Biodiversity and Glasgow University

You have to go back to the fifteenth century to trace the roots of the University of Glasgow. Fast forward to the present, and you find a highly respected academic institution that remains relevant and dynamic. One area of increasing activity is the University’s approach to greenspace management. Paul Brannan is the Grounds Operations Manager, and in this guest blog he outlines many of the actions taking place across the University estate to help nature.

Founded in 1451, Glasgow University has more listed buildings than any other university in the United Kingdom. With such a remarkable architectural legacy you might think that greenspaces don’t get much of a look in. However, that’s not the case, the university has vigorously embraced action to help nature around its estates.  

There are three sizable Glasgow University estates dotted within Greater Glasgow. They are very different from each other, yet each has the common task of ensuring their natural spaces deliver a range of benefits, complement historic surrounds, and support the academic energy of the university. 

At the best-known of the trio — Gilmorehill campus, in Glasgow’s West End — David Jamieson as the University’s Grounds Lead, works with his team to achieve a nature-friendly environment within a bustling urban location. He and his team spend considerable time looking at ways the site can be made appealing to the students and academics who use it, whilst benefitting biodiversity. 

Arguably dominated by the famous Gilbert Scott building, the Gilmorehill campus sits amidst a wealth of mature trees. Beneath the impressive canopy David and his colleagues transform areas of shrubbery with native plant species, and enhance lawned areas with swathes of nectar-rich bulbs which increasingly support early-season pollinators.

The university recognises the opportunities presented by its location in the heart of the city, and acknowledges it can ‘dove-tail’ its own efforts with the wider Biodiversity Action Plan of the City of Glasgow. Their sites can contribute to green corridors and stepping stones, and thus boost pollinator-friendly work being carried out by the city council.

There is certainly more open space and greenery to tap into four miles along the road at the university’s Garscube estate just beyond Maryhill. 

Spanning 200 acres, Garscube is home to Veterinary Medicine students, the Wolfson Hall of Residence and impressive outdoor sports facilities. It was bought in 1947 and added to the university’s property portfolio as a solution to overcrowding at the popular Gilmorehill campus.

David’s enthusiastic team are taking decisive steps this year to encourage emerging pollinators, and to this end will be joining the increasingly high profile ‘No Mow May’ campaign. This fits neatly with the goals of the University’s Biodiversity Action Plan.  

Heading out beyond Garscube’s leafy surrounds, the next significant property in the University’s ownership is Cochno Farm. 

The estate was purchased in 1954 when it consisted of 220 acres, including 42 acres of woodland. Today the site, which lies just north of Clydebank, extends to approximately 850 acres. It is the Scottish Centre for Production Animal Health & Food Safety, as well as housing the University’s College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences. 

During 2023 around 20,000 additional trees were planted here as part of the university’s long-term sustainability strategy and climate change response. Director of Sustainability Dr Roddy Yarr notes the impact this will have; “The new forest will increase our biodiversity effort, creating and enhancing habitats on the farm”.

Among those 20,000 or so trees planted at Cochno Farm are various native species, including Scots Pine, Silver Birch, Downy Birch, Rowan, English Oak, Sessile Oak, Hawthorn, Black Elder and Goat Willow.

This all chimes neatly with the University’s latest Biodiversity Action Plan. Built around Phase-One habitat surveys carried out at Cochno, Gilmorehill, and Garscube, the findings have emphasised the need to reduce non-native species across all of the university sites. 

David senses that within the University community his work to deliver positive biodiversity outcomes has strong support.  “We want to help biodiversity across the University campuses as much as we can,” he notes, “and our grounds management approach is one way we can do this. The mapping and surveying carried out by our students has been extremely valuable, and has helped direct us towards focussing time on reducing our non-native species during a period when traditionally we would normally be focussed on mowing areas. This, of course, will give pollinators a significant helping hand”. 

Telling contributions have been made across numerous spheres by University of Glasgow staff and graduates. From the fields of politics and medicine, through to famous authors and notable scientists, the list of high achievers is lengthy.

Today, the University of Glasgow remains one of the top universities in the world, and the drive to nurture a range of biodiversity-rich habitats on its estates is testament to a desire to merge local action with international vision. Scotland’s first university to declare a climate emergency, Glasgow University has always had an eye as much on the future as the past.

Further reading:

University of Glasgow, Biodiversity Strategy and Action plan (2022-2027)

The Glasgow University team: Stephen McAnenay (Biodiversity & Arbioculture Co-ordinator), Stewart Miller (Sustainability Team), Dr Stewart White (Senior Lecturer), Samantha Gibbons (Biodiversity Promoter with GUEST (Glasgow University Environmental Sustainability Team)) and Molly Davidson, GUEST Biodiversity and Gardening Coordinator.

Overhead image of Glasgow University courtesy and (c) Glasgow University website.

Dundee’s positive changes

They’ve been busy in Dundee.  Very busy.  Dundee City Council has been implementing a range of measures to help biodiversity, and, as part of a review of grassland management, the Council held a public consultation on changes to 27 parks and greenspaces. The aim has been primarily nature-friendly management. 

Newly seeded biodiversity grassland at Dawson Park in Broughty Ferry

Dundee currently boasts 49.5 ha of natural grasslands, with a further 10 ha described as biodiversity grassland. Those naturalised grasslands are cut once a year but the cuttings aren’t lifted, whereas in the biodiversity grasslands areas one or two cut are carried out each year and the cuttings are lifted. These areas already had a good range of common wildflowers

Some of the latter areas have been additionally sown with yellow rattle (aka the meadow maker) whilst others have had perennial wildflower seeds introduced to improve the sites and hopefully reduce the amount of intervention needed in future. In addition, Nature Restoration Funding allowed for the purchase of new machinery to assist in the ‘cut and lift’ management of these areas. This will reduce nutrient levels and help the wildflowers gain a foothold.

The creation of a new perennial wildflower meadow created at the city’s Scott Street was made so much easier by working hand-in-hand with the Friends of Balgay community group. Situated in the west end of Dundee, the area has several wide-open green spaces, as well as secluded areas with seating. The Friends group have been active for several years, promoting the Balgay Park and working closely with the Council to make space for nature.

At the other end of the financial spectrum, the ‘Broughty Ferry to Monifieth Active Travel project, funded by Transport Scotland through Sustains ‘Scotland’s Places for Everyone’, includes the creation of significant areas of native coastal grassland. Works along the Esplanade have seen the removal of non-native shrubs, dunes planted with Marram and sea lyme grasses, and what should in time be an impressive avenue of trees. To complete the activity, three hectares of coastal grassland seeding took place during Autumn 2023. 

About one hectare of annual wildflower areas was sown and managed in 2022, and the council aimed for a similar area to be created in 2023. An additional three hectares of wildflowers were sown in partnership with the Eden Project at Morgan Academy, Riverside Drive and Camperdown Park, with striking interpretation providing highlighting the importance of these areas to pollinators.

Newly seeded biodiversity grassland at Magdalen Green in the West End

Anyone concerned by the threats facing pollinators will have a keen interest in insecticide and herbicide use. Dundee City Council is reviewing herbicide policies with the aim to reduce overall use and to explore alternatives. Mechanical weed rippers were purchased for use on hard surfaces, and additional street sweeping carried out in 2022 to remove the detritus that builds up allowing weeds to colonise. Overall, the volume of herbicide used by Dundee City Council has reduced by 66% in the last 5 years, with a reduction of 45% since the publication of the city’s Biodiversity Action Plan in 2020. 

Ornamental flower and shrub beds have also fallen under the Council spotlight. 

At Seabraes, on the Perth Road, revamped flower beds were revised and pollinator-friendly plant species, provided a haven for invertebrates. Other project areas included Baxter Park, Balgay-Blackness Road seating area, Lily Walker Homeless Unit and Camperdown Park. The projects in these sites focus on tree planting, creation of perennial wildflower areas and wildlife-friendly bulb and herbaceous perennial planting to deliver biodiversity benefits.  

And, in a departure from the bigger park projects, two new ‘pocket parks’ were created at Lorimer Street and Moncur Crescent. The planting within these mini-parks includes trees and herbaceous perennials and grasses, thus bringing valuable new habitats in very urban areas.

The Council obtained an additional £262,000 from the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund for the creation of Climate Resilient Woodlands. Twelve hectares were planted with 28,000 native trees at Riverside Nature Park, Balgay Hill and an area next to Clatto Country Park. Amongst the trees are wild cherry, crab apple, hawthorn and blackthorn all of which are particularly good for a range of pollinator species.

Of course, what strikes one party as good works, may perplex or annoy another, hence changes sometimes need to be explained. In a Facebook post Dundee City Council alerted residents to the changes. They acknowledged that some residents might see change in the city’s green spaces and “wonder why small areas of local parks aren’t being mowed like they used to be?”

Biodiversity grassland area at Myrekirk Park in the West End, seeded with yellow rattle

The answer, the council explained, is that “In Dundee we are creating carefully managed biodiversity havens. Greater levels of biodiversity helps to ensure the natural sustainability of all life, which is especially important in a time of global climate change.”  Communicating the purpose of change is an oft undervalued, but essential, step if changes are to gain traction and support locally.

What is happening in Dundee is undoubtedly good for pollinators. It fits well with the European environmental zeitgeist. The forthcoming EU Nature Restoration Law includes targets to reverse the decline in pollinators and to restore degraded ecosystems. 

And Dundee is nothing if not innovative. In 2014 the city was named the UK’s first UNESCO City of Design. That title recognised diverse contributions to fields including medical research, comics, video games and Dundee is of course now home to the superb V&A Dundee: Scotland’s first design museum. Now it seems the designs the city has for biodiversity, and pollinators, are drawing equally admiring glances.

Falkirk’s nature network

It’s been another busy year at Falkirk Council, and their work to help our hard-pressed pollinators has certainly been gathering momentum. I recently met Anna Perks, the Biodiversity Officer with the local authority, and she filled me on their fantastic progress.

“Habitat loss and fragmentation remain key issues facing our pollinators,” acknowledges Anna, “and Falkirk Council’s Sustainable Grass Management Pilot Project is one of our strands of work designed to tackle this issue.  Since 2021 we have created over 21 hectares of naturalised grass habitat, along with at least 2 hectares of wildflower meadow.”

This is impressive in its own right (bearing in mind that between 1932 and 1984 we lost over 90% of our natural grasslands in the UK), but when you consider that the Falkirk work was carried out in areas that were previously given over to short, amenity grass you can see that a shift in purpose is taking place.

The biodiversity team in Falkirk have also planted over 240,000 spring flowering bulbs and 47 fruit trees.  That’s a welcome addition to the pollinator resource, particularly as this offers a food source early in the season when we know that emerging queens are on the wing and scouring the landscape for a vital feed. 

It would be fair to say that the Falkirk approach is working well, but don’t just take my word for it.  Anna is delighted that surveys carried out on their sites are revealing improvement. “Surveys at six of their 35 pilot sites have identified 96 different plant species” she explains. “We have recorded over 90 invertebrate species in the meadow and naturalised grass areas.  That’s progress which compares very favourably to just a handful of plant species, and a maximum of 2 invertebrate species, in the short amenity grass at the same sites previously!”

The surveys have thrown a spotlight on some interesting insect species. Most of the invertebrates recorded depend on long grass and nectar-rich wildflowers to survive. Thus it was heartening to see the common green grasshopper which needs long grass to complete its life cycle, orange-tip butterflies feeding on cuckoo flower, and a variety of bumblebees as well as numerous hoverflies found feeding on the nectar-rich wildflowers. It’s amazing what can quickly thrive in areas where the grass had previously been mown short each year.

‘Second Nature’ is the 3rd Biodiversity Action Plan for the Falkirk Council area. It includes lots of actions and projects to help the area’s local wildlife. Working with many different organisations, community groups and individuals the local authority are making good progress on a range of challenges. Why not settle down in your favourite spot and enjoy this captivating booklet?   Inspiration is sure to follow.

Stop Press : Falkirk Council’s Executive Committee have now given approval for their pilot project to be mainstreamed, rolling out the changes to the way the council manages grasslands and greenspaces to other sites within the Falkirk Council area. It’s fantastic news and a real recognition by Falkirk Council of the positive benefits that the pilot project delivered for biodiversity, climate and health & well-being.

Further reading: 

Our January 2021 Falkirk update carried an interview with Anna.

In 2018 we carried a feature on the Falkirk Pollinator way.

Aberdeen’s natural progress

Of late Aberdeen City Council’s Environmental Services team has adopted a more natural approach to managing many of the city’s greenspaces. That’s good news for nature, and the people of Aberdeen.  As the team in the north-east are quick to point out, managing urban spaces specifically for nature is an effective conservation strategy to help protect biodiversity, while spending time in nature-rich green spaces helps improve our mental and physical health.

There is a rapid coming to terms with the need to take action across Scotland to manage greenspaces more sustainably. There are two towering drivers. One is to mitigate against the impacts of climate change, the other is to support biodiversity. 

Fernielea Green Space natural wildflowers.

In the biodiversity mix are our pollinators. Our bumble bees, solitary bees, hoverflies, butterflies, beetles and moths are under pressure, with habitat loss, disease, pesticides and climate change on the charge list. The philosophy adopted in Aberdeen, which restores and creates habitat, would work well across the country and take some of the pressure off pollinators. 

Aberdeen’s changes are, by adopting common sense approaches such as reducing grass cutting, planting trees, shrubs, and wildflowers, boosting habitats for many species. What’s more they do so in a way which doesn’t exclude people and supports the urban environment.

That latter point will strike a chord with many to are increasingly looking to good green infrastructure to provide nature based solutions and improve city living.  In Aberdeen the act of planting more trees alone improves the local air quality and reduces rainwater run-off.

The is no doubt that Aberdeen’s goals were hampered by the Coronavirus outbreak. The subsequent lockdowns meant that their Environmental Service was effectively stood down. This placed significant restrictions on much of the work that the service carried out. But in the background it was providing an opportunity to take stock of how the city manages its greenspaces and contemplate changes that could be made. And we know that across the globe the challenges of lockdowns reconnected people with nature.

Steven Shaw who is Aberdeen City’s Environmental Services Manager, was one of those who seized the moment to turn things on their head.

‘When the service resumed,” he says, “it was seen as a perfect opportunity to trial a different way to manage green space, with a focus to do so in a more natural way, to help with climate change mitigation and increase biodiversity benefits, but ensuring also that the Aberdeen public continued to enjoy access to good greenspaces.“The simplest way to manage these open spaces for nature was to reduce grass cutting and encourage nature to bloom.  Many of the areas were, and remain, popular areas for walking, running, cycling and dog walking, and are away from the surfaced path network. To maintain access for these activities, wide paths have been cut though the areas of longer grass.

“Routes for these paths were chosen by following ‘desire lines’ where usage revealed the natural paths people were taking. This was often a link between points of interest or access to any existing surfaced path network. The extent of mown paths will be regularly assessed on a site-by-site basis. If more paths are requested the service will look to include them.”

An example of a mown path through biodiversity friendly grassland

An impressive list of sites across Aberdeen are now managed in a more natural way and benefit from relaxed mowing regimes and new planting.  Sites benefitting from the new approach include 

• Stonehaven Road 
• Riverside Drive
• Garthdee Road 
• Heatheryfold
• Maidencraig
• St Fitticks Park
• Westfield Park
• Raeden Park
• Parkway former Trunk Road Verges
• Culter Bypass
• Fernielea Park
• Kingswells Bypass
• Eric Hendrie Park
• The Woodies, Broomhill Road
• Skene Road Verges
• Riverview Drive

It is an impressive list, and what’s more it is particularly pleasing that the Aberdeen team didn’t just assume they had got it right. They surveyed the sites to see what changes had taken place, and noted the species thriving. That provided cast-iron confirmation that they were making a difference.

Around 80 species of wildflowers and plants were found in the list of sites. Those flowers included northern marsh orchids, buttercups, hawkbits, dandelions, scentless mayweed, ox-eye daisy, meadowsweet, cow parsley, bugle, sorrel, red clover, white clover, and birds-foot trefoil. Inevitably this had a beneficial knock on effect for a host of pollinators ensuring that there was variety and something in flower at different times.

It is important to emphasise that there is not always a ‘one size fits all’ solution to sites. All these areas will therefore receive a site-specific maintenance programme.  This will include a mixture of different regimes, from areas being left alone, to grass being cut and uplifted once a year, through to grass that is cut twice per year.  Of course, for the mixed use agenda to thrive grass paths and access points will need to be regularly cut and maintained.  It’s that willingness and determination to go back and see what has worked and what needs tweaked that will serve Aberdeen well.

There is also a ‘softer’ dividend in the form of partnership working. As Steven noted “The new methods are ideal in developing skills and confidence around managing land for nature and biodiversity.  What’s more they are highly visible and lead to increased interaction and engagement with other like-minded organisations enabling the Aberdeen Council team to strengthen green connections and networks between organisations and partners.”

He goes on to explain that “Changing the management regimes of public greenspaces is a move which is gaining momentum up and down the country. From ‘No Mow May’ to relaxed mowing there is a growing realisation that amenity grassland can work much better for nature with some tweaks.

“With increasing awareness of climate change, there is a need to take action to manage greenspaces more sustainably.

“Aberdeen’s Environmental Services believe that a managing spaces for nature is positive greenspace management and here to stay across the city.  The new natural areas in Aberdeen are evidence that we are moving towards a greener, healthier city, and this has to be good news for Aberdeen’s people and its nature.”

Parks from London, to Newcastle, to Aberdeen are on the front line in the battle to better green our cities. Our greenspaces were a vital resource for communities in the pandemic, and they are a permanent opportunity for our hard pressed wildlife.  That’s why the strides being made in the way Aberdeen manages its greenspaces should be applauded and encouraged.

The Disproportionate Value of ‘Weeds’ to Pollinators and Biodiversity

By Nicholas Balfour

We have a guest blog today from Nicholas Balfour, Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Sussex, which takes a look at the occasionally controversial and complex subject of weeds.

“Weeds are contentious. Agricultural weeds can cause yield losses in arable and pastureland. However, they can also be of great importance to both flower-visiting and herbivorous insects. In our latest study we used multiple datasets to compare the biodiversity value of the plant species classified as ‘injurious weeds’ by the 1959 Weeds Act, with those species stipulated by DEFRA for pollinator targeted agri-environmental options.

Bumbles bees (Bombus spp.) on spear thistle (Cirsium vulgare) Photo – Paul Leyland

“In the European Union and the UK, financial support has been provided for farmers to encourage wildlife. For pollinating insects, funding has been available to sow wildflower mixes (e.g. “Flower-rich margins and plots”, “Autumn sown bumblebird mix”) with species such as red clover (Trifolium pratense) and wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare).

“In the UK five species of native wildflowers are classified as “injurious” in the 1959 Weeds Act. Three of them are frequently visited by many species of bees and other insects – ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) and two thistles (Cirsium arvense, C. vulgare). The other two are docks (Rumex crispus and R. obtusifolius), which are mainly wind-pollinated. All five are important larval foodplants for many insects, including several nationally rare or scarce species and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan species, the cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae).

“In this study, we quantify and identify the insects foraging on ragwort, the two thistles and other wildflowers growing in six pasture or ex-pasture sites in East Sussex. We found that both the abundance and diversity of pollinators visiting the weed species averaged twice that of the DEFRA recommended plants.

Ivy bees (Colletes hederae) visiting creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense). Photo – Allan Burrows

“A subsequent analysis of scientific literature mirrored this result. The Database of Pollinator Interactions dataset showed that four times as many pollinator species and five times more conservation-listed species have been recorded visiting the three insect-pollinated weeds. Of the 387 plant species analysed, in terms of pollinator species recorded, the weeds were ranked 4th (C. arvense), 6th (J. vulgaris), and 13th (C. vulgare). Similarly, the Database of Insects and their Food Plants showed that twice as many herbivorous insect species are associated with the five weed species.

“Several factors are probably responsible for this pattern. All five injurious weeds are widely distributed. The three insect-pollinated species have open flowers that allow access to a wide variety of species, and they produce, on average, four times more nectar sugar than the DEFRA recommended plant species.

“Freedom of information requests to public bodies such as councils, Natural England and Highways England indicate that c. £10 million per year is spent controlling injurious weeds. Meanwhile, the cost of the four pollinator-targeted agri-environmental options in the UK exceeds £40m annually.

“Alarmingly, most local councils indicated that they actively control ragwort, thus classing it in the same bracket as invasive, non-native species such as Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica). This is very likely due to the Ragwort Control Bill 2003. As such, the implementation of this legislation probably deserves greater scrutiny, especially given that the evidence underpinning it is questionable.

Ragwort pulling. Photo – Catherine Whyte

“Our results clearly show that weeds have an underappreciated value in supporting our natural biodiversity. Unfortunately, current UK agricultural policy encourages neither landsparing for, nor landsharing with, weeds. For example, DEFRA provided guidance on controlling weeds in agri-environmental areas managed for biodiversity.

“ScotGov recently stated their intention of transforming Scotland into a ‘global leader’ in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. It also committed to ‘the restoration of nature through biodiversity’ on farmland.

“Given their value to biodiversity, we hope forthcoming policy changes will provide sufficient directives and financial incentives to persuade land managers to tolerate injurious weeds. Any changes would, of course, need to consider the balance of practicality, cost (impacts on crop yields and plants of conservation concern), and benefits (effects on biodiversity, ecosystem services and direct cost savings) of weed toleration. Thus, the challenge of reconciling the conflicts between agricultural production and these native and biodiverse species should be a renewed priority to land managers, researchers and policymakers.

“Despite their ecological value, many common UK wildflowers that are valuable to flower-visiting and herbivorous insects are often overlooked or even disliked, as exemplified by species such as ivy and bramble. 

“Encouragingly, however, last summer the ‘Weed Thriller’ garden at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Tatton Park flower show, full of ragwort and other weed species, was awarded a gold medal. Isabella Tree’s recent book ‘Wilding’ devoted an entire chapter to ragwort. A petition calling for the UK government to repeal the Weeds Act was halted only for the 2019 General Election. Hence, it appears there is a growing awareness amongst the British public of the conservation utility of this group of often maligned and underappreciated native wildflowers.”

Further reading:

Read the research in full at : Balfour, N.J. & Ratnieks, F.L.W. (2022) The disproportionate value of ‘weeds’ to pollinators and biodiversity. Journal of Applied Ecology.