To get the best flowering from Lavatera or tree mallow as its sometimes known is to cut it back hard in mid spring as it flowers on the new vigorous growth.
Bat walk/survey
Brunel Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society took part over a couple of nights monitoring and listening to the Bats of Brunel, collecting data from the heterodyne detectors and recording the frequencies. This is the initial start to assess bat activity on campus at key locations and to see how healthy the population of bats are. More detailed studies are being planned where correct identification of species can be carried out and action plans put into place to protect these fascinating creatures .
Snow or is it?
Poplars shedding the seeds
Plant of the Month
Here is an evergreen plant that could feature twice, Pyracantha, a wildlife food store with bees loving the flowers and birds the berries later on in the year.The white flowers can have a scent that some find a bit overbearing and of course watch out for the thorns!
Wildlife
With all the recent activity around the John Crank and lecture Centre with the major excavation for the relocation of a data Centre and power cable in readiness for the demolition of the John Crank building ,it may seem odd for a female mallard to nest so close ,still she seems content with the choice.
Excavation work for cabling and data
quiet please
Mallard
Bird survey
Here something people may not be aware of and that is how diverse the campus is when it comes to the variety of bird life around them from robins to ring necked parakeets, grey heron in the pond to kingfisher along the river, mistle thrush nesting in the Trachycarpus to mallards nesting in the courtyard of Marie Jahoda . So keep you eyes open as you may be surprised on what you see, also later on in the year we intend to carry out part of the bird survey to help monitor what’s on site so if you feel like helping look out for more information later on and if you are a keen photographer how about taking a few pictures I am sure you can do better than the Administrators attempts!
Grey heron Little Egret Kingfisher
Varsity
It was our turn this year to host the varsity against St. Marys on the 29th March, it’s always an event the Ground team look forward to despite the increased amount of work generated with outdoor pitch preparations for rugby, football, lacrosse and ultimate Frisbee, outdoor courts and track cleaning, litter picking etc.. A great day with the right result at the end .
Well done Team Brunel.
Crank garden planting
Another planting session with the Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society just a few weeks ago, this time not so cold ! planted up Winter aconites grown ‘in the green’ ideal for the partial shade under the trees.
Plant of the Month
Plenty to choose from right now with all the various spring bulbs flowering across campus so lets go for something different. Check out the Forsythia around campus, bright yellow flowers in abundance when you prune it correctly-best time to prune? right after flowering as they flower on the previous years growth.
Storm Doris
Not too much damage after storm Doris hit,only one tree down a Robinia pseudoacacia at the back of Heinz Wolff building, all sawn up by the team, a suitable replacement will be planted later on in the year.
