Green Gown Awards 2020 - STAFF - Grounds & Gardens Team, University of Leicester - Highly Commen

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Sustainability Champion - STAFF - Grounds & Gardens Team, University of Leicester

Giving bees a chance, we have enhanced campus and community engagement activities; delivering partnered interactions, heightened wellbeing connectivity, and focused on sustainable biodiversity initiatives. 

The University of Leicester’s commitment to equality and diversity has been wholly embraced by the Gardens & Grounds Team who consistently go way above their planned and deliverable maintenance activities; with a creative, enthusiastic commitment to sustainability and biodiversity that helped propel our urban campus to achieve first place in the THE Impact Rankings for Goal 15: Life on Land. 

By engaging with staff, students, and the community (their Instagram account is buzzing), the team have created an urban oasis for all species that is a long way removed from the manicured lawns we expect from University campuses. Tapestry lawns, hedgehog tracks, tree planting with schools and a commitment to native species means that our research-led green spaces provide maximum carbon sequestration, species diversity and an altogether bee-autiful campus. 

Top 3 learnings:

1. Frontline staff are often the best innovators and implementers for positive change.  
2. Engaging Estates staff with academics and students can lead to positive, inspiring projects.  
3. Even urban, concrete campuses can be species-rich and bee-autiful with the right design and commitment. 

Videos

• Video #1 (click to hide)