Once again, we’ve had yet another action-packed term here at Green Lancaster in our ECOWild project. From planting 500 trees with the Ribble Rivers Trust, to helping restore 630ha of native woodland with Restoring Hardknott Forest, Lent term has been one to remember.

With the help of a staggering 156 ECOWild volunteers last term, Green Lancaster continue to make real headway in sustainability.

In addition to working with the Ribble Rivers Trust and Restoring Hardknott Forest, we also explored the soon-to-be home of Eden Project North, collecting 9 bags of rubbish along the way!

On campus, we began the first of 12 ECOWild sessions with a bang, receiving excellent Freshwater Citizen Science Training delivered by the Freshwater Biological Association. As part of the training, we undertook Naturalness assessments of Lake Carter which we later submitted to Natural England.

By popular demand, we delivered two more Wild Wellbeing sessions last term. In the first, we participated in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch – the UK’s largest citizen science wildlife survey; we spotted siskins, dunnocks, goldfinches and more! In the second, we went on a nature walk along the canal, identifying the beautiful local flora.

Throughout the term, we continued to support the Grounds Team in supporting biodiversity on campus. We planted 320 trees through LUSU’s Tree’s for Votes scheme, removed invasive rhododendron and even created a new hedgerow.

At Forest Hills, we continued to work on our tree nursery, moving samplings from our smallest nursery into our larger ones, providing them with more space to grow. Over two sessions, we extracted and re-planted over 250 saplings.

We were also delighted to be joined by students from the Lancaster Environment Centre module Climate and Society (LEC.380) who helped us plant even more saplings and remove tree guards from some of our larger trees.

Our ECOWild project provides our community with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the natural world through wildlife observation, practical activities, and mindful invitations.

If you wish to get involved in any upcoming ECOWild sessions or other Green Lancaster events, please follow our Instagram page at @greenlancaster or join our Green Lancaster Community Channel to keep up to date with all of our events.