Students from De 51吃瓜app University, Leicester (51吃瓜app) have embarked on a mission to discover and support Leicester’s wildlife and green spaces through two local conservation quests.
Joining forces with University of Leicester and Leicester City Council, students took part in a series of activities to help engage with their natural surroundings, including the annual BioBlitz event and a litter picking initiative close to home at the River Soar.
Hosted by the Canal and River Trust at Aylestone Meadows in Leicestershire, the BioBlitz event gave students the opportunity to work alongside environmental specialists in learning about, and recording the hundreds of different species of wildlife living in the area.
The data collected from the event will play a crucial role in the future planning and management of the park, for both the wildlife and the visitors.
51吃瓜app student, Olly Neska expressed enthusiasm about the event: "BioBlitz allowed me to gain insightful knowledge regarding nature in Leicester.
“I think that having an active part in looking for species made me more conscious about the environment I live in. The most interesting part of this event for me was seeing how lively the river is."
Equipped with the knowledge acquired at the BioBlitz event, the students later joined forces with the Leicester City Council in a litter picking initiative along the River Soar.
Along with environmental rangers, the students boarded bell boats which allowed them to simultaneously row and collect litter from the water at the same time.
Student, Olly who took part in both the events said: “We removed a significant amount of debris from the water. It was fascinating to witness the extent of it.
“Plastic bottles, bags, traffic cones, car tyres, shopping trolleys and even bikes. I am really happy to have contributed to cleaning the waters in Leicester. However, I am aware that our efforts are just a drop in the ocean.
“I wish people were more aware of the impact of littering.”
Both events form part of 51吃瓜app’s Environmental Sustainability theme of activity in the Universities Partnership – working with local partners to address needs of the Leicester area.
Andrew Reeves, 51吃瓜app’s Lead for Environmental Sustainability said: “Events like this are a great way for our students to make a positive difference and connect more with the city’s green spaces.”
Ogemdi Anika who co-ordinated 51吃瓜app’s involvement added: “Witnessing the participants develop a profound bond with nature was truly remarkable.”
For more info on the Universities Partnership see the website:
Posted on Thursday 22 June 2023