Sustainability on campus

Biodiversity is the variety of life found in a specific location on Earth. This encompasses all of life, including the kingdoms of animalia, plantae, and fungi. It could be the Amazon Rainforest, the African Jungle, the Siberian Tundra, or the Australian Grasslands, but it could also be your local park, back garden, or meadow; all these systems combine to form what we call 'biodiversity.' 

According to the ‘State of the World’s Plants and Fungi’ report produced by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, up to 39.4% of plants are threatened with extinction, and the UK only has about half of its original biodiversity intact. The loss of biodiversity is likely to be occurring at a faster rate than botanists' ability to discover new species. 

Biodiversity can be impacted by a variety of factors, including climatic variation, pollution, and over-exploitation, as well as simple habitat loss, particularly in large city agglomerations. The vicious cycle of biodiversity loss can be broken, if not reversed, by implementing sustainable practices throughout the food system and increasing local biodiversity levels through projects like the UWL Memorial Garden. 

Biodiversity has an immediate impact on human life as we know it. Organisms would be unable to interact with one another and produce food for us if it did not exist. Plants, fungi, and animals all coexist in a symbiotic relationship, sometimes unconsciously, but they all contribute to and rely on their shared environment. 

The diversity of life is also important in ensuring food and nutrition security. Sufficient agrobiodiversity (agricultural biodiversity managed by cultivators of land and food) can help to halt the progression of soil depletion and erosion, nutrient loss in edible crops, and can help to protect our food systems from other factors such as climatic changes and disease, as well as contribute to an overall balance in the natural environment. 

UWL promotes increasing biodiversity through multiple sustainability initiatives and by offering a range of courses orientated around the issues that contemplate sustainability and the depletion of the Earth’s resources. 

The Memorial Garden is a prime example of how to develop local biodiversity hubs in urban areas. The project has over 55 native plants, some of which are edible and are used by our student chefs. 

UWL is also actively engaged with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew on discovering innovative solutions for improving agrobiodiversity and the sustainability of our food systems. This collaboration was established through a PhD project entitled “Increasing Food & Nutrition Security through Diversification of the Supply Chain with Forgotten Edibles”, which involves cooperation with various enterprises and individuals from across the agricultural and food sectors, in hope of facilitating inter-sector communication for the feasible increase of agrobiodiversity.

The Memorial Garden was designed in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Cultivate London, and Nicola the Gardener. The purpose is to create a space for native plants, insects, and fungi, leading to increased biodiversity and thriving micro-ecosystems, for their and our survival. 

Bug hotel: 

We partnered with a local charity, Cultivate London, to create our custom-made bug hotel. With natural habitats under increasing pressure and many already lost or damaged, a bug hotel provides a home for insects and in return, the insects will increase biodiversity, pollinate plants, and prey on pests. We used dead wood, hollow tubes, straw and hay, dry leaves, loose barks, and cardboard to create the perfect home where small creatures can escape from predators and bad weather. 

Flower bed: 

Our flower beds have been custom-made with sustainable timber. Flowers have an important role in our eco-system; they feed insects, birds, animals, and humans; they provide natural medicines for humans and animals; they aid in plant reproduction by enticing bees, butterflies and pollinators. Flowers benefit the environment by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. We have a range of plants including acanthus spinosus, snowdrop anemone, astrantia, male fern, Echinacea purpurea, and hellebore. We have displayed signs made from sustainable wood that have the origin, Latin and common name for each plant. 

Edible food garden:

Our vegetable and fruit beds have been custom-made with sustainable timber. Food grown locally is more nutritious and better for the environment. We have planted thyme, rosemary, mint, oregano, broad beans, garlic, strawberries, raspberry, blackcurrant, and blackberries. 

Bird houses: 

Our birdhouses have been sourced from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and are all made from environmentally friendly FSC timber. Birdhouses provide a safe place for birds to build their nests, protected from the elements and predators. In the winter months, they give visiting birds a place to snuggle together for warmth away from the cold air. Birds are important members of many ecosystems. They play a vital role in controlling pests, acting as pollinators, and maintaining island ecology, relevant to the UK. In addition, birds are important to humans in many ways, such as serving as a source of food and providing fertiliser in agricultural settings. 

Bat houses: 

Our bat boxes have been sourced from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and are all made from environmentally friendly FSC timber. Bats play an important role in the ecosystem as they pollinate plants and need a safe place to roost and raise their young. Interesting fact: bat droppings are full of nutrients and are good as a fertiliser. 

Seed bank: 

Globally, it is estimated that 40% of plant species are vulnerable to extinction. A seed bank is a form of insurance; a way of maximising the number of plant species we can save from this fate. Seed banks are therefore crucial in fighting food poverty. Our seed bank has been hand-made using sustainable and weatherproof wood to ensure durability for the future.