Case study · Cities & real estate
A monitored Learning Forest
Converting a campus sports field into a living biodiversity laboratory, with Spectrum sensor, PollyX, pollinator shelters, and a community engagement program involving students, families, and alumni.
When school green spaces are an invisible ecological opportunity
Educational institutions occupy significant green spaces with direct impacts on local biodiversity through soil management and garden maintenance, while depending on air quality and microclimate to ensure a healthy environment for students and staff. In Milan's peri-urban belt, the progressive loss of pollinator habitat and ecosystem fragmentation are not just ecological problems: they reduce territorial resilience and impoverish the environmental quality in which new generations grow up.
The challenge
Real data for teaching and community engagement
ASM needed to convert an sports field into a functional Learning Forest producing real environmental data students could use in biodiversity-focused lessons. It also needed a community experience : sustainability groups had to shift from awareness to action, involving families in ecosystem stewardship.
What we did
IoT sensors, pollinator shelters, and an integrated educational pathway
XNatura designed a system turning the Learning Forest into a data-powered outdoor classroom with community engagement for students, teachers, and families.
In the field
How we did it
From sports field to outdoor classroom
A project integrating IoT sensors, pollinator shelters, and satellite mapping to create a living biodiversity laboratory accessible to 900 students.
- 01Mapping the campus ecological potentialSatellite analysis assessed the campus and surrounding peri-urban context: soil coverage, vegetation indices, nectar potential, and ecological connectivity with neighboring green areas.
- 02Devices and shelters in the Learning ForestIn the Learning Forest, 1 Spectrum for bioacoustic pollinator census, 4 PollyX for air quality and microclimate monitoring, and 6 total pollinator shelters (including PollyX) were installed. Interactive educational panels along the path explain how the sensors work and the role of pollinators in the ecosystem.
- 03The community in the Learning ForestThe inauguration involved the entire school community: student ambassadors presented the installed technologies, the Greenies, Eco Warriors, Green Team, and Student Council groups led activities, and the “Fund a Tree, Plant a Legacy” campaign allowed families to adopt trees and structures. XNatura platform data is now integrated into the educational curriculum: students analyze PollyX time series, observe shelter colonization, and study pollinator clusters identified by the Spectrum.
- 04From campus to territoryLearning Forest data flows into the XNatura Environmental Platform, where the school monitors the evolution of campus biodiversity over time. The goal is to expand the model, connecting campus data with peri-urban context data to understand the Learning Forest's role in the local ecological network.
What the data says
Data from the Learning Forest
The Spectrum recorded 119 pollinators on campus, classifying them into 13 distinct clusters: data demonstrating that even a peri-urban area south of Milan can host a diverse insect community, provided it finds adequate habitat. The shelters produced concrete results: the PollyX protected approximately 450 solitary bees (est.), while the 6 total pollinator shelters housed approximately 3,150 individuals (est.), confirming that offering nesting habitat on campus generates a measurable response.
This data is accessible to students on the XNatura platform and becomes living teaching material. The student groups active in sustainability use the platform to track population evolution season by season, compare results between different shelters, and present discoveries to the school community during events and inaugurations.
Monitoring in action
Monitoring in action
Key sections of the XNatura Environmental Platform dedicated to the ASM Learning Forest.
The platform
Access the XNatura Environmental Platform
The platform with which the American School of Milan monitors Learning Forest biodiversity and integrates environmental data into the educational pathway.
Log in to the platform →
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What was the environmental challenge at American School of Milan?
When school green spaces are an invisible ecological opportunity. Educational institutions occupy significant green spaces with direct impacts on local biodiversity through soil management and garden maintenance, while depending on air quality and microclimate to ensure a healthy environment for students and staff. In Milan's peri-urban belt, the progressive loss of pollinator habitat and ecosystem fragmentation are not just ecological problems: they reduce territorial resilience and impoverish the environmental quality in which new generations grow up.
What method did XNatura use at American School of Milan?
A project integrating IoT sensors, pollinator shelters, and satellite mapping to create a living biodiversity laboratory accessible to 900 students.
What data came out of the American School of Milan project?
The Spectrum recorded 119 pollinators on campus, classifying them into 13 distinct clusters: data demonstrating that even a peri-urban area south of Milan can host a diverse insect community, provided it finds adequate habitat. The shelters produced concrete results: the PollyX protected approximately 450 solitary bees (est.), while the 6 total pollinator shelters housed approximately 3,150 individuals (est.), confirming that offering nesting habitat on campus generates a measurable response. This data is accessible to students on the XNatura platform and becomes living teaching material. The student groups active in sustainability use the platform to track population evolution season by season, compare results between different shelters, and present discoveries to the school community during events and inaugurations.
What access does American School of Milan have to the XNatura platform now?
The platform with which the American School of Milan monitors Learning Forest biodiversity and integrates environmental data into the educational pathway.
Do you want to monitor your campus biodiversity?
XNatura supports schools, universities, and educational institutions in monitoring and regenerating biodiversity, with IoT sensors, satellite mapping, and integrated educational pathways, transforming green spaces into living laboratories powered by real data.
Do you want to monitor your campus biodiversity?
XNatura supports schools, universities, and educational institutions in monitoring and regenerating biodiversity, with IoT sensors, satellite mapping, and integrated educational pathways, transforming green spaces into living laboratories powered by real data.
More in Cities & real estate
Affari Pubblici x VISA · Cities & real estateFrom parking lot to monitored green areaRead the case study
BAM · Cities & real estateNine hectares of measured biodiversity in the heart of MilanRead the case study
Municipality of Milan · Cities & real estateDoes reduced mowing really work? The data answerRead the case study