The traditional ITU BioBlitz event was organized by the ITU Commission on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity and Ecosystems on May 22, as a part of the celebrations of International Day for Biodiversity. ITU BioBlitz events aims to record as many species as possible living in ITU Ayazağa Campus in one day using a citizen science approach. During this year's "ITU BioBlitz 2024" event, students, volunteers, and expert academicians from various universities documented more than 2,000 records covering more than 350 species of the flora, fauna, and fungi of the campus. In addition, the most common species living on the campus, and the ecosystems that are under threat within the campus were also identified.

Despite being located in the city center, the ITU Ayazağa campus stands out for its diverse ecosystems and rich biodiversity. The campus is particularly rich in plant diversity, hosting endemic species such as the Early Everlasting-Pea (Lathyrus undulatus), which only lives in and around Istanbul, as well as trees from the Black Sea region such as Quercus petraea, Quercus robur, and Quercus frainetto, and various species representing Mediterranean flora such as Quercus coccifera, Spartium junceum, Cistus, and Phillyrea. The campus also provides rich habitats and feeding grounds for more than 160 recorded bird species.

Event Announcement Page: https://www.cbd.int/biodiversity-day/celebrations/tr

ITU Commission on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity and Ecosystems continues to work with different projects to increase awareness of biodiversity and protect ecosystems.