Wildflower Meadows Extended at Joseph Banks Laboratories in Nature Positive Partnership.

Spring has sprung and Lincoln is in bloom! – The wildflower meadows at the Joseph Banks Laboratories (JBL) at the University of Lincoln have recently benefited from an event that has seen 35 volunteers planting 250 plants across the site.

This was part of a new Nature Positive Universities collaborative project with the University of Lincoln, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust (LWT) and Lincoln Science and Innovation Park (LSIP).

250 plug plants, grown from wildflower seeds from Lincolnshire Nature Reserves were planted across the front of the JBL lawn, by staff, students and members of the public – including members of Lincoln Imps University Mammal Challenge team, the UOL Animal Sciences Society, and Nature Positive Universities Student Ambassador Michael Teague.

This project forms an important part of collaborating for nature across Lincoln, and the interconnectedness of pollinator-friendly spaces across the Brayford campus.

The establishment of this new meadow also commemorates the 10-year anniversary of the first wildflower meadow seeded behind the Joseph Banks Laboratories opened by Chris Packham in April 2015.

Mark Schofield, who coordinated the event on behalf of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust said: “It’s fitting that the green space outside the Joseph Banks Laboratories, named after one of the Fathers of Botany, is becoming a showcase for Lincolnshire’s wild flora – a learning resource for students and a high footfall space now enhanced not just with wildflowers but better able to support local birds and pollinators too. 

“#NoMowMay registration has launched for 2025 to allow for preparation and will encourage green space managers and gardeners to support their local wildflowers through summer into autumn for climate action and nature recovery.”

Tim Yates, Head of Operations at The Science Park complimented the volunteers for their hard work. He said,

“This work is fantastic, as it meets both the Park’s and University’s aims of encouraging environmental sustainability, biodiversity and making the campus more enjoyable for students and tenants. We also hope this will encourage more similar sustainable initiatives from those involved in the future”.

Michael Teague, Nature Positive Universities Student Ambassador said:

“It was a fantastic experience to join an eclectic mix of staff, students and members of the public to plant a new wildflower meadow. A great experience to meet new people from a variety of backgrounds and I’m looking forward to seeing how the meadow develops as we head into spring.”

The Nature Positive Universities Alliance, led by Oxford University and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is a global network of universities that have made the pledge to work towards a nature-positive goal to halt, prevent and reverse nature loss by addressing their own impacts and restoring ecosystems harmed by their activities.

The University of Lincoln is proud to be one of the founding universities of the Nature Positive Universities Alliance and has committed to the maintenance and development of its natural spaces, including looking after biodiversity.