A biodiversity project at Montgomery Court in Bangor is part of a much larger ecological drive by Alpha Housing NI.
Dominic Knower of Niche Environmental Services facilitated a study visit with those tenants who hold a particular interest in conservation.
Additions to the building include several large planters that provide some 160 square feet of pollinator-friendly flowers.
There’s been tree planting, including Canadian maple and a Korean blue-coned fir, providing a safe and welcoming environment for bugs, butterflies and hedgehogs, while strategically positioned bug hotels are joined within the grounds by boxes that are now home to nesting birds.
Supporting nature has become “increasingly important” to the company in recent years, says CEO Cameron Watt.
Dominic Knower and Cameron Watt
“Inspired by the lead of the Montgomery tenants in Bangor, Alpha is trying to steward its sites across NI in a nature-friendly way,” he says.
“This includes leaving parts of our sites as ‘no mow’ areas for wildflowers; planting native trees; reducing the use of weedkillers; and erecting bird boxes and bat boxes on some sites. Alpha has embedded this commitment to nature in our 2022-25 strategic plan, so it’s an important consideration in all key decisions.”
Cameron appreciates tenants sharing ideas (“Many know more about how best to support nature than I do!”) and to win the hearts and minds of tenants who are, currently, less interested.
“For example, some residents did not like leaving small areas of gardens as ‘no mow’ areas, as they thought they looked messy.
“However, as we have explained, the value of these areas to birds and insects, such as through talks in our schemes and tenant meetings, most residents have accepted the value of ‘leaving room for nature’.
“Dandelions, ragwort and white clover are just some of the ‘weeds’ that can look attractive and benefit pollinators — we just need to look at them in a different way.”
Expanding efforts include planting native trees and the potential of creating a network of mini-ponds through its sites.
“Alpha and other housing associations build hundreds of new homes across NI annually. I believe there is great potential to make these new developments more nature friendly,” explains Cameron.
“As well as including native trees, we need to include ‘nature corridors’ in developments and habitats, like swift bricks in new houses to support birds that increasingly struggle to find suitable nesting sites.
“Working with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, which funds new social housing, we must ensure that all new developments improve the biodiversity of their areas.”
Foxglove at Montgomery Court
For Victor Allister, who leads the wildlife group at the sheltered living scheme in Montgomery Court, the “slow-moving adventure” of the biodiversity project was in discovering new plants and methods.
“This sort of experimentation, perhaps spread over a few years, is an essential part of wildlife gardening, recognising that there are differences between locations, soils and so on, and that there is not a single route to success, rather a number of best-practice alternatives,” he says.
“We’ve already started to encounter the effects of climate change, which will be a continuing challenge.
“The enjoyment mainly comes from engaging with others, and in particular introducing nature and knowledge into the lives of some neighbours, who now get their own enjoyment by undertaking activities, ranging from bird feeding to transforming their personal gardens into wildlife havens, perhaps revelling in watching blue tits feed their young, or seeing a dragonfly for the first time. Plus others who might not be quite so engaged but stop to admire new flowers and foraging bees.”
Beyond seasonal work in the gardens, Victor’s wildlife group visits places in which they can be close to nature, not only learning more but enjoying the craic too.
“There’s a mix of on-the-ground activities, plus opportunities to learn more, always making anything we do enjoyable.”
Though he didn’t pursue a related career, Victor studied botany and zoology at A-level and has a special interest in trees and plants.
“I had lived outside NI for about 15 years, returning in 2017, and noted the ecological imbalance, nature being out of kilter, which set me to explore the possibility of Alpha Housing and other housing associations playing a part in at least providing some nature-friendly spaces in their fairly extensive grounds.
“And I am grateful that Cameron not only gave us the green light to undertake some work and activities at Montgomery, but took responsibility for improving other scheme grounds and encouraging other housing associations to do the same.”
Montgomery Court
From the outset they tried to ensure a balance between what would support nature and relatively traditional neat gardening in a retirement community.
“That is important,” says Victor. “With the benefit of hindsight, we might have been better at informing and educating neighbours when, for instance, we let some lawn areas grow to reveal not just longer grass, but also orchids and flowers essential to pollinators, but this was experimental, with outcomes unknown at the time.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that tenants appreciate and enjoy the flowers that are also enjoyed by pollinators.
“Whatever we did or achieved would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of Cameron and other Alpha Housing staff.”
For Cameron, it’s been “encouraging” to see how environmental projects have helped to bring tenants together at Montgomery Court and some of Alpha Housing’s other sheltered schemes: “There is no doubt that the isolation resulting from pandemic lockdowns did great damage to the mental and physical of many older people. Since then, Alpha has been actively encouraging our sheltered tenants to get outside and work together in biodiversity and gardening projects.
“The resulting friendships, camaraderie and sense of shared achievement that results from these projects is hugely beneficial for wellbeing. That is why Alpha Housing will continue working with our tenants to support nature. Not only can this make a valuable contribution to the recover of nature in NI, but it can also help our residents flourish in later life.”