Keeping Things Wild in Ateneo
The Ateneo Wild, a social media platform for citizen scientists, reveals that the university is home not just to students and employees, but also to rich urban biodiversity.
Since its official establishment in 2018, The Ateneo Wild has been advocating for citizen science and celebrating urban biodiversity in the Ateneo de Manila University. It has continuously showcased diverse plants, animals, and even fungi that are found on campus. The golden yellow flowers of narra trees (Pterocarpus indicus), the bright pink blossoms of the bougainvillea (Bougainvillea glabra) at the Science Education Complex, the paradise tree snake (Chrysopelea paradisi), and the migratory peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) are just some examples of the rich biodiversity that The Ateneo Wild has showcased. “Our goal is to really establish a network of ‘wild projects’ online that will campaign for green spaces in our urban environments,” said Trinket Constantino, Ateneo Biology instructor and co-founder of The Ateneo Wild.
Through The Ateneo Wild, students, employees, Jesuit residents, and other contributors get to share their snapshots of wildlife on campus. Rarely observed species such as the approximately 10-foot-long reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) found near the Barangka steps are exhibited through this platform. Collaborations of scientists and enthusiasts also uncover the unique characteristics of some species in the campus such as the unique coloration of the common mime (Chilasa clytia) butterfly larvae. Evidence of successful reproduction of the bayawak or Philippine water monitor (Varanus marmoratus) also serve as indicators that the campus is indeed a green space despite being in an urbanized area.
“The Ateneo Wild is more than just a Facebook or Instagram page for audience engagement. It is a program that offers a lot of activities such as guided bird or nature walks, exhibits, and scientific data collection with the goal of completing a biodiversity inventory that can help the administration make management decisions on how our green spaces in the campus are to be used, developed, or not developed at all. We want urban biodiversity to be a part of regular conversation,” said Abby Favis, Ateneo Environmental Science instructor and co-founder of The Ateneo Wild.
Analyzing the Hymns of Nature
The campus lockdown brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has yielded an unexpected new research direction. The Ateneo Wild, through the Areté Sandbox Residency program, and in collaboration with Aaron Vicencio, Communication Department instructor and Director of the Eugenio Lopez Center for Multimedia Communication, has ventured into soundscape ecology.
Recordings of bird songs and raw campus noises have been collected and curated in The Ateneo Wild’s SoundCloud account. Although these sounds are often regarded as mere “background noise,” they actually provide information about wildlife on campus and how they interact with humans. Together with Francesco Amante, lecturer at the Department of Information Systems and Computer Science, they plan to compare the soundscape before and after the pandemic. “We want to see how different the bird songs are as a result of the lockdown. We are investigating whether it changed or not,” said Favis.
Bringing Nature Closer to Home
Inspired by these hidden gems in the campus, The Ateneo Wild developed a coloring book series that helps users identify, report, and familiarize themselves with the wildlife around them through a therapeutic manner. Illustrated by Iya Regalario (AB HUM 2008), the series is divided into four different books focusing on native trees, resident birds, wildflowers, and moths and butterflies. The books were made possible with the support of Dr. Assunta Cuyegkeng and the Ateneo Institute of Sustainability. “We want people to be familiar with the wildlife around them. We think that publishing coloring books can help enthusiasts identify species and inculcate attention to detail,” said Constantino.
Last October 2020, The Ateneo Wild developed another project in collaboration with Forest Foundation Philippines: a set of flashcards called City Wild Urban Biodiversity from A to Z. It was crafted to help parents and teachers integrate ecology and urban biodiversity in their lessons. Featuring art by Inya de Vera (BFA ID 2019), the printable flashcard set is free for everyone to download.
Run by the dynamic duo of Favis and Constantino, The Ateneo Wild continues to bring the science of biodiversity conservation to wildlife enthusiasts through creative means. As it endeavors to make the concept of biodiversity accessible and relevant, the popular platform continues to deepen the Ateneo community’s appreciation for the rich biodiversity that they share the campus with.
To learn more about The Ateneo Wild, visit their Facebook account. To purchase The Ateneo Wild Coloring Book Series, visit Loyola Schools Bookstore or buy it online through the University Press.
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