Miejska Miedza at the Gdańsk University of Technology. New habitats for wild pollinators are being created on the campus | Gdańsk University of Technology

The project is being carried out as part of the Miejska Miedza (Urban Baulk) initiative and has received funding from the Voivodeship Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Gdańsk. The subsidy amounted to PLN 20,000 and covered all the eligible costs of the project.

A pollinator-friendly campus

As part of the project, the existing lawns with high ecological potential were enriched with native plant species, thereby transforming them into semi-natural habitats: fresh meadows, sandy grasslands and purple moor-grass meadows. In total, seed mixtures comprising around 117 native plant species were sown, designed to provide insects with access to food throughout the growing season.

These new habitats provide a refuge for wild bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects, whose importance to the functioning of ecosystems and food security cannot be overstated.

Education, science and nature conservation

The project is not limited solely to land development. Educational activities, including lectures on the conservation of pollinators and workshops on building nesting aids for wild bees, are also an integral part of the project.

At the same time, environmental monitoring is being carried out to observe the changes taking place in the newly created habitats and to assess their impact on local biodiversity.

Another key aspect of the project is its scientific potential. The habitats being created will be used as research sites for studies into pollinating insects, the functioning of urban ecosystems and the role of green infrastructure in mitigating the effects of urbanisation.

Robert Tylingo, PhD, DSc, Eng., Professor at the Gdańsk University of Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, is responsible for the project implementation.

Green infrastructure for the future

The emerging meadows bring a range of environmental benefits. They enhance the campus’s biodiversity, improve water retention in the soil, mitigate the effects of drought and create new habitats within the heavily urbanised city landscape. By reducing intensive mowing and introducing species-rich vegetation, the campus is becoming more welcoming to both nature and the academic community.

The project marks the first stage in the development of the Miejska Miedza initiative, which aims to combine nature conservation, education and scientific research within the Gdańsk Tech campus. Bolesław Jacaszek is the originator of the initiative and the project coordinator.