FEATURE
species, recorded in April 2021, are gooden’s nomad bee (nomada goodeniana) which seeks out and lays eggs in the nests of the grey-patched mining bee (andrena nitida).
Making a visual impact Mindful of the need to maintain the high-profile Etihad Campus’s striking visual appeal, idverde have shifted away from the block planting and woody shrubs inherited when the company began work on site. Instead, they have introduced softer planting schemes using free- flowing designs to draw the eye. In addition to promoting increased biodiversity with pollinator-friendly plants which support Manchester City’s commitment to sustainability, this design shift produces an attractive variety of landscaping that is aesthetically pleasing for passers-by and generates a real sense of wellbeing.
One of the best examples of this is the HQ entrance bed, employing two separate but merging colour schemes (hot to cool) with varying texture, movement and structure. It also incorporates elements from around the site, such as architectural logs that have been drilled out to create a habitat for solitary bees and wasps, and the curving pebble path. This bed was specifically designed to look stunning as visitors enter the site, but also to maximise pollinator activity by using as many of the Royal Horticultural Society’s recommended ‘plants for pollinators’ varieties as possible.
Saving money while saving the
planet One of the beauties of idverde’s approach is that many of the changes, while promoting aesthetics and biodiversity, have been achieved at no extra cost – it is more about doing things smarter. For instance, by creating chemical-
free zones the budget previously set aside for fertilizer can be put towards further on-site improvements to add value, such as bird feeders, bird boxes, bee boxes and native wildflower seed.
idverde crusades the ethos of ‘re-use and recycle’ so, during shrub bed renovations, many plants were lifted, split and planted to fill gaps or even to create new features elsewhere. This has greatly reduced the need to send anything to green-waste or buy new stock unnecessarily.
Leading the way This innovative sustainability work has showcased to the footballing community how clubs can create a beautiful, vibrant environment integrated with biodiversity and sustainability for no extra cost.
Working smartly to meet the high environmental aspirations of Manchester City, idverde is proud to have continued the evolution of the Etihad Campus from contaminated chemical land to world-class football facility and on to a beacon of biodiversity from which all landowners can learn lessons.
Daniel Lewis, Landscape Contract Manager at Manchester City Football Club, said: “This project has evolved into much more than a mundane jobs list of maintenance tasks. We are working with nature to enhance and develop schemes that are an exception at the moment, but that we hope to make the norm in future.
“We have been challenged throughout and the learning curve has been steep, but this is what has made it so exciting. Just as goals are needed on the pitch for success, our goal is to provide a world-class environment for excellence and nature to be nurtured.”
www.idverde.co.uk www.tomorrowsfm.com TOMORROW’S FM | 55
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