From Wilde to wildf lowers in TCD
ONE of its most famous students was Wilde and now Trinity College Dublin is to give wildflowers pride of place at its College Green front entrance.
The move to give the front plot a blooming good makeover comes after thousands of students, staff and members of the public voted to replace the lawns beside Trinity’s front gate with the more nature-friendly alternative.
Held in February this year, the poll received 13,850 votes, with 12,496 of those (around 90%) in favour of the conversion to wildflower meadows.
The poll was initiated as part of the university’s response to Ireland’s biodiversity crisis.
Lawn-mowing and ground preparation can disturb insects that feed and nest in the soil. Wildflowers
support biodiversity and provide a habitat for native insects and food for pollinators in the city centre.
Last year, Trinity converted substantial areas of the campus to wildflower havens, providing more space for insects to rest, live and feed. The new wildflower meadows will further increase the range of plant species available for pollinators, as well as cementing Trinity’s commitment to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.
The wildflowers being planted will include a mix of annuals and perennials, with as many as possible being of known Irish origin.
The main aim will be for flowering to extend over as long a period as is possible.
Professor John Parnell, chair of Trinity’s grounds and gardens committee, said: ‘The new wildflower areas will bloom in one of the most prominent areas in Dublin, which is passed by thousands of people every day.
‘The green space outside our iconic front gate may look a little less tidy than it once did but will be more colourful and serve as a constant reminder of what nature looks like while underlining the increasingly important role we all have in protecting our environment.
‘The meadows will flower from spring to autumn and be left untouched over the winter months when pollinating insects, such as butterflies, hoverflies and bees, are not active.’
Michele Hallahan, sustainability adviser at TCD, added: ‘The wildflower meadow is one of many steps that Trinity is taking with sustainability/regeneration in mind. We are delighted that such a high proportion of our students, staff and members of the public voted in favour of this milestone initiative.
‘The fact that so many people in our community participated in this historic decision is a powerful testament to our collective desire to create spaces for nature in our cities.’
Trinity was ranked 14th globally in the Times Higher Education University Impact rankings (2020), which assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Trinity also won the Best Green Campus Award at the Education Awards 2020.