Island environmental consultancy Arc Consulting and the public artists Eccleston George have each been shortlisted this month for national biodiversity awards by the construction industry think-tank, CIRIA.
The Isle of Wight ‘Apple Project’, a team effort between Isle of Wight College’s Horticulture department and ecologists at Arc, Island fruit tree specialists, local residents and the team from David Wilson Homes, is up for a Small Scale Permanent Award against national developers.
The project celebrates urban biodiversity by preserving local distinctiveness in a new development: an orchard disappearing in the housing build was salvaged through grafting and then replaced along a new riverside green. The team all collaborated to salvage cuttings for grafting, grow-on and look after the saplings, design and prepare the space for their return and finally replanting an orchard of 7 trees at Newport’s Abbey Mews.
The blossom and fruit will encourage wildlife on the doorstep of new and existing residents and provide healthy food for free from forgotten varieties with great heritage.
Eccleston George’s experiments with creating artificial rockpools through sand-casting and recycled tyres in a collaboration with Bournemouth University at Yaverland and Boscombe has been nominated for the Most Innovative Award.
CIRIA’s BIG Biodiversity Challenge aims to raise awareness of the importance of protecting and enhancing biodiversity in the built environment to all those who work in the construction industry -from developers to consultants and commissioners – by inviting them to build at least one biodiversity enhancement to their construction site, development or existing building.
Michael Small at CIRIA writes:
“From being present at the judging day it was clear to see the difficult task the panel faced when having to choose among a very high standard of case studies. For this I commend everyone for showing an outstanding commitment to enhancing biodiversity within construction and the built environment”.
The Big Biodiversity Challenge Award ceremony is being held at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew this evening (Thursday).
