Peregrine falcons Almost twenty years ago, a pair of breeding Peregrine Falcons chose a window ledge of level 9 on NTU’s Newton building as their nesting site. These beautiful birds of prey are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, listed as Schedule 1 species. NTU in partnership with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust have had the pleasure of sharing the Falcon’s journey through both successful and challenging breeding seasons. Our records show that they have successfully raised almost forty chicks and since Falcon Cam was launched in 2012, people across the world have been able to observe, learn and share this journey in nature. You can watch their day to day behaviour via our very own falcon webcam. We accept donations to help fund two birds of prey research projects taking place here at NTU as well as towards our project partners Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.

Falcon Breeding Season 2020 On March 16th the pair of urban peregrine falcons laid the first of three eggs. The female falcon, Mrs P had been incubating the eggs for several weeks whilst her partner Archie was predominately responsible for the hunting. The audience was fascinated by the fact there was 3 very different coloured eggs laid. The first one speckled white, the second speckled tan and the third brown. The speckled colour helps to conceal the egg from potential predators. One healthy chick was born on the 6th May who was unofficially named 'fluffy' by the chick’s international fan base. Unfortunately, the other 2 eggs were not viable. Falcon fact: at only 3 weeks old peregrine chicks are 10 times their size at birth. For the first time ever, ringing of the chick will not take place due to health and safety concerns. The next breading season shall see the 40th NTU chick to be born

Three speckled eggs in a variety of colours

Day 8 - 14th May 2020

Day 11 Feeding Time - 17th May 2020

Falcon chick growth

Day 21 - 27th May

Day 30 - 5th June 2020

Peregrine Cam Bingo Game played during #30DaysWild

City Campus

Newton and Arkwright Green Roof Newton and Arkwright has one of the region’s largest green roofs with 13 varieties of sedum covering an area of approximately 2,500m2. Not only does this array of flowering plants brighten up the view from the second floor upwards, it also plays an important role in attracting a wide range of insect species to the city centre including bumblebees, butterflies, ladybirds and grasshoppers. Bird species that can be found include blackbirds, song thrushes, wrens, robins and even rare black redstarts.

Greening the City Campus We asked students and staff what's important to you about the environment in which you study and work. You told us that you would like more green space and gardens. The creation of more green space will also help us enhance the biodiversity of our university environment.

Living green wall Part of the University Hall development at our City Campus Living green wall We installed our first living green wall as part of the University Hall development at our City Campus.



This eye-catching feature of the building provides an additional habitat for city centre wildlife as well as year-round colour.



Green walls assist in improving local air quality by removing impurities, while naturally absorbing and retaining heat – reducing the need for air conditioning and therefore reducing energy costs.



The wall utilises a panel-and-pockets system, meaning that rectangular polystyrene panels with vacuum formed 'pots' are hung on rails attached to the building's façade. The rails are irrigated, and panels have capillary matting at the back that draws up the water. A solenoid valve ensures water is released as needed.



Species planted include: ornamental grasses, campanula and euonymus.

Boots Roof Garden Boots Roof Garden offers new space for students and staff to relax, socialise and study in. Accessed through the top floor of Boots Library, the garden has Wi-Fi access, lots of seating and some covered areas to shelter you from the elements. Green roofs are a fantastic way to improve building efficiency, reduce flood risk and provide a tranquil environment for people and wildlife. Your new green roof on Boots Library does all of that using recycled and sustainable materials throughout. To help protect and enhance biodiversity on the City Campus, the planting scheme in the garden includes a range of plants to attract a variety of wildlife species.

Dryden Corner The redevelopment of Dryden Corner, near our Bonington building, has turned a dark and unloved plot of land into a bright and airy space in which to stop off and enjoy lunch, or catch some sunshine between lectures. Designed by NTU alumna Jackie Setchfield, the corner garden features the rill, a relaxing water feature, and plenty of seating made from sustainably sourced wood. The Sustainable Development Team are working on further Greening the City projects, so look out for more improvements to a green space near you.

Confetti Roof Garden A green roof has been included on the new Confetti building which will help support city centre biodiversity. Integrated swift boxes have been incorporated into the buildings brick work and future for ground level landscaping are in discussion.

Clifton Campus Clifton Campus is located approximately four miles south of Nottingham city centre on the outskirts of Clifton Village. It comprises 32 hectares of land in an enclosed campus environment. It may not be immediately obvious Clifton Campus has a lot of green space within its 32 hectares for our students, staff and visitors to enjoy. A Green Zone has been introduced to protect Clifton's green spaces at the heart of the Campus. Clifton Campus has been awarded the Green Flag since 2012. For more information please visit our achievements.

Clifton Nature Trail A series of information boards have been installed to guide students, staff and the public around the Clifton Nature Trail. These are filled with knowledge about Clifton Campus and its surroundings including its biodiversity, history and community activities carried out on campus. If you're planning to pay a visit, start at the observatory and make your way around the trail directed by the information boards. Each one has a different theme with useful information to help you identify the wildlife around you. Use the QR code on each board to bring you back to this web page where you can use the following links to enhance your experience of the trail: Wild About Gardens - a partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society and the Wildlife Trusts providing guidance on identifying trees, plants and wildlife.

RSPB Bird Identifier and Bird Song Generator – if you see or hear any birds while walking around campus and you're not sure what it is, this website can help! The site is packed full of information on birds and wildlife as well as things to do in your local area.

The Woodland Trust – this website gives an insight into why woodlands and green space are so important, what is happening to protect trees in the UK and how you too can become involved.

Wildlife in the City – this local project encourages people to get out and about and discover the wildlife and nature on your doorstep. They have a dedicated section all about wild places and green spaces in Clifton and how you can find out more about wildlife in the city.

Foodshare allotment Established in the 2014/15 academic year, our Foodshare project is located in the gardens of Peverell Halls. A joint venture between NTU, UPP Ltd, NTSU and Nourish Associates, it is designed to teach NTU students and staff about growing their own food in an environmentally friendly manner.

Staff and student volunteers can try the produce as they harvest and take some home. At least half is donated to local charities for their use within the local community. Sessions run every Wednesday during term-time 1 – 3 pm and everyone is welcome to come and have a go under the supervision of a professional gardener. Staff can use their allocated volunteering hours at the allotment and students can count their time spent volunteering towards their HEAR.

Over the summer, we invite members of the local community to volunteer at the allotment. During the summer of 2017/18, this included a regular group from Nottingham Women’s Institute and local Clifton residents. Some Forest Schools and degree courses also make use of the allotment.

Brackenhurst Campus Brackenhurst Campus is a beautiful 200-hectare estate comprising formal gardens, farmland and woodland. Situated on the outskirts of the village of Southwell, it is set around a grand country house, which originally dates back to 1828.

A vast array of wildlife co-exists with our staff and students making it an ideal outdoor classroom. You'll find species and habitats such as the great crested newt, bats, birds, badgers, hares, ancient hedgerows, the Victorian Walled Garden (a listed Heritage site), and Sheepwalk's Pond and Wildlife Hide (Wetland Conservation Area).

Webcams on campus enable the monitoring of such species and habitats bringing them to those of us not so lucky to work out there all year round. Brackenhurst Campus as been awarded the Green Flag since 2012. For more information please visit our achievements.

Brackenhurst walks The School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences (ARES) has developed a series of walks around the estate. The walks are designed to open up the estate to NTU staff and students as well as members of the public, encouraging all to share its special features. Interpretation boards have been provided at key points around the estate and a number of suggested routes have been identified if visitors have a particular interest in certain features or wildlife.

Flower Pod The Flower Pod is a beautiful garden on campus run by Reach, a charity supporting people with learning disabilities in Nottinghamshire. It is a social enterprise that provides day care and support to adults with learning disabilities as well as selling flowers. The project was established in 2012 and continues to grow. NTU staff and students can volunteer at the Flower Pod.

Animal Unit The NTU animal unit houses over 200 animals from 61 species, providing the ideal environment for the study of companion animals, reptiles, birds, fish and other small animals.

Hedgehog Friendly Campus New for 2020 NTU has committed to make further improvements across the estate to help the UK’s Hedgehog population as part of the Hedgehog Friendly Campus initiative. If you’d like to be involved in this new project please email the team. Check out this Hedgehog blog that PhD student Lauren Moore has written for Hedgehog Awareness Week 4th - 10th May.

Hedgehog Garden Survey Footprints Hedgehog Garden Surveys Following Hedgehog Awareness Week, staff and students were invited to take part in their very own hedgehog garden survey! After completing a virtual training webinar demonstrating how to build your own hedgehog survey tunnel, a group of staff and student volunteers surveyed their gardens for five consecutive nights across various locations in the UK including Nottinghamshire, Manchester, Leicestershire, East Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Conwy, Wales - the results were fascinating! Night time garden visitors included squirrels, rabbits, mice, rats, cats and hedgehogs! One of NTU’s students who took part managed to trace the hedgehog prints back to a hedgehog house she’d put in her garden and she was delighted to see it has become the home of a nesting female hedgehog. Since discovering that the hedgehog house is occupied, cameras have been located nearby, capturing amazing footage of a very busy hedgehog! In addition, images taken from night-time cameras at Brackenhurst campus recorded Foxes, Badgers and Hedgehogs! There are plenty of opportunities for NTU students and staff to become involved in the HFC via NTU Green Rewards during the month of June.

Share your wildlife sightings and ideas The Sustainable Development Team would love to hear of any wildlife sightings you might have across any of our campuses and if you are lucky enough to capture any photos we will put these up on to Sustainability to share with all. If you have any ideas on how NTU could encourage biodiversity to thrive on our estate you can contact us via email.

Tree Charter NTU registered as a Tree Charter Branch to show our commitment to supporting the principles of the Charter, which aims to secure the future of trees for wildlife and for people. Its launch marks 800 years since the 1217 Charter of the Forest and draws on tree stories shared by over 600,000 people. Individuals can sign here - a tree is planted for each signature! We recently planted new woodlands on Brackenhurst campus, you can read a blog post about it here