Biodiversity Monitoring Week 2026 to take place in Montpellier

The first Biodiversity Monitoring Week (BioMonWeek 2026) will be held in Montpellier, France, from 4 to 8 May 2026. The event is conceived as a new European platform for biodiversity monitoring, bringing together experts from research, policy, public authorities, NGOs, the private sector, and citizen science to strengthen coordination and collaboration across countries and sectors. BioMonWeek 2026 is co-organized by Biodiversa+, GBIF, MARCO-BOLO, BioAgora, and the Alliance for Nature, with GBIF Sweden participating as a regional representative within the GBIF co-organization. The initiative aims to establish a recurring conference, held every two years, with a specific focus on European monitoring needs and priorities, complementing global initiatives such as GEO BON.

Unlike a traditional scientific conference, Biodiversity Monitoring Week is designed as a meeting place for the full monitoring community. The emphasis is on transnational cooperation, shared infrastructures, governance, and practical approaches to monitoring biodiversity at scale. The overarching theme for the 2026 edition is Towards mass biodiversity monitoring, reflecting the growing need for harmonized, large-scale, and policy-relevant monitoring across Europe.

The program will be structured around nine thematic areas, covering terrestrial, marine, and freshwater monitoring; data management and monitoring infrastructures; mass monitoring approaches; governance, policy, and funding; engagement with the private sector; and capacity-building. In addition to plenary sessions and parallel discussions, the week will include workshops, poster sessions, networking opportunities, and field excursions.

Registration for BioMonWeek 2026 is expected to open in early February 2026.

Further information about the event, including updates on the program and practical details, is available at: https://www.biomonweek.eu