The University of Worcester and Worcester and Malvern RSPB Group are working together again on a new project to help improve habitats and increase food supply for birds.
Following the success of an initiative aimed at improving food supply for farmland birds on the University’s Lakeside Campus, which started in 2021, work is underway to create a hedgerow around the existing nature area on the Campus.
The aim of the 450m hedgerow is to increase biodiversity, creating an eco-system that will support a wide variety of species and ultimately supply birds with the food they need. It will also importantly provide shelter for the birds and a complementary habitat to the rough grass and birdseed crops already on site.
Volunteers from Worcester and Malvern RSPB, who are leading the project, and University students and staff (along with some limited volunteers) have now planted 450 native hedge plants, along with 36 hedge trees, including damson, birch and alder. The local RSPB group, in collaboration with University staff, won a grant through the Duckworth Worcestershire Trust Environmental Legacy Grant Scheme which covers the majority of the planting costs.
Rob Delahay, Lakeside Campus Manager for the University, said: “The University is always keen to work with the community and this project has shown what organisations working together can achieve, in this case for the benefit of the environment. We hope that this new project builds on the foundations this partnership has established in the last four years to help further increase biodiversity on the site and help more birds.”
The University and local RSPB group have been working together since 2021 when a food crop site was created at Lakeside Campus to address the decline in farmland birds such as corn bunting, skylark and yellowhammer.
Nick Skilbeck, leader of the Worcester and Malvern RSPB Group, said: “This is such a great partnership with a real positive impact on biodiversity. In a few years this hedgerow will provide food and shelter for the wildlife that uses the three hectare nature area already created. The birds using the birdseed crop will use the hedge to shelter from the winter weather and from predators. Meanwhile I expect the hedge will really make a difference to the nesting bird species on site in the summer and it is likely that new species of birds will move into the site for this reason.”
RSPB volunteers have been monitoring the original initiative’s impact over the last four years with monthly surveys in the winter, while several student projects have been done on the site. The RSPB has now obtained funding to support this for a further three years and, through the RSPB schools project, children have done practical nature workshops on site.
“We have had big flocks of 300 or so linnets, along with other farmland birds in smaller numbers,” said Mr Skilbeck. “In addition to the farmland birds, predators have moved in. Barn owls regularly use the site, which we have video footage of, as well as kestrels, herons and buzzards. Our winter surveys have also revealed some rarer birds like whinchat, jack snipe, and peregrine and merlin falcons.”
This is one of a number of initiatives at Lakeside which also includes no-mow areas, bug hotels, hibernaculums (underground chambers for amphibians and reptiles in winter), and bat and bird boxes.
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