25/04/2024
How to rebuild a city with Karam Alkatlabe
“You could call it a busman’s holiday,” says Wolfson College Head Gardener Oscar Holgate, who has been putting his spade to use outside of the College gardens as part of a community project called “Action for Barton Close”.
The project began in 2019, when Barton Close resident Veronica Spooner organised a community Saturday to tackle the overgrown “island” in the centre of the Close. Wolfson students and staff quickly became involved, with Oscar helping to co-ordinate activities alongside the President’s husband, Chris Clarke.
Over the course of several years, community members and Wolfson helpers have cut back the overgrown parts of the island and created a space for people to sit, relax, and enjoy being in nature, as well as for insects and animals to take up home and find food and water.
“Sustainability has been a huge motivation for the project,” notes Oscar. “We are seeing so much habitat loss throughout Cambridgeshire and the UK, so these spaces are actually incredibly important.
“It feels great to play a part in encouraging all things wild to use this area and the surrounding gardens. It’s a useful corridor that connects these natural spaces,” he says.
Wolfson students have been instrumental in moving the project forward, lending both brawn and brains to developing the island. This year, Zoology PhD Matt Hayes has brought his research expertise from studying the decline of butterfly populations in the UK to analyse the planting on the island, choosing which plants to grow to cater for certain butterfly species.
The team have many plans for the future, which include sowing wild flower seeds, planting spring bulbs, and recycling woodchip from the tree surgeons to use as mulch for the paths. There are even designs for bird boxes, hedgehog houses, and food and watering stations.
“The students have been so passionate to use whatever level of skill they have to make any positive changes,” says Oscar. “We are fortunate that they are so proactive, and I’m also happy to see them outdoors and connecting with nature!”
The student helpers from the most recent action day were: Grace An, Nick Barnett Johns, Emma Latchem, Van Ngo, Mithiran Ravindran and Yueran Yang (Sandy).
New students are always welcome to join this ongoing project, please contact Oscar Holgate at head-gardener@wolfson.cam.ac.uk
