Research garden in Manchester hopes to deliver a range of public benefits, reports Ian Hodgson
A little-known research garden in Manchester could be remodelled as a green refuge with environmental activities for students and the local community, says a team of supporters.
The Firs environmental research station in Fallowfield, now part of Manchester University, once belonged to the estate of renowned engineer and philanthropist Sir Joseph Whitworth. After becoming part of the University in 1887, however, the 1.5 acre teaching garden subsequently declined and nearly closed in the 1980s due to funding shortfalls.
It was revitalised in 2020 when a state-of-the-art £2 million glasshouse was built to spearhead environmental research. An Air Quality Supersite to research urban air pollution has also been established there.
The garden contains a glasshouse filled with orchids, cacti and other tropical plants, a fernery and moss house, pond, rock garden, vegetable plot, meadow and a small orchard, set inside a walled garden. The gardens are maintained by students and volunteers, overseen by a small group of dedicated staff.
Now, a cross-university team is re-envisioning The Firs’ purpose so it can become an important element in the city’s green space offering and not just a facility for academic research or a traditional botanic garden.
Professor Giles Johnson of Manchester University’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, who uses the new glasshouse to research plant responses to environmental stresses, said: “We’re consulting widely with locals and community groups asking what they would like to see the garden do for them. We need to offer something different from everyone e
