Birmingham Botanical Gardens: Composting For Environmental & Financial Sustainability

Since opening to the public in 1832 the Grade II* Listed Botanical Gardens have needed soil fertilisation. Today composting is a vital procedure to dispose of green waste, condition the soil and improve its fertility to enable this nationally significant diverse plant collection and this unique biodiverse environment to thrive. The Gardens welcomes over 180,000 visitors, including 15,000 school children and its purpose is to reconnect the public with the importance of plants and plant biodiversity and provide access to green space and environmental education in this densely populated urban environment. We are an independent charity with a modest staff and over 50 volunteers. The lack of a fit for purpose composting system at the Gardens is having a significant and detrimental impact on plant biodiversity and the local environment and threatens the maintenance and development of the Gardens. The project supports the construction of bespoke composting facilities and a system to underpin the Garden’s ecology.