The Inventorium: a tool to catalogue biodiversity conservation actions on INRAE sites

Abstract

Launched in 2021 by INRAE’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Directorate, the Inventorium is a centralized tool designed to document and promote biodiversity-related actions across the institute. Accessible via the CSR intranet site, it enables staff members to contribute and access information on various biodiversity conservation and protection initiatives implemented across INRAE facilities. To date, the platform consolidates nearly 300 actions led by over a hundred contributors from diverse units, encompassing a wide range of activities such as biodiversity inventories, habitat restoration, installation of wildlife shelters, and changes in green space management practices. More than just a database, the Inventorium aims to become a catalyst for action. Its structure—based on a typology of actions, descriptive fields, geolocation features, and links to data or publications—enhances the visibility, sharing of practices, and monitoring of biodiversity action plans at the local level. Since its launch, the tool has seen growing adoption and is establishing itself as a strategic lever for structuring and amplifying INRAE’s biodiversity conservation efforts. However, to further strengthen its impact, the article recommends a more dynamic internal communication strategy (e.g., newsletters, testimonials, and best practice highlights), better integration into existing processes, and enhanced user support. Finally, the development of an interactive dashboard using DigDash is suggested to allow for clear, realtime data visualization.