Taking new paths

The Ecological Botanical Garden (ÖBG) of the University of Bayreuth is proving itself an inviting open space for research and recreation, and covers an area of around 16 hectares. The extensive grounds and large greenhouses contain more than 12,000 different plants and woody plants from all over the world, plus numerous animal species - including around 100 bird species alone - clearly feel at home here. "It is precisely this strong ecological orientation of the Bayreuth Botanic Garden that makes it something very special," emphasises Gregor Aas, Head of ÖBG at the University of Bayreuth. In 2018, ÖBG celebrated its 40th anniversary. Since its foundation, it has been a proponent of a forward-looking orientation, has supported innovative research projects, and has won national and international renown for this. Attractive event formats inspire both young and old garden enthusiasts. They all appreciate the varied orientation of the grounds: from intensively horticulturally supervised to very near-natural or completely natural areas, the garden invite visitors to linger and make their own, very personal tour of discovery. The visitor numbers - before the coronavirus measures took effect - speak for themselves.

For a long time, various stakeholders represented by the City and the University of Bayreuth had wanted to connect the grounds of ÖBG with the nearby Röhrensee lake and zoo area as well as the Lindenhof Environmental Centre , thereby creating an inviting "green hub" in the south of Bayreuth. With the entrance in the south-west of the ÖBG grounds, which opened on 21 May 2021, and a new path, a circular walk has now been completed that will enhance the local recreation area in the south of Bayreuth.

The new access routes on the grounds of the Ecological Botanical Garden provide visitors with completely new insights. Via the south entrance, near-natural wetlands with their specific flora (including various types of willow) and fauna are first passed, before the route continues past scientific experimental areas that exemplify research activities in the field. 

In the much-visited 2021 crop garden, special attention is currently being paid to the diversity of legumes; while the popular campus sheep, a flock of the frugal and endangered "Coburger Fuchs" breed, also live there over summer. When visitors pass the greenhouses at the end of their visit and leave ÖBG through the main entrance, the path completed this May leads them to the first groups of trees of the new „UBTrees“ University project, which are making the path towards the Rondell on the main University grounds even greener.

Plans for the municipal "Bayreuth's Living South" project are also progressing. The "Path of Biodiversity" created in 2020 at “Studentenwald” (Student Forest), for which many Bayreuthers are tree sponsors and which attractively connects the Röhrensee area with the grounds of ÖBG, will soon be expanded to include a Citizens Grove, among other things. Citizens will eventually have the opportunity to plant trees there themselves.