BiokataLYST

PROJECT

SERVICES

Baseline survey, nature survey, outreach, biodiversity, focus species, plant list, substrate list, materials, monitoring

SPECIES

Common Blue, Small Copper, Tawny mining Bee, Buffish Mining Bee

SIZE

100 m²

WHERE

Glostrup, Denmark

WHEN

2026

CUSTOMER

Glostrup Municipality

TOGETHER WITH

BY RUM SKOLE

BiokataLYST is a new initiative and open learning center in Glostrup that brings science to life for both children and teachers. At the heart of the project is a sensory learning environment—a nutrient-poor habitat made up of gravel, sand, dead wood, and selected plants—where biodiversity can flourish and where students explore the interconnections of nature through hands-on experience. The goal is to foster children’s curiosity and understanding of the natural sciences through play, investigations, and experiments. To ensure strong integration into the curriculum, BiokataLYST provides teachers with simple tools and teaching materials so that science can be easily incorporated into daily life before, during, and after the visit. The project is being developed in collaboration with Glostrup Municipality and BY RUM SKOLE, with the goal of inspiring other schools and municipalities to work with biodiversity in practice. Building Biodiversity has been involved throughout the entire process—from the initial planning and establishment to the subsequent instruction of school classes and the promotion of BiokataLYST.

BiokataLYST is a combination of gravel, sand, stones, topsoil, dead wood, and selected drought-tolerant plants. Together, these elements create a landscaped environment that can serve as a habitat for plants and animals.

Focus Species

Overview of Various Target Species

Common blue

The Common Blue is a small butterfly found in all open, uncultivated areas, provided they contain the larva’s preferred host plant, the common ragwort. Females and males can look very different; while males are shiny blue, females may be more brownish with orange crescents.

Tawny mining bee

The red-furred earth bee is a solitary bee with distinctive reddish-brown fur. It digs burrows in the ground, where the female constructs cells for her offspring. Sunny patches of ground and flowering plants provide it with both nesting sites and food.

Small copper

The Small Copper is one of Denmark’s smallest butterflies. It is often overlooked because of its small size, but can be found throughout Denmark. It is most common on sandy pastures and fallow fields, or in other areas where red fescue and common wood sorrel grow. It flies in two to three generations from May through September.

Buffish mining bee

The black-brown earth bee is a solitary bee that builds its nest in the ground. It visits various flowers to collect pollen and nectar for its offspring. Flowering plants and areas with bare, well-drained soil are important for its life cycle.

“It’s wonderful to see how this type of teaching fosters calm and engagement among the children. Even the children who normally have a hard time immersing themselves in a task and staying focused are able to be present, focused, and actively engaged here.”