In 2022, McGill joined hundreds of higher education institutions around the world to sign the Nature Positive Pledge, a commitment to start a nature-positive journey via its teaching, research, operations, and supply chain. As part of this pledge, McGill will establish a biodiversity baseline, decide on targets, take action, and report annually on progress.
In 2023, McGill launched its inaugural Biodiversity Plan 2030, which marked a milestone in the University’s commitment to biodiversity. The Office of Sustainability led the creation of the Biodiversity Plan in collaboration with faculty, staff, and students from 15 academic and administrative units. Together, the stakeholders elaborated the vision that McGill will monitor, protect, and enhance biodiversity via its research, teaching, and operations, while raising awareness and engaging community members both on and beyond our campuses.
Biodiversity plays many functions, including the provision of numerous contributions to people—or ecosystem services—such as food, recreation, flood control, air purification, climate regulation, and scientific and artistic inspiration. Yet, global biodiversity is declining, with more than 2,000 species at risk of extinction in Canada. The Biodiversity Plan is the first concerted effort to align biodiversity actions among students, staff, and faculty across the University to protect biodiversity and its contributions to people at McGill.
Read McGill's Biodiversity Plan
Key Progress
McGill has taken concrete steps to enhance and protect biodiversity across its campuses and lands.
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The McGill Biodiversity Atlas is a digital repository of biodiversity and environmental datasets and information about the University’s properties. The Atlas’s interactive map features species observation records, spaces that support biodiversity, and tree canopy and urban heat distribution data.
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McGill has begun to establish biodiversity zones on campus with a goal to manage 30% of its greenspaces to foster biodiversity by 2030.
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A yearly Biodiversity Festival and Bioblitz have been hosted on our campuses since 2023 to engage students, faculty, and staff in efforts to protect and improve biodiversity at McGill.
Get Involved
Students, staff, and faculty members can help inventory biodiversity at McGill by using iNaturalist, a crowdsourced species identification system. By documenting the plants, insects, birds, mammals, and other wildlife seen on campus, McGillians contribute valuable observational data that can inform biodiversity efforts while learning more about the natural world that surrounds them.
- Download the Gault Nature Reserve’s quick guide to using iNaturalist
- Download a guide to making great iNaturalist observations
- Download a ruler to make accurate observations
- Celebrate nature on campus at the annual Biodiversity Festival.
- Discover new species on campus during the annual Bioblitz.
- Contribute to the Biodiversity Photo Contest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifies a university as Nature Positive?
A Nature Positive University is committed to halting its negative impact on nature and enhancing its positive impact through restoration. While the criteria for a university to be considered nature positive can differ depending on capacity and ambition, the core goal is to contribute meaningfully to nature conservation and restoration. To learn more, visit Nature Positive Universities: Make the Pledge.
Where can I track McGill’s progress towards its objectives?
You can track McGill’s progress towards its biodiversity objectives via the Biodiversity Atlas and by consulting McGill’s Climate & Sustainability Annual Report.
