Across Dundee, green space comprises an impressive 62% of the city’s urban area, and more than two thirds of this is publicly accessible. This project aims to bolster wildlife by dedicating more than 57 hectares for the benefit of biodiversity and climate resilience.
This is being carried out in partnership with local communities across 27 selected public greenspaces, establishing of a series of species-rich pollinator pathways stretching from Camperdown Park in the Northwest of the city, across to Broughty Ferry in the Southeast.
This will be split into 8 ha of biodiversity grassland and 49 ha of naturalised grassland. The biodiversity grassland is managed to mimic a hay meadow – cut once or twice a year with arisings removed and taken to the Council’s composting facility, producing Discovery Compost along with the city’s household food and garden waste. Control of unwanted or over-dominant perennial weeds takes place by minimal use of herbicides and by sowing yellow rattle seeds in the autumn. Yellow rattle is an annual that thrives in grasslands, partly feeding off the nutrients in the roots of grasses. By feeding off the vigorous grasses, it allows more delicate, native species to find their way through the weakened grasses.
The naturalised grassland is cut once a year, with cut grass left in place. Naturalised grassland requires monitoring and managing to ensure that species richness and biodiversity is maintained and improved.
Find out more: Greenspace Scotland