Pembroke Biodiversity Project Flourishes

28 February 2023

We are excited to share the success of the Pembroke College Biodiversity Project. Set up in 2021 by a team of undergraduate biologists, the project began with two unassuming and overgrown fields near the Pembroke sports ground, which turned out to be hidden gems of biodiversity potential.

Pembroke College Biodiversity Audit

08 December 2022

A number of Pembroke students worked to gather the data for a biodiversity audit. They spent a number of days around the College Main Site, the Geoffrey Arthur Building, and the Sportsground, measuring trees, birds, insects and earthworms.

Biodiversity

Pembroke is committed to increasing on-site biodiversity and the biodiversity value of its buildings.

In order to do this, we will:

Publish our biodiversity baseline
Ensure biodiversity net gain on all masterplan building projects
Consider biodiversity when making land-use decisions.

Biodiversity Strategy

Our Biodiversity Strategy includes recommendations in the areas of construction, planting and the supply chain.

Biodiversity projects, targets and impacts are considered by our Buildings & Sustainability Committee and we are working with relevant departments and stakeholders to set meaningful targets for biodiversity gain.

In order to better understand and subsequently improve Pembroke’s onsite biodiversity impacts, the following works have been undertaken:

Recent/upcoming projects:

We have planted a small orchard of native fruit trees and shrubs at the Sportsground as part of our Wellbeing Eco-Centre (read more below).
An estate-wide biodiversity survey was conducted to determine the College’s ecological baseline; a constraints and opportunities report was produced.
With help from our JCR Environmental Rep and a small team of students, Pembroke participates in the Conference of Colleges Biodiversity Audit.
Our Sports Ground was used for research throughout 2022 by members of the Oxford Biology Department working on the new Defra Biodiversity Metric.
The JCR’s ‘Pembroke Biodiversity Project’ is going from strength to strength; the project has set up biodiversity monitoring on the College’s Main Site and at the Pembroke Sports Ground and focuses on maintaining/enhancing biodiversity and providing a research site for student projects.

Wellbeing Eco-Centre

To coincide with our 400th anniversary we have created a 'Wellbeing Eco-Centre' at our Sports Ground where we have planted a small orchard of native fruit trees and shrubs. Over the coming months, wildflowers and picnic benches will also be added. It is hoped that as well as providing enhanced habitat and food sources for wildlife, the space will offer easier access to nature for our community.

JCR Biodiversity Project

The Pembroke Biodiversity Project was set up in 2021 by a team of undergraduate biology students. The project aims to protect and restore biodiversity on Pembroke College land and has three main aims: biodiversity conservation, research and outreach.

So far, the team have conducted a wide variety of data-gathering activities, including Bioblitz-type surveys of plants and insects, surveys of earthworms and trees, bird ringing, and camera trapping to observe mammals. The focus is now actively restoring and creating habitats on Pembroke land which is hoped to attract a wide range of species, including water voles and grass snakes. The team also plan to support student research projects, by gathering long term ecological data and opening up the project to students who want to run their own investigations.

They have also run several outreach initiatives for the Pembroke and wider Oxford community, including a nature drawing day and bird ringing demonstrations.