FC Barcelona has created and published a guide detailing the biodiversity within the club's facilities. The initiative has been undertaken by the Sustainability Department. The guide can be downloaded for free from the club's website.

First publication of its kind in the world?

All indications are that this is the first publication of its kind in the history of football and the facilities associated with the discipline. As reported in the Spanish daily La Vanguardia, Jordi Portabella himself, director of the club's Sustainability Department, commented on it. He stated: We haven’t been able to find any other guide of this type, at least we don’t know of any other big club that has published a biodiversity manual like this one.

The publication is available in Spanish and Catalan. It can be downloaded free of charge from the club's official website in PDF format. It presents 34 species of animals inhabiting Spotify Camp Nou stadium and FC Barcelona's surrounding facilities. These include 31 bird species, 2 reptile species and 1 mammal species. The guide provides comprehensive information on all of these animals and tips on how to observe them.

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However, how is it possible that such a rich ecosystem exists in the club's buildings? It should be noted that Barcelona is located in a subtropical climate zone of the Mediterranean type. Such conditions favour biodiversity, making the Catalan capital home to many animal species. Moreover, as the guide points out, from a biological point of view, the stadium is a cliff and the surrounding area is open and wooded. As a result, the species encountered are, on the one hand, cliff dwellers and, on the other, animals associated with wooded environments.

Barça's tribute to biodiversity

The club's environment-focused activities are no coincidence. FC Barcelona's website highlights the scale of man-made climate change and its negative impact on the environment. Spokespersons for the Blaugrana refer to the resolutions of the recent UN Conference on Biodiversity (COP 15) and link to them the club's latest actions in the context of environmental protection.

FC Barcelona, however, is not limited to a biodiversity guide. The relevant departments are constantly working on approaches to protecting the animals residing at Spotify Camp Nou and the surrounding facilities. Some measures have already been taken - for example, special installations have been set up for the resident birds in the complex. These efforts are of great importance given the upcoming modernization of the Barcelona's stadium, which will increase its capacity from 98,000 to 105,000 seats. The works planned for Spotify Camp Nou will be preceded by appropriate studies and preventive measures. As a result, the renovation will have a minimal impact on biodiversity, while the animals living in Barça's complex will not suffer.

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