Campus grounds during the lock down

It's not quite business as usual during the the current Covid 19 lock down but the team are doing what we can to keep the campus grounds open, safe and a place to take time out and reflect.

Many of the campus buildings are closed for the foreseeable future but the campus grounds can't just be locked up and left without detriment.  On the plus side the grounds team and the external cleaning team have been deemed 'essential' and allowed to continue working to reduce the impact of the lock down on the grounds it's wildlife and it's remaining residents. 

Just this week we have been returned to a 50% presence, we are able to demonstrate that we can effectively keep to social distancing guidelines, many of the team walk or cycle to walk to work and we are fortunate to have access to necessary PPE  to carry out our tasks and adequate hygiene and washing facilities.

Having only half the team on site does have a knock on effect meaning we are only going to get half the work completed so we prioritising things to keep the campus safe and usable. 

The grass doesn't stop growing and weeds can take over in a short space of time so they currently form the basis of our operations.   

In a similar way the City of York council are continuing with their grounds maintenance operations and have released these details by way of explanation.

: If the grass gets too long it will grow onto paths and pavements causing trip/slip hazards and cause line of site issues at junctions.

:If weeds grow on pavements they will become unsafe to walk on.

:It will cause longer term damage to paved surfaces eventually breaking up the surface.

:If we don't control the weeds at the start of the year it will put greater pressures on the service for the rest of the year.

External cleaning has always been an important service that our team provides and with the current recommendations on daily outdoor exercise there are lots of people still enjoying the campus and as a result the litter bins and dog waste bins still require regular servicing.

We have residents still on campus and essential staff are still working and producing waste.  Our recycling service is still going on albeit in a reduced form. 

We are also taking the opportunity of a quieter campus to clean areas that are usually quite difficult during term time due to the footfall that they normally get.

All in all we are doing our best to keep the campus grounds open, safe and welcoming and importantly ready for when things settle down and campus life returns to a more recognisable state.

Stay safe everyone.

The importance of trees

The importance of trees and the benefits that can be gained from growing them has been recognised for many years.  


The University takes it's tree stock seriously and along with an in depth tree survey carried out to look at the health of individual trees every 5 years we have an annual programme for maintenance, pruning and replanting.



After receiving the award for historic grounds by the Green flag panel in early 2019 and  more recently having parts of the campus receive a grade 2 listed status  the importance of preservation of our landscape has increased significantly.  

The part of a tree most overlooked simply because it's out of sight is the root system, the anchor which allows the tallest of trees to stand firm in all conditions.  

Depending on the tree species the root system can spread up to two and a half times it's own height and are quite shallow the majority being found in the top 60cm of soil and are easily damaged by compaction which effectively restricts the oxygen and water available to the tree and in these conditions the tree can go into rapid decline.

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     Compaction can be caused by both vehicle traffic and desire line footpaths, in order to reduce the harmful effects of the compaction the Grounds section have invested in an Arb-ex air spade this allows compressed air to be injected deep into the soil oxygenating and hydrating roots to allow for optimum tree growth and health.

Compressed air allows a more direct water and air supply to the root system.

Use of the air spade is becoming increasingly common among utilities and construction companies. 

First and foremost, the industry has realised that using air is far safer when digging around dangerous or sensitive areas. It won’t damage pipes or cables and in most cases it is much quicker than conventional hand digging.

This trench has been dug out using the air spade exposing the labyrinth of tiny tree roots which are imperative for a tree to thrive.