe's Vision for Pollinators: Connecting Policies, People, and Biodiversity
A practical session on what works—and what doesn’t—when building structures to support pollinator nesting and reproduction.
INSECTOPIA PROJECTS PRESENTATIONS
Presentation of the projects developed during the Insectopia Hackathon in Jarandilla (Extremadura, Spain)
INSECTOPIA PROJECTS – 2025
The six projects developed during the Insectopia Hackathon highlight the creativity, scientific grounding, and collaborative spirit of our teams. Ranging from modular insect habitats and pollinator trails to citizen science tools and educational outreach, each idea holds strong impact and replicability potential.
Bee Actions: Building Pollinator-Friendly Campuses and Educational Pathways
Bee Actions is an educational initiative from the University of Extremadura that links pollinator conservation with teacher training and campus transformation. Future educators engage in workshops on storytelling, movement, and creating insect hotels, flower zones, and water stations. These activities culminate in The Pollination Patrol, a gamified campus experience. In a second phase, students co-create service-learning modules for local schools. A support office will later guide the initiative’s expansion. By combining training, environmental action, and playful learning, Bee Actions fosters pollinator awareness and long-term impact in education systems.
BuzzVenture: Stepping Into the Life of a Pollinator
BuzzVenture is an interactive, educational experience designed to raise awareness about pollinators and their ecosystems, combining real-life biodiversity spaces with gamified learning. Set up in campus environments, participants embody various pollinator species—such as bees, butterflies, beetles, and hoverflies—each with distinct traits, superpowers, and vulnerabilities. The project combines pollinator-friendly fields of native plants with physical game stations simulating key aspects of a pollinator's life: foraging for food, finding shelter, reproducing, and avoiding natural threats. Through this engaging approach, BuzzVenture fosters both entertainment and behavioural impact, while promoting biodiversity and sustainability.
HaBeeTat: Connecting Campuses, Pollinators and Communities Through Modular Design
HaBeeTat proposes a modular, multi-campus strategy to promote pollinator awareness through student-built wooden totem structures that function as living labs and outdoor classrooms. These modules host planting zones, observation areas, and seasonal events, encouraging hands-on learning. Integrated QR codes and digital tools connect campuses, enabling shared data and global collaboration. The project blends pollination science, architecture, and sustainability with biophilic design to create dynamic, evolving spaces. Highly adaptable and scalable, HaBeeTat fosters long-term engagement, environmental education, and community involvement across the Insectopia network and beyond.
PollenDefend: Monitoring, Protecting and Raising Awareness for Pollinators
PollenDefend is a regionally anchored initiative that combines habitat creation, citizen science, and education to protect pollinators in campus and community settings. It promotes planting native species like thyme, rosemary, and cistus, along with insect hotels and water points. Using acoustic sensors and species identification, it engages students and citizens in mapping pollinator presence. Educational workshops and signage enhance environmental awareness. While rooted in Extremadura, PollenDefend offers a replicable model for other rural areas, addressing habitat loss and climate threats through community-based, science-informed conservation actions.
Pollinator Playground: Bridging Ecology and Human Interaction on Campus
Pollinator Playground introduces a modular, inclusive system to create pollinator-friendly spaces that serve both ecological and educational purposes. Starting with nine prototypes on campuses, it uses low-maintenance, sustainable materials to offer food, water, shelter, and nesting for species like bees, butterflies, moths, and hoverflies. The project promotes accessibility and community involvement, fostering ecological awareness and behavioural change. Its adaptable design allows replication in diverse contexts—gardens, businesses, public areas—supporting biodiversity at multiple levels. Pollinator Playground encourages active learning and sustainable practices across educational and community environments.
Q(ueen)DOM: Diverse Approaches for Campus Pollinator Habitats
Q(ueen)DOM is an inclusive initiative to boost pollinator biodiversity across campuses through adaptable, low-cost interventions. It features modular insect habitats with QR codes, edible and aromatic plant zones, biodegradable installations, and co-created green spaces with students and staff. These actions merge food production, education, and creativity to foster sustainability and community engagement. Students play an active role in planting and maintenance. Designed to suit diverse contexts, Q(ueen)DOM promotes ecological awareness, strengthens campus identity, and offers a replicable model for building resilient pollinator networks across the Insectopia alliance.
PREVIOUS INSECTOPIA ACTIONS
On World Bee Day 2025, the INSECTOPIA Online Ceremony gathered students, researchers, and university staff from the nine partner institutions of the EU GREEN Alliance to celebrate the power of youth-led innovation in protecting pollinators and promoting biodiversity. Hosted by the University of Extremadura, the event marked a milestone in the INSECTOPIA initiative—bringing together inspiring proposals, community-driven ideas, and a shared commitment to ecological sustainability.
SESSIONS
During the ceremony, students presented their winning projects—ranging from insect hotels and pollinator gardens to immersive sensory spaces and educational soundscapes. These “Insect Utopias” will be further developed at the upcoming INSECTOPIA Festival, where participants will collaborate on building ecological installations across university campuses. Watch the full recording below to experience the creativity, science, and collaboration behind this growing movement.
WEBINARS
Pollinators: Diversity, Importance, and Causes of Their Decline
Prof. Francisco Javier Valtueña
Director of the University Environmental Office
University of Extremadura, Spain
Architectural Spaces for Insects and People
PrLecturer arch. Silviu Medeșan
PhD candidate arch. George Tamaș
University of Oradea, Romania
Collab. with Otto von Güericke Magdeburg University
Why Do We Need Pollinators? Role, Threats, and Protection of This Insect Group
Prof. Cupșa Diana
Department of Biology
University of Oradea, Romania
LANDART for Creative and Participatory Ecosystem Restoration
Antonio Román Casas
University of Extremadura, Spain
Pollinators in Rural Areas
PhD Eng. Jowita Pyszczek
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Poland
From Artificial Nests to AI Trail Cameras: New Technology for Studying and Monitoring Insect Biodiversity
Daniele Giannetti – Research fellow
University of Parma, Italy
THE POLLINATING CRISIS A THREAT TO HUMAN SURVIVAL
Rita Azedo & André Oliveira
University of Évora, Portugal
REWARDING FARMLAND INSECT DIVERSITY THROUGH RESULT BASED AGRI ENVIRONMENT SCHEM
Prof. Dolores Byrne
Institute of Technology Sligo - ATU
Department of Environmental Science
HOW CITIZEN SCIENCE CAN HELP THE STUDY OF POLLINATORS
Prof. Cristina Castracani
University of Parma
Get Involved
Encourage broader community engagement:
- Subscribe to Insectopia news
- Join future webinars or co-creation spaces
- Connect with biodiversity initiatives across EU GREEN
