Grounds team in run for green award

Grounds maintenance staff at Cardiff University have been shortlisted for a national award for greening the environment.

The team will compete for the Ransomes Environmental and Ecology Strategy accolade at the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Industry Awards this October.

Grounds maintenance staff have a history of introducing green innovations across the Campus.

Over the past few years, the team has:

• created a small slow worm-friendly habitat on a secret site on Cardiff University’s central campus, and recently recorded a record number of sightings;
• built a series of bat boxes, positioning them at another Cardiff University site where pipistrelle bats are regular evening visitors;
• won a Dwr Cymru grant to plant 2,000 bluebells this autumn to strengthen numbers of native bluebell species.

Team Manager Paul Lidster said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for this award. We strive to be innovative by ‘greening’ our grounds across the University – from sports fields to student residential sites. The nomination for this award is testament to the hard work, creativity and dedication of the team throughout the year.”

The team builds on success. They took the Environmental Champion Award in the University’s 2017 Green Awards, and helped Campus Facilities win a national Environmental Improvement Award.

The Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Industry Awards acknowledge the passion, dedication and challenges faced by grounds staff, volunteers and professionals across all levels of sport.

The Awards take place at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on 31 October.