Rolls-Royce opens upgraded Wildlife Garden at Goodwood site

MANILA: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marked the completion of its effort to rejuvenate the Wildlife Garden at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, England.

The Wildlife Garden is a home to a wide range of plants, insects, birds, and animals from the South of England.

The Wildlife Garden was created almost 20 years ago as part of the initial landscaping of the 42-acre Goodwood site. The rehabilitation, conducted in collaboration with Chichester District Council and the South Downs National Park Trust, represents improvements in conservation philosophy and practice.

One of the project’s main themes is “rewilding,” which is acknowledged by environmentalists and organizations like the United Nations as a vital element in sustaining functional ecosystems and preventing biodiversity loss. Rewilding entails restoring land to its pre-cultivated state, tying habitats together by building “wildlife corridors,” and establishing a more natural ecosystem with less human intervention.

The Wildlife Garden is now one of 60 sites in seven corridors that form the Strategic Wildlife Corridor. This innovative rewilding project connects the South Downs National Park to the Pagham and Chichester Harbors, both of which have various conservation designations such as Local Nature Reserve (LNR), Special Protection Area (SPA), and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This is the first time that wildlife corridors have been deliberately included in planning policies anywhere in the UK.

The Wildlife Garden will play a significant role in maintaining biodiversity, particularly honeybees, bumblebees, butterflies, and other pollinators, by reuniting habitat areas that were divided by human activity.

Elements of the winning design from the Wildlife Garden Competition, which was held in 2021 and allowed kids between the ages of five and 11 to submit concepts for new features that would benefit both wildlife and people, is also incorporated into the revamped garden.

Eight-year-old Iris created “Tiggy Town” to help the UK’s critically dwindling wild hedgehog population. Apprentices in the Interior Surface Center have adopted her concept of unique hedgehog houses, each with its own address. The department also created Bespoke nest boxes for bees, bats, dormice, and birds.

The “hedgehog highways” in the fences, another design element created by Iris, are made from recycled terracotta pipes that have been split in half to create an archway for the hedgehogs to pass under. The centerpiece of the garden is a pond that is shallow enough for hedgehogs to safely drink from and bathe in. It also has a boardwalk so that they may climb out if they get tired.

A new seating area made from recycled wooden pallets, a newly constructed entrance gate, and a safe bark pathway through the garden were all welcome additions to the project.

“This project is so full of positives, involving children's imagination and creativity, collaboration between Rolls-Royce and our local community, real generosity of spirit and a great sense of shared enterprise and teamwork — all in the name of supporting our fantastic local wildlife,” Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Corporate Relations Head Andrew Ball stated. “We're particularly excited to be part of wider rewilding and wildlife corridor creation projects that support biodiversity far beyond our own boundaries. This update will ensure the Wildlife Garden remains a truly valuable resource for people and nature alike for many years to come.”

Photos from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

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