BTU students win top prize for their ‘Campus Sponge Garden’ project

The DINIcompetition is open to students from all universities across Germany. In 2026, it took place for the eighth time. The EcoNET team was among the finalists and received the main prize, worth 3,500 euros. The judges’ comments particularly highlighted the idea’s excellent transferability and the effective integration of research and teaching. Through this competition, the German Initiative for Network Information (DINI) promotes sustainability in all its forms in a world increasingly characterised by the conservation of resources alongside digitalisation and the growing use of technology. The ‘GUMNO – The Campus Sponge Garden’ project was one of a total of three student ideas submitted to the competition.

A project that combines climate resilience with student engagement

How can a university campus better cope with heat, drought and heavy rainfall whilst also being a place where students can learn, experiment and take action together? – This is the central question that the student environmental group has set out to address. ‘GUMNO – The Campus Sponge Garden’ provides an answer. Students from Germany, the USA, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are working together with great dedication to put their ideas on climate adaptation, biodiversity and sustainable water use into practice.

Taking GUMNO further

In Lower Sorbian, ‘GUMNO’ means ‘garden’. The students have adopted this name, which refers to the Sorbian culture of Lusatia. A garden used by students on the main campus in Cottbus is not a new idea, but the environmental group is giving it a fresh twist: a climate-resilient campus garden is to be created and significantly expanded on a new plot next to the university’s post office building. 

The existing community garden is to be transformed into a climate adaptation project: rainwater is to be collected and utilised on-site wherever possible. This will support natural cooling through vegetation and create additional space for biodiversity. In the GUMNO real-world laboratory, approaches to water retention, soil improvement and microclimatic cooling are to be tested. Plans include pergolas, raised beds and mounded beds, as well as other modular elements without permanent concrete foundations.

From prize to implementation

The prize money from the competition, amounting to 3,500 euros, is a key building block for the project’s implementation. Once the existing GUMNO site has been cleared, the new area will be developed in stages and the concept further refined. The students intend to share their experiences with other universities involved in similar, student-led climate adaptation projects.

EcoNET – Environmental issues that bring people together 

It all began with the desire of committed students not only to discuss their own ideas on environmental and nature conservation issues at the BTU, but also to put them into practice. This process was supported by various departments and dedicated staff members at the university. Olga Pashulia, Environmental Management Coordinator at the BTU, guided the group through the coordination process within the university and helped them to network with relevant contacts. An environmental quiz organised in collaboration with NABU (Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union) in the winter provided a lively start to further dialogue. 

At the start of summer 2026, the group adopted the name EcoNET. Ideas were turned into concrete project proposals. There was a great deal of interest and support within the BTU. The student team works closely with the Environment Unit of the BTU Students’ Council. The prize money is a mark of recognition and a welcome boost for EcoNET to further develop and implement this sustainable project.

The development of GUMNO into a climate-resilient campus project was initiated by Meagan Moore, a student on the Environmental and Resource Management (ERM) study programme and a former member of the ERM Board of Students, and jointly developed by the EcoNET team. Sourav Ganguly, Imam Mehedi Ashfi, Hadija Munir, Minidi Vitharana, Ayesha Moshtaq, Florian Tamma, Mariia Gerasimova and Emilia Riemer were involved in developing the concept and preparing the application for the DINI competition.

EcoNET is open to interested students from all study programmes and faculties at the BTU. They can get involved in the design and creation of the garden, as well as in its subsequent use and maintenance.