Meeting with AEEP
May 2026
Meeting with AEEP May 2026 On the 29th of May, a webinar was held by Project Gallery members, in collaboration with ANCV (Associação Nacinoal de Coberturas Verdes - National Association of Green Roofs), aimed at members of AEEP (Associação de Estabelecimentos de Ensino Particular e Cooperativo - Association of Private and Cooperative Schooling Establishments). Project Gallery was represented by project PI Cristina Matos Silva, and project members Isabel Loupa Ramos and Margarida Rei. Both Project Gallery and ANCV were presented to participants, as well as the benefits of the implementation of nature-based solutions, including green roofs and walls. This webinar served as a first point of contact between participants (and, consequently, their establishments), and we hope this was only the first of many meetings, and the project gallery and ANCV may help to bring nature-based solutions to these schools!
Ongoing Work - Biodiversity Sampling
May 2026
Ongoing Work - Biodiversity Sampling May 2026 The 25th of May, 2026, marks the end of the spring sampling season for project Gallery! As a part of Carolina Barbosa's Master's Dissertation, she was accompanied by Team Member Margarida Rei throughout several of Lisbon's green roofs, to sample both birds and pollinators. All pollinators have been identified, and now statistical analysis begins! Good luck, Carolina!
Bioblitz at Gulbenkian
May 2026
Bioblitz at Gulbenkian May 2026 On May 22nd 2026, a Bioblitz was held at the gardens of Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian. Did you know some parts of these gardens are green roofs? They're built over maintenance tunnels and a parking garage! A total of 65 species, spanning from birds and reptiles to insects and liquens, were recorded throughout this event, highlighting how well green roofs can be incorporated in the urban matrix (even when we barely notice they are there!).
Team Meeting
April 2026
Team Meeting April 2026 On April 22nd 2026, the team met at IST to touch base on ongoing work on all fronts, both at Instituto Superior Técnico and Faculdade de Ciências. All members are fully commited to their specific tasks and motivated to actively participate in other tasks, as team work makes the dream work!
Pre-print publication
March 2026
Pre-print publication March 2026 Rei, M., Barrocal, A., Matos Silva, C., Tiago, P., & Leal, A. (2026). Green roofs and urban gardens as Biodiversity Corridors: Evidence from Birds and Arthropods Communities in Lisbon (Portugal). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.19340058 Derived from the Master's Dissertation by project member Margarida Rei, which was done as a part of the Gravity project. Abstract: Green roofs are a type of Nature-Based Solution (NBS) in which built infrastructures, such as building rooftops or spaces above underground parking facilities, are partially or fully covered with vegetation. They provide well documented benefits for urban environments and human well-being, including rainwater retention, temperature regulation, air quality improvement, and economic benefits. However, research remains disproportionately focused on their functional and socio-economic benefits, with few studies examining the potential of green roofs to support urban biodiversity and their integration into the broader urban ecological network. This study aims to contribute to filling this knowledge gap, by comparing the biodiversity found on green roofs with that of other two urban structures: urban gardens and areas with little to no vegetation (hereafter, grey areas). Biodiversity assessments were conducted on 11 green roofs and adjacent urban gardens and grey areas in Lisbon (Portugal). Traditional sampling methods were used, including point counts for birds and active search transects for arthropods. The results indicate that bird and arthropod communities on green roofs are comparable to those found in urban gardens. Both urban structures supported significantly higher richness and abundance than grey areas. However, community composition was similar across all urban structures. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of the ecological value of green roofs and highlight their potential to expand green spaces within urban landscapes, underscoring their importance for supporting biodiversity in urban environments.
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Scientific paper publication
April 2026
Scientific paper publication April 2026 The first peer-reviewed paper from project Gallery has been published in Urban Ecosystems! Leal, A. I., Proença, V., Silva, C. M., Sousa, V., Vilar, D., Rei, M., Padinha, V., de Sousa, S., Soares, A., Ramos, C., Monteiro, E., Félix, R., Navalhas, I., & Tiago, P. (2026). A SWOT analysis of a citizen science BioBlitz event for recording biodiversity on green roofs in Portugal. Urban Ecosystems, 29(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-026-01945-1 Abstract: Urban areas can contain significant levels of biodiversity, contributing to more resilient ecosystems and healthier environments. Urban habitats like green roofs, that convert building surfaces into vegetated areas, can offer environments for organisms, though more information is needed about the biodiversity patterns within and across them. Human residents can help generate valuable urban biodiversity data through monitoring programs while strengthening their own awareness and connection to urban nature. This study explores the role of BioBlitzes in documenting biodiversity on urban green roofs by engaging citizen scientists, biodiversity experts and engineers. Four events were conducted in Lisbon, Portugal on 13 publicly accessible green roofs, yielding 1,123 observations of 345 taxa of plants, fungi, insects, arachnids, and birds. Based on the organisers’ experience and dialogue between citizens and researchers, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis reflected how BioBlitzes can promote public engagement, highlight the ecological potential of green roofs, and foster interdisciplinary collaborations. Strengths included cost-effective biodiversity assessment, public education, and increased visibility of green roofs as urban habitats. Weaknesses encompassed limited seasonal coverage, and uneven expertise among participants. Opportunities included long-term biodiversity monitoring, early detection of invasive species, and promotion of native flora. Threats involved misinterpretations of the importance of green roofs to biodiversity due to short time sampling, logistical constraints, and vegetation maintenance. These findings demonstrate how BioBlitzes on green roofs contribute to urban biodiversity knowledge, foster engagement of local residents in research, support policies about green infrastructure and nature-based solutions in city planning.
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ECSA 2026 - Oulu, Finland
March 2026
ECSA 2026 - Oulu, Finland March 2026 From March 3rd to Mrach 6th, 2026, the Gallery team was represented at the 6th European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) conference in Northern Finland, in Oulu, by Cristina Matos Silva and Patrícia Tiago. Together, they presented the scientific poster titled “Citizen science and public perceptions of biodiversity in Lisbon’s green roofs”.
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