Trinity College have ripped up their lawns to grow wildflowers in order to improve biodiversity in Dublin City.
Over 12,000 people voted in favour of planting wildflowers on the front lawns of the campus.
Delighted to see our new wildflower turf rolled out on College Green today. All made possible by the 12,496 Trinity students, staff and members of the public who voted in favour of the move! #TCDWildflowers #SustainableTrinity #InspiringGenerations #Biodiversity pic.twitter.com/atKIsYfxfi
— Trinity College Dublin (@tcddublin) July 30, 2020
Professor John Parnell, Chair of the college's Grounds and Gardens Committee, said that usually pristine lawns of the college needed replacing anyway, so it was better to replace it with something that increases biodiversity and "supports the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan".
The plan in question was brought forward by the National Biodiversity Data Centre, who document wildlife in Ireland. The plan, which started in 2015, aimed to create a framework that could be followed across the country in order to save the bees. At the time of the plans enactment, over one third of Ireland's bee population faced extinction.
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A variety of flowers will be grown on the front lawns throughout the year, including Oxeye daisies, cowslips and wild carrots.
It was the first public vote that the college had to auger support for the planting of wildflowers, having done so on other lawns on the campus without public consultation.
Trinity College Dublin has begun transforming its front lawns into wildflower meadows after public support for the bee-friendly project. ? ? ? pic.twitter.com/OFrs0xzfFj
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) July 31, 2020
