The biodiversity on the University of York campus: major developments can enhance wildlife

Where can you go in summer to find abundant bee and marsh orchids, breeding skylarks and reed warblers, together with several species of dragonfly within about two miles of York Minster? In winter, the visitors include up to 50 each of goosander and teal as well as numerous egrets. The location is filled with people too because this is the University of York. There are two campuses close to one another both including a large lake but quite distinct in their landscapes. The first dates back to the sixties but there has been much development since. A formal yew garden and ornamental trees at one end contrast with a conservation area on an island at the other end. The second campus opened in the 2010s on land that was formerly arable fields. It provides a lake that is larger and deeper than that on the old campus, bordered by extensive reedbeds and meadowland. The talk will show how the wildlife differs on the two campuses and why the new campus has been such a success for biodiversity. Finally, these campuses teach us much about nature-friendly development.