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Sustainability

Fitz lawn in flower

Mark Jermy, our Senior Grounds Supervisor, and his team have been working tirelessly across the University’s Operational estate to improve our greenspaces for people and nature.

In his most prominent project yet, Mark and his team have been working closely with the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Ecological Advisory Panel and Cambridge City Council to transform an area of lawn outside the Fitzwilliam Museum. This installation has been planned to coincide with the ‘True to nature’ exhibition of open-air painting in Europe 1780-1870, which is running at the museum until 29 August, a free event with tickets available here. 

Not only has the work vastly improved the area for biodiversity and is aiding nature recovery, it has also impacted on the visitor experience. Manicured lawns can signal a ‘keep off the grass’ warning to people, the more relaxed and inviting meadow areas with clear routes through the area encourage people to explore.  Visitors can subsequently be found enjoying the flowers, listening to the buzzing of the bees and relaxing on the adjacent lawn area. A win for people and wildlife! 

In addition to the Fitzwilliam Museum meadow, areas have ‘sprung’ up all over the estate, including outside the Department of Veterinary Medicine, outside the Roger Needham and Civil Engineering Buildings alongside enhancing the accommodation blocks greenspaces on the West Cambridge site, in the Vice Chancellor’s garden, on the roof of the Maths Faculty building, in and around Greenwich House on the Madingley Rise site, and outside the Institute for Manufacturing. In total over 1,800 square metres of meadow have been created across the estate over the last couple of years. 

Creating these areas takes time and effort, Mark has previously written about the scope of work needed to create these areas, you can read more here

In addition to the meadow areas the team have been nurturing, they are allowing areas of grass across the estate to grow taller by relaxing their mowing regimes.  Taking cuts less frequently can improve plant diversity and in turn provide a better habitat for invertebrates. Cutting after the plants have set seed further improves the seed base within the soil and improves plant diversity year on year. 

Written by: Rachel Steward, Environmental Manager 

Photo credits: Mark Jermy, Senior Grounds Supervisor