Award for the CampusGarden

The vbw Stiftung Lebensgrundlagen Bayern recently presented its sponsorship awards for the first time. It honoured a total of 18 projects from all regions of Bavaria, including in the fields of education, youth welfare, nature and animal protection, home care and sport. The CampusGarten at the University of Würzburg is one of them.

In this case, the winner is the Referat für Ökologie und Nachhaltigkeit (Department of Ecology and Sustainability) of the university's student's representation, which is responsible for the garden. "With the prize money, we can now tackle the last missing row of beds in the CampusGarten," explains Julian Müller, head of the department.

Wider paths, raised beds and special tools

The students want to pay particular attention to accessibility. "We will pave the path wider than the existing paths so that it is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs," says Müller. In addition, raised beds and special tools for people in wheelchairs are to be purchased. Other elements will make it easier for people with visual impairments to access the CampusGarten.

The initial inspection with the landscape gardener has already taken place; implementation is scheduled for next April. The redesign is being supported by the university's sustainability laboratory WueLAB and its employee Lars Wallstabe.

CampusGarden 2.0: Transformation of a barracks area

Thanks to the support of the vbw Foundation, there will soon be a total of around 80 beds in the CampusGarden, covering an area of around 3,000 square metres. Over the past few years, a monotonous meadow on a former barracks site has been transformed into a lively learning and meeting place under the name "Hortus Herbipolis".

Today, the project serves as a model for sustainable urban development on conversion sites by showing how permaculture planning can create resilient green structures in urban areas.

The ecological concept follows a 3-zone model:

• Buffer zone: over 200 planted trees and shrubs, including climate-resilient species such as sweet chestnuts and olive willows, act as windbreaks, shade providers and rain retention.
• Yield zone: This area contains the vegetable and herb cultivation areas, which are cultivated according to organic standards.
• Hot-spot zone: Habitats such as a sandarium, a lizard castle and ponds were created on lean sandy soil in order to specifically promote local biodiversity.

A central pillar of the project is the principle of the "commons" (common property). While the yield zones are maintained individually, the buffer zones with their stock of fruit and nuts are open to all visitors. This concept reflects the university's understanding of the campus as a public space for communal learning and responsible behaviour.

The sponsorship award

The vbw Stiftung Lebensgrundlagen Bayern, a foundation sponsored by the vbw - Vereinigung der Bayerischen Wirtschaft e. V., presented its sponsorship awards for the first time at the end of 2025. "Sustainable and responsible action has always been a key recipe for success for companies in Bavaria. This has made us strong in Bavaria, and we are sticking to these principles. This is also reflected in the awarding of prizes to the award-winning projects by our new vbw Stiftung Lebensgrundlagen Bayern," explained Bertram Brossardt, Chairman of the Board of the vbw Stiftung Lebensgrundlagen Bayern and Managing Director of the vbw - Vereinigung der Bayerischen Wirtschaft e. V. (Bavarian Industry Association).

The detailed project descriptions of the award winners can be found on the foundation's website:

Homepage of the CampusGarden