Unboxing Biodiversity Policy
Description
Should Switzerland follow France’s example and formally protect the sounds and smells of nature? This is the trigger question that we will develop on together with the public in the project ‘Unboxing Biodiversity Policy’. The example from France serves as our point of departure for a discussion on how conservation could be thought and arranged differently in Switzerland. The idea builds on recent research findings that current Swiss policy instruments used for promoting spatial connectivity of conservation sites in practice have had limited effectiveness.We will engage in a dialogue with the public on this topic at the University of Bern’s Research Night in September 2025. In previous years, the Research Night has attracted around 10’000 visitors. Our communication concept consists of three parts: (i) an immersive listening-smelling experience in which visitors will sit on ‘smelling’ chairs clad with environmental material (hay / moss) and can individually listen to 5 podcasts, (ii) an interaction and dialogue part, and (iii) a pre- and post-project awareness creation and longevity strategy part.The project’s communication expert will together with the researchers co-develop short podcasts on the following topics: biodiversity in the status quo, incremental change resulting from current policy instruments, the French approach of protecting the sounds and smells of nature, a feminist perspective on conservation policy that addresses power relations and empowerment in policy making, and thoughts on what the sound and smell of the Swiss natural environment could be like in the future.For the interaction and dialogue part we will invite visitors to sit down and talk about the podcasts and enter a dialogue on conservation policies with the researchers. Further, we will host a 45min podium discussion on biodiversity policies to elaborate on the trigger question mentioned above. The ambition will be to open new rooms for unconventional thinking on conservation policies. Finally, we will have a pin board in the room on which we will invite visitors to note down what kinds of memories or feelings the sounds and smells triggered for them and what (new) thoughts they may have on biodiversity policy. A key element of the proposed project’s longevity strategy will be a display of QR codes linking to the podcasts that will be installed in the ‘fragrance oasis’ section of the University of Bern’s botanical garden. This will allow visitors to individually listen to the podcasts online with their smartphones long after the event.
Project Web Site
Primary Contact
Principal Investigator
Start Date
2025-07-01
Expected Completion Date
2025-12-31
Keyword(s)
biodiversity
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immersive experience
Languages
de