Northwest Ecology was commissioned by the University of Manchester to complete an ecological survey and assessment of existing wildlife features across the site and deliver an enhancement strategy for their central Manchester campus. These services provided a baseline value of the site’s wildlife features for bats, birds and insects, to enable the University to deliver a 20% increase in wildlife provisions on site by 2028 and to explore possible further enhancement opportunities for wildlife, in particular, species in local decline.
An audit of all exiting wildlife features within the University of Manchester campus was undertaken to confirm bat, bird and insect feature locations and enhancement types. A short report was produced with supporting maps to indicate existing locations and surrounding habitats.
An occupancy assessment of all existing wildlife enhancement features was undertaken to determine the percentage of existing installations that were being used. A suitably licensed ecologist inspected the bat, bird and insect features that were identified during the initial site survey. Species identification was undertaken where possible and a review of species abundance and distribution across site was completed. During the survey, consideration was be given to surrounding habitat and probable commuting routes for wildlife.
A suitability assessment of the existing enhancement features was undertaken, considering surrounding habitats, lighting and human disturbance. Data collected during the surveys informed recommendations for additional enhancement features across the site and re-location / replacement of some existing features.
Recommendations specified the type of enhancements to be installed, as well as optimal location and placement. A review of locally declining species was undertaken and consideration was given to those species that could utilise the University of Manchester campus, to ensure a higher rate of uptake of the additional enhancement features.
These recommendations will ensure that the University of Manchester campus will achieve a 20% increase in bat, bird and invertebrate enhancements by 2028, if all recommended features are installed by this time.
An ecological enhancement strategy document was created to identify several additional opportunities for the University of Manchester campus to implement on site that will increase its suitability for wildlife. Enhancements were tailored to University of Manchester campus and included habitat creation and enhancement, implementation of bespoke wildlife features to target specific species and create niches for diversity such as ponds and hibernacula, green walls / trellis features and improved connectivity through enhancement of existing hedgerows and grasslands as well as implementation of a nocturnal lighting strategy for the site that will both enable safe travel for site users and benefit nocturnal / crepuscular wildlife, following guidance from the Institute of Lighting Professionals and the Bat Conservation Trust.
