A wildlife group in East Oxford is set to experience an extensive ecological enhancement.

Oxford Urban Wildlife Group (OUWG) at Boundary Brook Nature Reserve received a £6,160 grant from the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment (TOE) to carry out the Grassland Enhancement and Living Libraries project.

The project, to be carried out over the next year, will focus on improving meadows, glades, and grassland to create safe havens for invertebrates and other species, as well as increase biodiversity within the area.

The funding was provided by the Grundon Waste Management Ltd through the Landfill Communities Fund.

Oxford Mail: These revamped spaces will serve as habitats for pollinators and other wildlife

Helen Edwards, chair of the OUWG, said: "We are looking forward to starting our grassland enhancement project and inviting volunteers to join us in restoring the quality of our grassland, sowing seed, and propagating grassland plugs for planting out across the site.

"The previous TOE funded Ponds, Glades and Woodlands project helped us to re-establish our thriving habitat mosaic so we can now focus on the grassland in these ways.

"We are excited that the Living Libraries will be able to inspire local people to learn about the vitality of nature as home for wildlife and become immersed in the reserve, act for nature in their own gardens and pass on nature connection down the generations."

Oxford Mail: The project will use planting schemes, researched from environmental records, to increase the

The project will use planting schemes, researched from environmental records, to increase the abundance and variety of grassland floral species.

These revamped spaces will serve as habitats for pollinators and other wildlife.

Living Libraries will be created using recycled plastic timber to build growing beds and artworks to attract visitors and help them identify various fauna found in the site.

Utilising recycled plastic timber in their construction also supports efforts to reduce landfill waste.

Ben Heaven Taylor, chief executive officer of TOE, said: “We were thrilled to award OUWG a grant for this ambitious project.

Oxford Mail: The funding was provided by the Grundon Waste Management Ltd through the Landfill Communities Fund

"The Living Library concept is a great way to teach people identification skills and we are confident that this project will clearly demonstrate how nature can recover and the benefits of appropriate management."

Plans for the grassland enhancement have been designed taking into consideration various ecological aspects, such as sunlight, shade, woodland edge, hydrological profile, and wetland and drier areas of grassland.

The project aims to ensure a thriving grassland with plants producing pollen over a long season, creating healthy soil structure to draw down carbon and plants with vegetation through winter.

The Living Libraries will also promote the propagation of locally sourced plants as plugs, further reducing the use of plastic pots and compost substrates.