It might have been a wet day, but staff and students turned out in force to sow the seeds and plants, learn wildlife gardening techniques and were rewarded with a slightly damp barbecue.

The industrial landscapes of South Wales are still home to a dazzling array of wildlife if you know where to look. We have echoed this, giving new life to reclaimed pieces of industrial equipment to form the framework of the new garden before seeding it with native plants. Over the next few months we will be watching as they begin to colonise and grow.

Maria Golightly, Grow Wild Wales Manager said “I’m really excited about this project as I love the post-industrial theme and the fact that so many young people are involved.”

Biodiversity Officer Ben Sampson said: “This great project will demonstrate the beauty of “weeds”, show how wildflowers can be used to boost the wildlife value of our cities and crucially, connect the Bay Campus with its industrial past. Bees and other pollinators have had a tough time in recent years, but by planting suitable flowers in our gardens we can help to turn this around.”

Grow Wild’s tag line is “Flowers to the People” -  the garden might now be planted but there will be lots more opportunities to get involved in the project, including guided walks looking at the wild habitats of Crymlyn Burrows next door and exploring forgotten corners of the campus to find floral survivors from a previous era, and a grand opening of the garden in August.

In July 2016 Swansea University launched its four year Biodiversity Pan which includes embedding wildlife gardening techniques into the way the University looks after its grounds.

For more information about the Plan and the University’s Sustainability programme go to https://tinyurl.com/y8ghk34v