Campus Garden: Growing together on campus

In recent years, students and staff on campus have already carried out numerous projects aimed at making the campus more sustainable – ranging from tree planting and wildflower meadows to planting flower bulbs and perennials. Now, a larger community project is to be launched. An area below the Humboldtbau, the university’s central lecture theatre block, offers space for this.

Exactly what the campus garden will look like and what will grow there is still to be decided. At an initial meeting, interested students and staff have already brainstormed ideas. One thing is clear: the garden is set to be a collaborative project in which people with different interests, experiences and skills can get involved. Whether it’s gardening, planning, building, watering or simply chatting together – all support is welcome.

There is also great enthusiasm amongst the participants. Johanna is particularly keen to get involved because she used to love helping out in her grandfather’s garden as a child: “I don’t have any special technical knowledge, but I’m really interested and I always find the Sustainability Working Group fascinating.”

Meike also has gardening experience and particularly values the community aspect: “I love gardens and public gardens. I think it’s pretty cool when people get together to do something like this. If lots of people take part, the work can be shared out effectively.”

Romana Rauch, the initiator from the Sustainability Working Group in the StuRa, also wants the project to highlight different ways of gardening: “I’d like to showcase various things in the garden – from creating a Benjes hedge with deadwood to vertical gardening – to demonstrate: this is what nature can look like, and this is what gardening can look like. The more facets we can highlight from a scientific or user perspective, the better it would be for me.”

Research and technology could also play a role in this in the future. For instance, TU Ilmenau already has experience with automation techniques for irrigation, robotics to assist with planting work, and monitoring plants using modern sensor technology.

“We were delighted that so many people are keen to contribute their knowledge, commitment and skills, or to learn something new,” says Prof. Jens Wolling. “We’d like to get started soon so that the first sowing can begin in the spring.”

Fancy getting involved in the campus garden?

Whatever motivates you – you’re very welcome! At the meeting as part of the 8th Sustainability Days, you’ll have the chance to find out more about the project, contribute your own ideas and help make the idea of a community garden on campus a reality.

22 October 2026, 5.00 pm
Humboldtbau, HU10

Come along and be part of the project!

Would you like to help us build a Benjes hedge?

Then come along to our workshop as part of the Sustainability Days! 

23 October 2026, 3 pm, Ehrenbergwiese