Landmark Issue 19 2021 SINGLE PAGES

44 LANDMARK RESILIENCE & SUSTAINABILITY Creating awildlife haven inCirencester Campus Wild We are proud to leadWild Campus Cirencester; an exciting initiative that will transformwildlife habitats across an area approximately half the size of Cirencester. Working in partnership with our neighbours Deer Park School and Cirencester College, the Wild Campus project will promote biodiversity across all three campuses and create a haven for bats, birds, and small mammals, as well as pollinators and their insect prey, plus a dark corridor for bats. James Hargreave, Wild Campus Project Manager explains the aims of the Wild Campus to maximise ecological connectivity across the educational sites and surrounding area: “We will be rehabilitating land that has been ‘manicured’ for many years to achieve habitats with improved biodiversity. Between now and 2023, we will diversify 4 hectares of lawn, plant 1 km2 of native shrubs and seed 3 km2 of wildflowers. The surrounding area is home to eight species of bat that could benefit along with many other birds, mammals, and invertebrates. Amajor element of the project will focus on creating dark corridors to connect bat populations and increase foraging opportunities, with lighting replaced or improved with directional baffles - in addition to the installation of 150 bat boxes. “The project will offer staff and over 4,000 students ongoing education opportunities on the doorstep”