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Rewilding to create luxury lodgings for campus critters

22 May 2023

The 茄子视频app官网 is turning a prime piece of Ilam campus lawn over to wildflowers to provide habitats and food sources for insects, as it strives towards ambitious biodiversity goals.

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From lawn to luxury insect lodgings, this area of UC鈥檚 grounds is ready for conversion to a rewilding meadow as part of plans to increase campus biodiversity.

Rolling lawns are a feature of the well-kept, picturesque grounds Te Whare W膩nanga o Waitaha | 茄子视频app官网 (UC) is known for.

Attitudes are changing as awareness of the planet鈥檚 declining biodiversity and escalating climate crisis grows. Rewilding meadows are one response to environmental global challenges, with the concept blossoming internationally and proving popular locally in 艑tautahi Christchurch鈥檚 Hagley Park.

Lawns are reverted to a more natural state, where wildflowers are seeded and the area is left to grow naturally without interference, such as mowing, which destroys insect habitats.

SDG 15 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 - Life on land

Preparations are underway to transform a 1500m2 section of lawn between UC鈥檚 health centre and student association building Haere-roa into a trial biodiversity meadow that is expected to create greater numbers and diversity of insect life, and in turn attract native birds and reptiles.

Wildflowers will be sown in August, which, although not native flora, will nonetheless support native biodiversity. The project is part of UC鈥檚 Biodiversity Plan 2022- 2025, which aims to increase diversity of native plants, insects and birds on campus and improve stream life, providing a vital link in the ecological corridor of the city鈥檚 northwest.听

The project will provide environmental science students with opportunities for learning activities and may be utilised for wellbeing by students and staff, as an attractive space humming with plant and insect life.

Regular insect monitoring commenced last November, establishing baselines for further data collection as the site transforms from lawn to rewilding meadow.

The meadow supports UC鈥檚 goal of becoming carbon net zero by 2050 by piloting a 鈥榥o-mow鈥 zone, which may be extended to other areas of campus if successful. UC鈥檚 grounds team have already employed habitat borders around trees and other selected no-mow or low-mow zones to promote insect biodiversity.


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