A design to boost biodiversity and attract more butterflies, moths and bees to Cheltenham’s Honeybourne Line has earned a University of Gloucestershire student a national award.
Landscape architect student, Courtney Brodrick, received a £1,000 prize from the 2021 LDA Design Competition for her idea to create new habitats along the former Gloucestershire railway track.
Now her course leader, Dr Ying Li, is sharing the design details with Cheltenham Borough Council to see if they can be made into a reality.
The competition challenged designers to come up with imaginative ways to tackle climate and nature crises by making places where people live more resilient and innovative.
Brodrick’s vision, titled ‘A Sweet Opportunity for Pollinators’, includes using pussy willow trees to slow down and disperse the movement of air and planting pollinators’ favourites rosemary, marjoram and lavender.
Her design also includes rewilding, to create a dedicated wildlife corridor and creating a reed bed to filter the River Chelt and improve its aquatic habitat. Brodrick suggests introducing information boards to help children learn more about nature, too.
Li said: ‘I am really pleased to see a new generation of designer who has responded creatively to current climate and nature crises with such a unique approach. I was so impressed with Courtney’s exceptional designs for the area I now plan to share them with the council so they can consider them for the future.’
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