Project "G/ArtenLeben": Turning gardens into biodiversity hotspots together

Gardens are much more than private or public green spaces. Particularly in densely populated and intensively farmed areas, they can provide important habitats and help connect fragmented ecosystems for plants and animals. They are also a rich source of knowledge: which plants thrive, which animals regularly visit, which practices have stood the test of time, and which measures seem to make a real difference for biodiversity.

This is where the new citizen science project G/ArtenLeben, funded through the Lower Austrian Research, Technology and Innovation Strategy, comes in. Hobby gardeners and school students become active partners in the research process, contributing their observations, experiences, and local knowledge directly to the scientific work.

“People who have a garden know its unique characteristics better than any statistics ever could,” says Gerid Hager, IIASA researcher and project leader. “Especially in densely populated and intensively farmed areas, gardens can provide important habitats and connections for plants and animals, while also being places that support health, wellbeing, and social interaction.”

G/ArtenCafés: Turning gardening experience into research knowledge

The project kicks off with three G/ArtenCafés in Lower Austria in September and October 2026. Hobby gardeners are invited to share their personal experiences and garden stories and work alongside scientists as co-researchers.

During the approximately two-hour workshops, participants will explore which gardening practices support biodiversity, the experiences and traditions behind them, and how personal values and beliefs influence the way people garden.

Participants will also work together to develop a survey “by gardeners, for gardeners”, designed to systematically capture and make visible gardening knowledge from across Austria. To get the conversation started, participants are invited to bring along a plant or a photo from their own garden that has a special story connected to biodiversity.