Birley Campus Sustainability Trail

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1 Birley Campus Sustainability Trail The Birley Campus Sustainability Trail is open for everyone to visit, relax, play and enjoy. Welcome to Birley Campus, Manchester Metropolitan University s (MMU) new Community Campus. It s home to the Faculties of Education and Health, Psychology and Social Care, and to students living in halls of residence. MMU aims to be a University with a positive environmental impact. By integrating environmental sustainability into every aspect of design, Birley Campus is playing a major part in achieving MMU s ambition of Zero Carbon, Zero Waste and Zero Water and Maximum Biodiversity. Zero Carbon: Using design and technology to optimise the use of electricity and gas, and reduce carbon footprint. Zero Waste: Maximum recycling and Zero Waste to landfill. Zero Water: Collecting, extracting and reusing water to meet our needs. About the Sustainability Trail Follow the Sustainability Trail to find out about the Birley Campus sustainability design aspects and technologies. As part of the University s wider Environmental Sustainability Strategy, Birley Campus features: An Energy Centre that uses Combined Heat and Power (CHP). Read more at Sir Robert Angus Smith Energy Centre Boreholes supply fresh water and heat and cool the academic building, while rainwater harvesting and collection systems reduce mains water consumption and the risk of flooding. Read more at Zero Water 18 electric vehicle charging points are installed in the multi-storey car park. A waste compactor improves the efficiency of our waste management through the requirement for fewer on-site waste collections. The surrounding landscape is designed to support biodiversity and urban ecology, and is open for everyone to visit, relax, play and enjoy. Community Orchard Sensory Garden Wetland Area Wildflower Area

2 Community Orchard The Birley Community Orchard is made up of 19 varieties of apple, pear, cherry and plum trees. The area is a magnet for wildlife, provides valuable habitats and is a great place to explore and unwind. All the fruit trees were grown and maintained in Hulme Community Garden Centre before being planted at Birley Campus. The trees have been selected because of their suitability to the local climate and bountiful cropping characteristics. This orchard is the perfect place to learn about food production and fruit tree maintenance, as well as being a place to enjoy, relax and experience the changing seasons. What s in the orchard? 60% of England s orchards have disappeared since the 1950s. Orchards are wildlife hot spots rich in biodiversity, providing unique and valuable habitats. Plum Blue Tit Dark blue plums with light blue bloom. A popular and reliable English culinary plum, which can also be eaten fresh. Coe s Golden Drop Golden yellow plum with red spots. Sweet golden flesh, can be used for cooking or eaten fresh. Opal Red mottled plum with a pale yellow flesh. Very flavoursome and sweet, can be eaten fresh. Cherry Penny Large, firm black cherry with a good sweet flavour, can be eaten fresh. Farleigh Damson producing small blue-black fruits. Good sharp flavour, used for cooking. Merchant Large black-red cherry with a good flavour, can be eaten fresh. Sunburst Large black fruit with firm and juicy flesh. Aromatic, excellent flavour, can be eaten fresh. Stella Heart-shaped dark red fruit with firm and juicy flesh and a sweet typical cherry flavour. Can be eaten fresh. Discovery Bright crimson skin. Crisp, sweet and juicy, ideal for eating fresh and for juicing. Egremont Russet Golden skin with brown russet. Crisp with a nutty and sweet flavour, eaten fresh. Howgate Wonder Skin flushed orange and brown over yellow green. Can be eaten but is ideal for cooking and juicing. Beth Small smooth fruits that turn pale yellow. Creamy white flesh, juicy and good flavour, eaten fresh. Beurre Hardy Medium to large rusty brown coloured fruits. Very juicy, good flavour. Onward A classic dessert pear. Smooth, soft and juicy flesh with a sweet and tangy flavour, eaten fresh. Apple Adams Pearmain Golden yellow skin covered crimson red, nutty and aromatic and can be eaten fresh. Pear James Grieve Medium fruit striped with yellow. Excellent flavour with a sweet and acid balance. Ideal for eating fresh, cooking and juicing. Concorde Medium sized yellow pears ideal for cooking. Juicy, firm flesh and vanilla sweetness. Cherry Katy Bright red conical fruit with a refreshing taste and slight acidity. Ideal for eating fresh, cooking and juicing. Red Devil Large bright red apples with pinkish flesh. Fruity strawberry flavour, great for eating fresh or juicing. Living underground Predators: animals that prey on others. There are three soil layers: Leaf litter Leaves, twigs and bark that have fallen to the ground make up the leaf litter. Decomposing leaf litter makes the perfect habitat for many predators including ground beetles and spiders, and decomposers such as slugs and snails. Topsoil This is made up of organic matter from whatever grasses, leaves or bark have decomposed on it. Predators such as centipedes and decomposers such as woodlice, millipedes and earthworms all live here. Subsoil Lies under the topsoil, but lacks the organic matter of the topsoil meaning that fewer organisms live here. Earthworms may be found here. Decomposers: organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms, carrying out the process of natural decomposition.

3 Zero water Water is a precious resource, even in Manchester! Here at Birley Campus, we have a range of water supply, collection and sustainable drainage systems that are used to reduce the University s water consumption. Most of the water needs at Birley Campus are met from the sky and the ground. All of our water systems and processes help to reduce the risk of flooding to the surrounding urban area. We reuse grey water for non-drinking uses such as flushing toilets, and our boreholes provide all the tap water and aims to eliminate mains water consumption. Rainwater is used for toilet flushing and excess rainwater is collected and soaks back into the ground to replenish the water table. Waste Grey water is used to flush toilets before passing to the sewer system (black water). Grey water recycling Waste water drained from sinks is collected in an underground grey water harvesting tank. Rainwater harvesting Rainwater is collected from the roofs of buildings and stored in a rainwater harvesting tank. The collected rainwater is then used for non-drinking purposes. Water is recycled so only a minimum is used from the mains water supply. Storm water A water attenuation tank temporarily stores storm water collected from drainage systems on the ground. The water then soaks back into the ground through a network of perforated tanks. Boreholes A borehole pumps water from the aquifer, which is treated in the Energy Centre to provide all the drinking water for the Birley Campus. The water is also diverted to provide cooling for the Academic Building before returning to the aquifer through two boreholes.

4 Sensory Garden Her bs gro w n us! mp ca on This Sensory Garden has all kinds of edible and aromatic herbs and botanical style planting. It s great for learning and research as well as providing somewhere to explore and relax. sed i n t he m e are u eals pac s ser hi s t ve d in It s a garden with a purpose much of the produce grown here can be used in the freshly prepared meals served at Birley Kitchen. This includes a whole array of better-known herbs and plants such as chives, fennel, bay, lavender, oregano, rosemary and thyme. What s growing? Culinary Scented Beneficial for wildlife 1 Purple Sage Salvia officinalis Purpurascens Aromatic foliage provides a distinctive tasting herb used for cooking it s also high in vitamins A and C. 4 3 Chives Allium schoenoprasum Herbaceous perennial that produces edible flowers from July to August. 5 Creeping Thyme Thymus Coccineus group Flowers are highly attractive to bees. 8 Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis A perennial herb with a mild lemon aroma. Bay Leaf Laurus noblis Pyramid Evergreen shrub with aromatic leaves that can be used as a herb. English Lavender Lavandula angustifolia Hidcote Aromatic evergreen shrub with a high nectar content that attracts bees and wildlife. Oregano Origanum vulgare Aureum Scented leaves that can be used for cooking it also attracts butterflies Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis Miss Jessopp s Upright and Rosmarinus officinalis Prostratus Scented flowers that are rich in aromatic oils and are commonly used as a herb. Needle shaped leaves that can be used to flavour roasting vegetables and meats. 7 Garden Thyme Thymus vulgaris Common culinary herb with small aromatic leaves. Lemon Thyme Thymus x citriodorus Common culinary herb that releases a citrus scent if crushed. 9 Bronze Fennel Foeniculum vulgare Giant bronze Mid-late summer flowering of yellow flower heads followed by aromatic seed

5 Wetland Area Wetland areas are incredibly important habitats. They are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world and provide habitats for a wide variety of wildlife and plants, as well as filtering and storing water. This wetland area is biologically diverse. It has a good mix of bog, reed bed and marginal planting to attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies and create vital habitats and food for birds, insects and invertebrates. The Wetland Area helps to reduce the risk of flooding. The swales are an example of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDs), which provide storage for surface water run-off, slow the rate of soak-away and prevent surface water from entering drainage systems. The wetland area acts like a sponge by collecting and holding floodwater. This helps to control flooding by replicating natural systems to control, drain away and purify rainwater. How the swale area works Shallow channels, called swales, run from the car park to the wetland area and are designed to control water run-off from the hard surface when it rains. Woodland understorey planting Rock-filled gabion baskets Bog plants Boulders Gravel lining The vegetation that covers the swales and wetland area filters and purifies water run-off as it flows through the wetland system. Topsoil Geotextile clay lining to retain water Reinforced grass to avoid erosion from water run-off

6 Wildflower Area The Wildflower Area is a rich and colourful habitat full of wildflowers and native meadow grasses, all chosen specifically to attract wildlife. Flowers Produces berries April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Buttercup Clover Daisy Since the 1940s, the UK has lost 97% of its flower-rich grasslands, leading to a loss of vital nesting and feeding habitats for pollinators. Crested Dog s-tail Self Heal A mix of 25 varieties of hay meadow and grassland Meadowsweet plants help preserve the heritage of our UK native Salad Burnet wild-flora habitats. Some of the more commonly known varieties include: Buttercups, Clovers, Daisies, Lady s Bedstraw Crested Dog s-tail, Self Heal, Meadowsweet, Siberian Dogwood Salad Burnet and Lady s Bedstraw. Dogwood Midwinter Fire Red Osier Dogwood Zabeliana Wildflower area plants 97% of flower-rich grasslands have been lost in the UK since the 1940s. Many of the plants selected for this area provide shelter for birds and small mammals, attract pollinators and provide food for several species of birds and insects. Provides food for: Bees and pollinating insects Crested Dog s-tail Purple flowers Salad Burnet Red flowers Dogwood Midwinter Fire Blue-black berries Self Heal Purple flowers Lady s Bedstraw Yellow flowers Red Osier Dogwood White-blue berries Meadowsweet Yellow-white flowers Siberian Dogwood White berries Zabeliana (Dwarf Laurel) Blue-black berries Daisy Clover White, red and pink flowers Buttercup Yellow flowers Birds

7 Sir Robert Angus Smith Energy Centre This Energy Centre uses Combined Heat and Power (CHP), water storage and boiler systems to provide heating and hot water to Birley Campus. CHP meets 100% of the power needs of the Energy Centre any excess power is supplied directly to the academic and residential buildings in the form of heating, hot water and electricity. Who is Sir Robert Angus Smith? Sir Robert Angus Smith ( ) was a Scottish chemist. He worked at the Royal Manchester Institution, researching the environmental issues of the first industrial city. He discovered acid rain in CHP plant The Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant in the Energy Centre integrates the production of usable heat and power (electricity) in one efficient process. Natural gas is converted into electricity. The heat produced in this process is also captured. In conventional methods of generating electricity, vast amounts of heat are often wasted. CHP systems can achieve overall efficiencies in excess of 80% at the point of use*. Keeping warm Powering up The electricity produced by the CHP powers the controls, IT server facilities, heating systems, pumps and cooling requirements for the Energy Centre. Excess power produced is fed to the Birley Campus electricity main ring. Water systems Water pumped from the aquifer is treated by filtration and ultraviolet light for drinking purposes and is used to cool the Energy Centre. Heat captured from the process heats water vessels to provide heating and hot water to the academic and residential buildings. *Source: Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC)