The UK’s first ever range of fully integrated, self-contained ecosystems has been launched, offering garden enthusiasts and landscapers the opportunity to make their green spaces more biodiverse.
The landmark range of multi-functional habitats has been created by BioScapes®, a new business formed under the parent brand of Rolawn Group, one of the country’s leading suppliers of topsoil and turf, based in York, as part of an objective to become a leading figure in addressing the challenges facing biodiversity in the UK.
Keen gardeners can give local wildlife a boost by implementing the BioScapes® WildPod™ or NatureArk®. These compact products. will create new spaces for wildlife and help address biodiversity loss resulting from habitat loss or new developments.
Bioscapes are easy to erect in any garden, enabling homeowners to make a tangible, positive biodiversity impact with minimal effort and investment.
About the products
WildPod™
The WildPod™ provides a combination of wet and dry habitats, supporting the process of rewilding through the development of ecosystems which encourage small mammals, amphibians, insects, invertebrate and plants to thrive.
Due to its modest size – 56 cm x 58cm x 115cm – it is suitable for installation in any domestic garden or landscaping project, as well as garden centres and other residential spaces.
Made from responsibly sourced untreated timber, the WildPod™ is designed to provide further habitat as it gradually decomposes over a period of several years.
WildPod™ is quick and easy to install and can be used on patios and roof gardens. Upon purchase, additional items required to complete the project are: multipurpose topsoil, dead wood (branches, bark, twigs), stones or aggregate and plants.
Specifications:
Height: 580mm
Length (front to back): 560mm
Width (front face): 1150mm
Volumes/product requirements (all approximate) are:
Main planter area: 80 litres
Deadwood area: 10 litres
Expanded clay or gravel: 10 litres
Deadwood material: 10 litres
Topsoil/Growing Media: 140 litres
Price: £249.95 RRP
Buy from: https://bioscapes.co.uk/product/wildpod/
NatureArk®
The NatureArk®, which delivers a similar suite of benefits, and has been specifically developed on a larger scale to make an impact in larger gardens and outdoor spaces and can be easily implemented at schools, as well as community projects.
Specifications:
Height: 900mm
Length (front to back): 1,200m
Width (front face): 1,200m
Volumes/product requirements (all approximate) are:
Main planter area: 150 litres
Deadwood area: 85 litres
Base planting area: 100 litres
Side planting areas: 37.5 litres each (75 litres in total)
Core reservoir/habitat: 20 litres
Side reservoirs/habitat: 5 litres each (10 litres in total)
Price: £399.95 RRP
Buy from: https://bioscapes.co.uk/product/natureark/
Why is Biodiversity important?
With 50 years’ worth of experience in innovation in the field and the help of inhouse ecologists, Rolawn through BioScapes® has produced this new range of biodiversity products, including a commercial product, BioCube®, for developers and larger environments.
Terry Smithson, biodiversity manager and expert ecologist at Rolawn and BioScapes®, said: “Biodiversity is vital to our future and is the fundamental contributor to processes such as pollinating our food, providing clean water and filtering the air we breathe. We upset these systems at our peril.
“No matter how much space you have, you can always make space for wildlife, and the WildPod™ provides the perfect solution by creating a self-contained area, suited to a range of environments, and that will support wildlife.”
“These products make it easy for people to make a positive impact on biodiversity. They also make great places to explore the natural world, to but to have fun and learn whilst doing so.”
Rolawn and BioScapes® chairman and managing director, Paul Dawson added: “There is no doubt that the natural habitats of the planet are under threat like never before, which makes it more important than ever to educate the public on the importance of biodiversity and making a positive impact.”
“We believe that this innovation will offer the green fingered public a simple, self-contained solution to make a tangible, positive impact on biodiversity, the likes of which haven’t been seen before.”