Memorial Garden at the Ealing campus showing a sign with the title "NO MOW" surrounded by grass and vegetation.
Memorial Garden at the Ealing campus showing a sign with the title "NO MOW" surrounded by grass and vegetation.

UWL embraces biodiversity for No Mow May

Intro

The University of West London proudly participated in No Mow May, a national initiative aimed at enhancing biodiversity by allowing grass and wildflowers to grow freely throughout the month. This effort, implemented across various campus green spaces, sought to create a haven for local flora and fauna, enriching the University's ecological landscape.

Main body

A student wandering around the memorial garden at the Ealing site.

UWL's Environmental Sustainability Officer, Dan Skelton, conducted a biodiversity assessment at both the Memorial Garden and Vestry Hall in Ealing, identifying the various plant species that flourished during this period. In total, 32 new species were identified - 15 in the Memorial Garden; 11 at Vestry Hall; and six at both sites.

The Memorial Garden first opened in 2022 and was designed with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Cultivate London, and Nicola the Gardener, to benefit nature and the UWL community by creating a thriving ecosystem of native plants, insects, and fungi. Before No Mow May, it already included 55 native plants, some of which are edible and used by UWL’s student chefs.

A student smiling whilst sat on a bench in the memorial garden.

The Garden has features to enhance biodiversity including its custom-made bug hotel offering shelter to insects, which in turn pollinate plants, and prey on pests, decreasing the need for toxic pesticides.

Made with sustainable timber, flower beds feature plants like acanthus spinosus, snowdrop anemones, astrantias, male ferns, Echinacea purpurea, and hellebores. These feed insects, birds, animals, and humans, and aid in plant reproduction by attracting pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Custom-made vegetable and fruit beds support the growth of thyme, rosemary, mint, oregano, broad beans, garlic, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, and blackberries.

Sourced from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), birdhouses offer safe nesting spots for birds, protecting them from predators and cold weather. Boxes provide safe roosting sites for bats which pollinate plants and their nutrient-rich droppings make excellent fertiliser. With 40% of plant species at risk of extinction, the handmade seed bank serves as a crucial insurance policy, preserving plant species and fighting food poverty.

UWL’s Environmental Sustainability team are currently completing free biodiversity audits at five local schools across Ealing as part of a community outreach programme. Students are actively involved in the process, working to identify different species of plants, insects, and other wildlife. This hands-on experience instils a sense of responsibility and enthusiasm for environmental sustainability among young learners and provides schools with practical suggestions to enhance their green spaces.

Dan said:

Through initiatives like No Mow May, UWL is not just a place of learning but also a beacon of sustainability and biodiversity, setting an example for urban green spaces everywhere.

The vibrant, thriving ecosystems being nurtured on campus are a testament to what can be achieved when nature is given the space to grow and flourish."

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