Investing in nature
BGS and local community volunteers join together to plant 12 000 spring bulbs and help native wildlife to thrive.
14/02/2022Part of our commitment to sustainability at BGS is developing our sites to support and nurture the local environment. A team of volunteers from BGS and Wild Things: Keyworth came together to help brighten up Keyworth village and provide a space for local wildlife to thrive.
BGS secured NERC funding for 12 000 spring bulbs to brighten our Mary Ward nature area at our headquarters in the village, providing a haven for wild animals, insects and birds.
How do you plant thousands of bulbs?
We knew that planting some 12 000 bulbs in one morning would be a challenge even for the more enthusiastic gardeners among us, so we began a recruitment drive to call on staff and volunteers from the community to bring their spades and help. Numbers began to grow and by the weekend we had managed to entice a gathering of around 30 staff and volunteers. Luckily it was a bright, warm morning so there was no worrying about planting in really muddy areas.
Armed with gardening tools, our staff and volunteers got down to the job of planting hundreds of beautiful native snowdrops, bluebells and wood anemone. Hopefully they will come into flower soon, providing nectar for early insects as well as a lovely display for walkers using the path through the woodland.
Wildlife on site
Having installed wildlife cameras over the winter, perhaps one of the most exciting developments has been watching the array of local animals who have been visiting the woodland over the frosty season, from beautiful muntjac deer to foxes, badgers, brown rats, buzzards and owls.
As well as our feathered and furry animal visitors, we hope the improvements will be enjoyed by members of the public.
Recent improvements
The woodland has a right-of-way path maintained by the council and recently, they improved two patches of earth along the path, flattening them and installing handrails to aid walking. Other improvements include removing damaged and diseased tree branches. Some parts of the bramble will soon be cut down to allow new growth and keep parts of the woodland open.
A big thank you!
We couldn’t have done this without the support and help of our staff and WildThings: Keyworth, a local group set up in Keyworth to be a voice for the natural world and a shared way to do more to help. They recently helped to establish a Hedgehog Highway in the area and it is fantastic to be able to reach out to others in our local community and bring them together with BGS staff members to support the area we live and work in.
We’ll look forward to sharing some pictures of our work in bloom on Twitter @britgeosurvey in a few weeks’ time.
The Mary Ward nature area
The Mary Ward nature area is a small patch of woodland that runs behind the BGS site at Keyworth, which can be accessed from Platt Lane. It takes its name from Mary Ward College, the local college that used to be on the site and named after the famous scientist, artist and astronomer, Mary Ward (1585–1645), a nun who championed women’s rights to education.
About the author
Prof Melanie Leng
BGS Chief Scientist, environmental change, adaptation and resilience
Relative topics
Latest blogs
Unlocking key mineral archives at the Zambian Geological Survey Department
23/02/2024
Rachel Talbot recounts a recent visit by BGS Records staff to the Zambian Geological Survey Department, to assist in critical mineral data management.
Will 2024 be the Year of the Aurora?
23/02/2024
The Sun’s approximate eleven-year activity cycle is predicted to peak this year, prompting BGS scientists to anticipate that 2024 will be the ‘Year of the Aurora’.
Hungry like a wolf: new insights from old bones housed in the BGS museum collections
18/01/2024
BGS scientists are studying the diets of ancient British wolves and how they adapted to changing environments.
How BGS is helping the farming sector of Great Britain
17/01/2024
New legislation concerning soil management and technology in modern farming has led to an increase in enquiries about BGS’s Soil Parent Material Model.
Moving stones: faults, slopes and sediments
12/01/2024
Fractured rock along faults affects sediment movement on slopes with implications for the design of infrastructure.
Understanding nutrients in tropical rainforests
11/01/2024
Christopher Bengt talks about carrying out research for his PhD amongst the rainforests and volcanoes of the Philippines.
Linking geochemistry and health in artisanal and small-scale gold mining in the Kakamega-Vihiga gold belt, Kenya
09/01/2024
PhD candidate Maureene Auma Ondayo is investigating major and trace element exposure in the environment in Kenya, aiming to reduce exposure of humans to toxic chemicals.
The Geography Olympiad: Bandung, Indonesia
22/12/2023
School student Dion Thompson joined Team UK at this year’s International Geology Olympiad in Indonesia. We hear from Dion’s mentor Anna Hicks, before Dion reports on the Olympiad itself.
CMIC: critical minerals research review
21/12/2023
Matthew Reeves of Innovate UK provides an overview of the Critical Minerals Strategy, which sets out how the UK will go about securing its supply of critical minerals.
My role as a stable isotope research assistant
19/12/2023
Charlotte Hipkiss has recently taken up a new position in the National Environmental Isotope Facility at BGS and gives us a little insight into her new position.
Groundwater in Taiwan under a changing environment
15/12/2023
BGS’s groundwater team is part of a project to develop the first groundwater forecasts for Taiwan.
In photos: marine surveying a remote volcanic island
14/12/2023
A photo blog by members of the BGS Marine Survey team, who recently completed marine surveys around Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean.