Camp Nou publish guide to wildlife in football stadium

It’s hard to imagine that wildlife flourishes in a football stadium, but then when you think about it it’s only a noisy place during football matches.

And Barcelona has now become probably the first football club to write a guide about the myriad of creatures that occupy the terraces when no one is about.

Jordi Portabella who is an environmentalist is in charge of developing Barcelona’s policy for sustainability. He says, “The guide is part of the club rethinking its role in the community and its environmental impact.”

That impact though will be in danger when the season ends in May and Barcelona begin the reconstruction of the stadium. The work will mean the upper stand will be demolished to create a larger capacity for fans. That work will have an effect on many of the birds that nest in the Camp Nou stadium.

Portabella continued “ They are taking measures to protect the nests as best they can and to establish new nesting areas to ensure the birds return when work is complete. Migratory species such as swallows and Martins have been nesting on the exterior or inside the roof of the stadium since it was built in 1957.” The bats are close to the seats reserved for the President and the important guests at Camp Nou.

The specialist company that carried out the wildlife census said that thirty-four species had been counted with thirty-one made up of birds, one group of mammals which are bats and two reptiles.

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Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/18/barcelona-football-camp-nou-stadium-animal-inhabitants-wildlife