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Plans to ‘rewild’ College Green on first anniversary of Greta visit
After College Green was left looking like a mudbath following the visit of Greta Thunberg one year ago, a crowdfunder raised more than £15,000 to repair the damage to the grass.
The lawn has already been repaired, with the money left over going towards creating a green space for nature in the heart of the city.
Plans from the Bristol & Bath Parks Foundation include the creation of an area of meadows running alongside the cathedral.
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They also hope to plant 500 square metres of wildflowers and small flowering trees as well as a new hedgerow of native flowering species.
Meadow planting will begin in spring followed by tree, hedgerow and bulb planting later in the year.
College Green after the visit of Greta Thunbeg on February 28 2020 – photo: Ellie Pipe
The crowdfunder begun by Jon Usher raised a total of £15,575 with an additional contribution of £5,000 from Good Energy.
Dean of Bristol, reverend Mandy Ford, said: “It is a great joy to be hosting this wild space on College Green in the shelter of Bristol Cathedral, with all its diversity of plants and the promise of insects and birds to enhance the area.”
Bristol & Bath Parks Foundation director, Charlee Bennett: “We’re delighted to be leading this partnership to explore new and innovative ways to support more nature in the heart of Bristol.
“Today we are setting out plans for the first stage of what we hope will be a long-term project to re-vision College Green for nature.
“Bristol City Council has already improved the flower bed beside City Hall to support a wider range of pollinators. I am really excited about the long-term potential of this project and what we can achieve together.”
A road used to run in front of Bristol Cathedral towards Deanery Road – photo: Martin Booth
The new meadows will contain native species like strawberry clover, cowslip, white campion and tufted vetch.
These will be complemented with bright, flowering species like common poppy, cornflower and yellow rattle intended to attract pollinators including solitary bees, beetles, bumble bees, butterflies, hoverflies that will in turn support more insect feeding birds.
The existing wildflower meadow strip planted by Avon Wildlife Trust’s My Wild City project will be incorporated into the new meadows.
Main image: Bristol and Bath Parks Foundation
Read more: In photos: Greta Thunberg’s visit to Bristol
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