Green Gown Awards 2019 - Cranfield University - Finalist

This project is about changes to our grounds maintenance which have slowly but surely transformed the campus. This has been inspired by and is still informed by academic research and learning. It has increased our interaction with the local community and helped us engage with more and more staff and students.  

Starting with a change in grass cutting regimes and the planting of some small wildflower plots. It led to a Biodiversity Action Plan being established and a landscape strategy incorporating biodiversity with a major wildlife corridor being key elements of the new Masterplan for the campus. There has been a re-wilding of elements including a brook and hedges. All this has won recognition with awards three years running from the Wildlife Trust and also an award to our ground’s contractor from Horticulture Week.  

This year a new woodland trail has been installed with funding from a Green Infrastructure Grant. 

Top 3 learnings:

1. Engage staff and students in wildlife projects - they become advocates for further actions. 
2. Value biodiversity action areas as organisational assets demonstrating good environmental management and aiding marketing. 
3. There is a real synergy in combining academic expertise, campus resources and site management.