Green Campus at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse

1. General information

Location and description of the intervention

City or FUA

Toulouse

Region

Europe

Native title of the NBS intervention

Campus vert à l'école nationale vétérinaire de Toulouse

Short description of the intervention

Numerous developments have been carried out at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse's (ENVT) green campus to make the site more conducive to the maintenance and development of biodiversity as result of the school's "VERT VET" (GREEN VET) club (Ref. 2). The green changes began as a result of the school's 2008 sustainable development policy (Ref. 1). Among its many functions and activities, the policy helped raise awareness, clean ponds, and a well, construct a vegetable garden and make beehives and bird nest boxes in the campus's two classified forests (Ref. 3).

Address

23 Chemin des Capelles
31300 Toulouse
France

Location

The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by).

Area boundary

POINT (1.387031348706 43.605471767727)

POINT (1.38225756826 43.606563382159)

POINT (1.3760522852138 43.60143263821)

POINT (1.3788161511317 43.598158048063)

POINT (1.3828607911947 43.596848263001)

NBS area image

Source of NBS area image

Google Earth Pro (September 21, 2020). Coordinates offer a rough approximation of extent of NBS.

Total area

530000.00m²

NBS area

530000.00m²

Type of area before implementation of the NBS

Other

Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS

University campus (Ref. 2).

Website of the intervention

http://www.envt.fr/

Timeline of intervention

Start date of the intervention (planning process)

2008

Start date of intervention (implementation process)

2009

End date of the intervention

ongoing

Present stage of the intervention

Ongoing

2. Objectives of the intervention

Goals of the intervention

Through the Green Campus at the National Vetenary School of Toulouse project, the club VERT VET planted vegetation (e.g. flowers, hedges, and trees) to improve the campus's green spaces. Volunteers at ENVT also aimed to (Ref. 4):
- construct and maintain campus' vegetable garden to provide the campus with a means of sustainable consumption,
- rehabilitate a nearby well in order to employ means of water management that would sustain a campus garden,
- improve habitats and biodiversity through cleaning 3 pools sheltering turtles, fish and aquatic plants,
- promote beekeeping practices and facilities (i.e. the self-financing beekeeping club "Bee api" was established through its honey sales and bee-related products),
- install avian facilities and promoted practices by installing campus nesting boxes
- request ENVT apply for its campus to enter the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (League for the Protection of Birds) (LPO), (Ref. 4)
- provide new pedagogy on environmental issues (Ref. 1, 5).

Quantitative targets

- clean 3 of the pools that shelter turtles, fish and aquatic plants (Ref. 1, 4)

Monitoring indicators defined

Number of pools maintained for turtles, fish, and aquatic plants (Ref. 1, 4).

Sustainability challenge(s) addressed

Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)

Climate change mitigation

Water management (SDG 6)

Stormwater and rainfall management and storage

Improvements to water quality

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Habitat and biodiversity restoration

Habitat and biodiversity conservation

Green space creation and/or management

Environmental quality

Waste management

Regeneration, land-use and urban development

Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development

Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)

Environmental education

Social justice and equity

Environmental and climate justice

Health and well-being (SDG 3)

Enabling opportunities for physical activity

Economic development and employment (SDG 8)

Economic development: agriculture

Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)

Sustainable consumption

Sustainable production

Climate change mitigation: What were the goals of the NBS?

Reduce energy demand, with the use of renewables or energy efficiency improvements

Climate change mitigation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?

Invest in public transport/bicycle infrastructure as a means to prevent car use

Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential

Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?

Species-focused

Ecosystem-focused

Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?

Protect and enhance urban habitats

Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems

Create new habitats

Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem

Protect species

Undertake specific measures to protect species

Undertake specific measures to protect valued species

Means for conservation governance

Manage biological resources for conservation and sustainable use

Raise public awareness

Public engagement

Create and use scientific knowledge for conservation

What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?

Ecosystem-focused

What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?

Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems

Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)

Restore valued species

Please specify "other Type of NBS project"

employ sustainable consumption and production processes (Ref 4)

Implementation activities

The school's 2008 sustainable development policy created an on-campus culture of sustainability through numerous activities focused on sustainable development (Ref. 1, 2). These include:
- new bird nest boxes by the ornithological club making the campus a refuge zone of the LPO,
- a new "hive-school" installing beekeeping habitats and promoting their awareness (self-financed through sale of honey and honey products), (Ref. 1, 2)
- creation of an ecological mural (Ref. 1, 2)
- collective exploitation of organic vegetable plots with a watering system with rainwater recovery (Ref. 1, 2)
- a botanical project planting trees (Ref. 1, 2)
- the rehabilitation of three ponds to promote aquatic biodiversity, (Ref. 3)
- general planting of vegetation (e.g. flowers, hedges, and trees) (Ref. 3).
- a new curriculum for 1st year students on sustainable development (Ref. 3)
- creating green recreational spaces (Ref. 3).
- reusable eco-friendly products (e.g. student bar ecocups) sold on-site (Ref. 3)
- sheep are used for lawn mowing in some spaces. (Ref. 1, 5)
-"More than 400 bicycle parks have been set up within the ENVT enclosure. Before, students used to take the car to go from one end of the campus to the other, now they get around by bike" (Ref. 5).
-There is a continuous action plan: "Composed of fifteen members - agents, technicians and students - this committee meets every quarter and defines the annual action plan" (Ref. 3).

Type of NBS project

Maintenance and management of urban nature

Other

3. NBS domains, ES and scale

NBS domain and interventions

Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented

Parks and urban forests

Large urban parks or forests

Community gardens and allotments

Community gardens

Other

Blue infrastructure

Lakes/ponds

Green areas for water management

Rain gardens

Please specify "other allotments and community gardens"

bee hives and bird nest boxes in the campus's two classified forests (Ref. 3).

Please specify the number of plots or allotment gardens

Unknown; "a vegetable garden" (Ref 3)

What is the level of innovation / development of the NBS related to water management?

Low: Simple rain water collection intervention (rain garden, local seepage pit) or simple permeable areas

Vegetation Type

Please specify how many trees were planted

Unknown

Please specify other amenities offered by the NBS

- creation of an ecological mural (Ref. 1, 2); - new bird nest boxes by the ornithological club making the campus a refuge zone of the LPO; - a new "hive-school" installing beekeeping habitats and promoting their awareness (self-financed through sale of honey and honey products), (Ref. 1, 2)
-400 bicycle parks have been set up within the ENVT enclosure. Before, students used to take the car to go from one end of the campus to the other, now they get around by bike" (Ref. 5).

Amenities offered by the NBS

Benches and drinking water stations

Sports areas and equipment

Other

Services

Expected ecosystem services delivered

Provisioning services

Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables)

Water (surface and ground water for drinking and non-drinking purposes)

Genetic materials from all biota

Regulating services

Pollination

Habitat and supporting services

Habitats for species

Maintenance of genetic diversity

Cultural services

Aesthetic appreciation

Inspiration for culture, art and design

Recreation

Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)

Physical and experiential interactions with plants and animals

Scale

Spatial scale

Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)

Beneficiaries

Primary Beneficiaries

Researchers/University

4. Governance and financing

Governance

Governance arrangements

Led by non-government actors

Non-government actors

Researchers, university

Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative

The project was initiated by Augustin Calventus, an environmental health and safety engineer and also project manager of the campus' sustainable development (Ref. 6). ENVT staff worked alongside students towards the establishment of the club VERT VET in the continuing development of biodiversity projects (botanical, aquatic, ornithological and apiculture) on-campus that played a key role in the school's sustainable development policy (Ref. 7). Further projects led to the establishment of further school affliated groups, such as the birding society and Bee api (Ref. 1).

Key actors - initiating organization

Researchers/university

Land owners

Educational actor (schools or universities)

Please specify other Key actors - Other stakeholders involved

Augustin Calventus, an environmental health and safety engineer and also project manager of the campus' sustainable development (Ref. 6).

Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)

Researchers/university

Other

Land owners

Educational actor (schools or universities)

Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used

Unknown

Policy drivers

NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy

Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy"

According to the application document (1)

NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan

Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan

According to the application document (1)

NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan

Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"

According to the application document (1)

Mandatory or voluntary intervention

Voluntary (spontaneous)

Enablers

Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project

Unknown

Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify the general plan with GI/NBS section

The project began with a carbon assessment in 2008, and the setting up of awareness days and the choice of a series of actions on waste management and mobility as part of a "Green Plan" (Ref. 3).

If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.

City specific green space strategy or plan

Please specify other vegetation type

Hedges, green spaces; vegetation (Ref 4)
bee hives and bird nest boxes in the campus's two classified forests (Ref. 3)
cleaning 3 pools sheltering turtles, fish and aquatic plants; honey sales and bee-related products (Ref 1, 4)
organic vegetable plots; rainwater recovery (Ref. 1, 2)
- sheep are used for lawn mowing in some spaces. (Ref. 1, 5)

Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project

Unknown

Please specify

As a consequence of the VERT VET's off-shoot birdkeeping club, ENVT enetered the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (League for the Protection of Birds) (LPO) association, a national network made up of local associations focused on protecting birds and the eco-systems on which they depend. (1, 4)

The ENVT has also initiated the creation of the network of referents sustainable development of colleges and universities in Midi Pyrenees. The network meets quarterly to discuss the sustainable development actions of institutions while biodiversity actions are shared in meetings (such as the Conference of Grandes Ecoles and the Conference of University Presidents) and also in the articles of regional newsletters. (1)

Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

The project began with a carbon assessment in 2008, and the setting up of awareness days and the choice of a series of actions on waste management and mobility as part of a "Green Plan" (Ref. 3).

Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project

Unknown

Co-finance for NBS

Unknown

Co-financing governance arrangements

Unknown

Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?

Unknown

Financing

Total cost

€10,000 - €50,000

What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?

€4500 (Ref. 1)

What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?

Unknown

What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?

Unknown

Please specify cost savings

"In five years we have gone from 100 to 60 tonnes of waste. This allows annual savings of around 10,000 to 15,000 euros" (Ref. 3)

Please specify total cost (EUR)

Net costs accounted for by the project manager for Sustainable Development: €3000 (rehabilitation of watersheds, the establishment of benches and tables, preparing gardens, the well rehabilitation for watering) (Ref. 1).

Other expenditures were funded by either the sale of on-site products (e.g. honey, ecocups, vegetable baskets) and VERT VET's winnings of €1500 and other gifts in 2013 of the national trophy "put your campus in the year green" (Ref. 1).

Source(s) of funding

Other

Please specify other source of funding

University/Research institution (e.g. University project manager for Sustainable Development, circular economy, competitive royalties) (Ref. 1).

Type of fund(s) used

Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Yes

Type of non-financial contribution

Provision of labour

Who provided the non-financial contribution?

Citizens (e.g. volunteering)

Business models

Green education model

Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?

Public actor (e.g. municipality)

5. Innovation

Type of innovation

Technological

Product innovation

Please specify technological innovation

The campus' product innovations surround sustainable development and include the construction and installation of nest boxes by the ornithological club making the campus a refuge zone of the LPO, the creation of a "hive-school" self-financed through the sale of honey and honey products, the creation of an ecological mural, the collective exploitation of organic vegetable plots with a watering system with rainwater recovery, a botanical project with the planting of trees And the rehabilitation of three ponds to promote aquatic biodiversity (Ref. 3).

Novelty level of the innovation

Unknown

Please specify novelty level of the innovation

unknown

Replicability/Transferability

Ambiguous (e.g. multiple interpretations)

Please specify Replicability/Transferability

The ENVT has initiated the creation of the network of referents sustainable development of colleges and universities in Midi Pyrenees. The network meets quarterly to discuss the sustainable development actions of institutions while biodiversity actions are shared in meetings (such as the Conference of Grandes Ecoles and the Conference of University Presidents) and also in the articles of regional newsletters (Ref. 1).

6. Evaluation and learning

Impacts, benefits

Environmental impacts

Climate change

Reduced emissions

Environmental quality

Improved waste management

Water management and blue areas

Improved water quality

Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems

Green space and habitat

Increased green space area

Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems

Reduced biodiversity loss

Increased number of species present

Enhanced support of pollination

Increased spread of native/heirloom/open-pollinated seed

Description of environmental benefits

Climate change:
-Reduced emissions: -"More than 400 bicycle parks have been set up within the ENVT enclosure. Before, students used to take the car to go from one end of the campus to the other, now they get around by bike" (Ref. 5). Sheep are used for lawn mowing in some spaces (Ref. 1, 5).

Environmental quality:
-Improved waste management: reusable eco-friendly products (e.g. student bar ecocups) sold on-site (Ref. 1). "In five years we have gone from 100 to 60 tonnes of waste. This allows annual savings of around 10,000 to 15,000 euros" (Ref. 2).
-Enhanced support of pollination: On the green campus, there have been 2 classified forests for a long time , they now house 7 beehives (Ref. 2). A flowery meadow with selected species and the first student apiary of the region bring an annual production of about 70kg of honey (Ref. 1).

Water management and blue areas
-Improved water quality/Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems: "Students from the veterinary school cleaned ponds in order to implant turtles and fish" (Ref. 5

Green space and habitat:
-Increased green space area: general planting of vegetation (e.g. flowers, hedges, and trees) (Ref. 1). A botanical project planting trees (Ref. 1, 2).
-Reduction of biodiversity loss: Bird nesting boxes installed (Ref. 1). "On this green Toulouse campus, numerous developments have been carried out to make the places more conducive to the maintenance and development of biodiversity" (Ref. 2). The campus' product innovations surround sustainable development and include the construction and installation of nest boxes by the ornithological club making the campus a refuge zone of the LPO, the creation of a "hive-school" self-financed through the sale of honey and honey products, the creation of an ecological mural, the collective exploitation of organic vegetable plots with a watering system with rainwater recovery, a botanical project with the planting of trees And the rehabilitation of three ponds to promote aquatic biodiversity (Ref. 3).

-Enhanced support of pollination: "On the green campus, there have been 2 classified forests for a long time , they now house 7 beehives" (Ref. 2).

Economic impacts

Reduce financial cost for urban management

Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)

Increased market share for green economies

Please specify other socio-cultural impact

-sustainable development: The ENVT has initiated the creation of the network of referents sustainable development of colleges and universities in Midi Pyrenees. The network meets quarterly to discuss the sustainable development actions of institutions while biodiversity actions are shared in meetings (such as the Conference of Grandes Ecoles and the Conference of University Presidents) and also in the articles of regional newsletters (Ref. 1).

Description of economic benefits

Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not): vegetable gardens are in place (Ref. 2). In addition, a flowery meadow with selected species and the first student apiary of the region brings an annual production of about 70kg of honey. (Ref 1)
- The circular economy of the campus is estimated to lead to annual savings of around €10,000 to €15,000. (3)

Please specify other environmental justice issue

addressing sustainable development through the generation of a circular economy (Ref 3)

Type of reported impacts

Achieved impacts

Indicators

- A flowery meadow with selected species and the first student apiary of the region bring an annual production of about 70kg of honey (Ref. 1)
- The circular economy of the campus is estimated to lead to annual savings of around €10,000 to €15,000. (3)
- 3 habitat pools cleaned for use.
- Bird nesting boxes installed (Ref. 1).

Environmental, social and economic impacts

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Economic development and employment (SDG 8)

Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)

Analysis of specific impact categories

Job creation: The NBS created ...

No information available

Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...

Other

Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?

No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project

COVID-19 pandemic

"As of Monday, May 11, we are setting up the gradual reopening of our clinics in accordance with the recommendations of the government and the instructions of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Clinics are gradually opening but priority is given to canceled appointments during confinement. Pet owners who are in this case will be contacted shortly. Telephone appointments are temporarily suspended. We thank the owners in advance for their understanding and patience, but their safety is our priority. Information will be updated regularly here as the situation evolves" (http://www.envt.fr/content/information-covid-19-impacts-sur-lenvt) (Accessed: September 21, 2020).

Stay at home orders were active in all of France from March 16, 2020 to May 11, 2020 (https://www.gouvernement.fr/en/coronavirus-covid-19).

Methods of impact monitoring

Process of recording NBS impacts

No evidence in public records

Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS

Unknown

Evidence for use of assessment

Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

Impact assessment mechanism

Name of any specific impact assessment tools

Unknown

Use of GIS in mapping impacts

No evidence in public records

Citizen involvement

Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation

Unknown

Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation

Unknown

Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment

Unknown

7. Sources

References

Web links relevant to the intervention

(2) Toulouse: a green campus in harmony with nature

(3) The National Veterinary School of Toulouse, at the forefront of green campu…

(4) League for the Protection of Birds

(5) A green campus in the pink city

(6) The fauna and flora are at their ease on the campus of the veterinary school

(7) Project: A Green Campus in the Pink City

Documents relevant to the intervention

Attachment	Size
(Ref. 1) Application Material (182.03 KB)	182.03 KB

List of references

(1) Calventus, Augustin. (2015). Trophées des campus responsables: Green Gown Awards. (Document attached).
(2) Grolleau, Adeline. (2015). Toulouse: un campus vert en symbiose avec la nature. Available at: https://www.toutvert.fr/toulouse-campus-vert/ (Accessed: September 21, 2020).
(3) de Varax, Aurélie. (2015). L’École nationale vétérinaire de Toulouse, à l’avant-garde des campus verts. Available at: http://www.touleco-green.fr/L-Ecole-nationale-veterinaire-de-Toulouse-a-l-avant-garde-des,17170 (Accessed: September 21, 2020).
(4) bird Life International. [no date]. France - Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO). Available at: http://www.birdlife.org/europe-and-central-asia/partners/france-ligue-pour-la-protection-des-oiseaux-lpo (Accessed: September 21, 2020).
(5) Éducation à l'environnement et au DD. (2015). Un campus vert dans la ville rose. Available at: http://www.humanite-biodiversite.fr/article/un-campus-vert-dans-la-ville-rose (Accessed: September 21, 2020).
(6) Lacombe, Benjamin. (2015). La faune et la flore sont à leur aise sur le campus de l'école vétérinaire. Available at: http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2015/09/21/2181162-faune-flore-sont-aise-campus-ecole-veterinaire.html (Accessed: September 21, 2020).
(7) Trophées des campus responsables. [no date]. École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse: Projet : Un campus Vert dans la ville Rose. Available at: http://www.tropheesdescampusresponsables.com/?q=laureat/162/%C3%A9cole-nationale-v%C3%A9t%C3%A9rinaire-de-toulouse (Accessed: September 21, 2020).

Comments and notes

Additional insights

The campus is home to nearly 300 students, nearly half of the school's 650 students. They enjoy an idyllic setting of 53 hectares in Toulouse. (6) Meanwhile motorized traffic has been limited on campus. As such a park of 400 self-service bikes has been installed (2), and has included an electric vehicle since 2010. (3)

Public Images

https://www.humanite-biodiversite.fr/article/un-campus-vert-dans-la-ville-rose

A man holding honey in front of a beehive in a forest

https://www.touleco-green.fr/L-Ecole-nationale-veterinaire-de-Toulouse-a-l-avant-garde-des,17170