Wildlife and green spaces
At Solent we're making space for wild animal and plant life across all our campuses. Why not take time to visit our green spaces on and around our East Park Terrace campus to relax and re-connect with nature?
The University's Biodiversity Action Plan was created in partnership with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and guides our work in protecting, enhancing and creating new habitats for wildlife.
Timsbury Lake
Our Ship Handling Centre at Timsbury Lake is a haven for protected species including otter, water vole, great crested newt and eight species of bat. In addition to the main lake, the area also features a mosaic of ponds, streams, ancient woodland, wet woodland, aquatic marginal vegetation, willow scrub and shrub.
The site is medieval in origin and over 30 species of ancient woodland plants have been recorded. A conservation management plan is in place and our appointed ecological consultants carry out routine habitat management and species monitoring.
You can read the Timsbury Lake Conservation Management Plan here.
The Solent Food Garden
The Solent Food Garden is our wildlife-friendly allotment located in the heart of the city on the East Park Terrace campus, next to the Sports Complex.
Run by the Solent Students' Union, the garden is open to all staff and students and provides volunteers with a space from growing fruit, vegetables and flowers, providing an opportunity to enjoy the health, wellbeing and environmental benefits of community gardening. The range of plants varies through the seasons and includes companion plants and pollinator-friendly flowers that attract bees, hoverflies and butterflies.
The food garden is used as a living lab in student projects which include activities such as monitoring growth conditions using remote sensing and exploring the link between growing plants and wellbeing.
For more information and to get involved please contact sustainability@solent.ac.uk.
Wildflower meadows and hedgerows
The native wildflower meadows at East Park Terrace provides pollen and nectar-rish habitat for a range of invertebrates and was awarded a status of Highly Commended in the National Bees Needs Awards.
In autumn and winter, the meadow areas are left uncut so they create shelter for overwintering insects and a food source for our resident flock of goldfinches and other seed eating birds.
At the Test Park Sports Ground, hedgerows are left uncut in autumn to provide berries and rosehips for resident and wintering migrant bird species. Areas of long grass and scrub are retained around the edges to create shelter for insects and other small animals.
At Warsash, 107 species of bird have been recorded in and around the Maritime School through ecology surveys and local sightings. This includes the superbly-named red-breasted merganser and some real rarities in scaup, nightingale and lesser spotted woodpecker.