Together with pupils from an inclusive school and the biodiversity partner Artenglück, STRABAG Property and Facility Services (STRABAG PFS) has created a 5,000-square-metre flower meadow in Rodgau. The project combines ecological impact, environmental education and social engagement, creating a long-term habitat for numerous animal and plant species.
How can biodiversity be promoted without taking up valuable land for food production? This is precisely where the Artenglück concept comes in. Biodiversity projects specifically utilise so-called ‘marginal land’ – areas which, for various reasons, are only suitable for limited agricultural use. In collaboration with regional partner farmers, perennial flowering meadows are being created there, providing valuable refuge and foraging areas for insects and other animal species.
STRABAG PFS staff, together with pupils and teachers, have created a flowering meadow covering around 5,000 square metres on such a site in Rodgau. To do this, around ten kilograms of seed comprising more than 40 different plant species were sown. The seed mix consists mainly of perennial wildflower species, which are set to establish themselves over the coming years and develop a diverse habitat.
“Biodiversity becomes particularly tangible when an abstract topic gives rise to something you have helped to create yourself. Creating this flower meadow together with the children was therefore more than just a one-day event for us: together, we created a new habitat and, at the same time, experienced just how much enthusiasm is generated when sustainability becomes a practical reality,” explains Lisa Styra, Head of the Sustainability Unit at STRABAG PFS.
The impact of the newly created area will unfold gradually. Whilst the first plants may already begin to sprout in the coming weeks, the meadow is expected to reach its full splendour in spring and early summer of next year. The area will then remain in place for several years and will be mown only once a year. This will create a long-term habitat for numerous species.
As well as contributing to biodiversity, the initiative also had an important educational aspect. The participating pupils experienced first-hand how a previously underused area is being transformed into a new natural space. At the same time, STRABAG PFS staff were able to get actively involved in a sustainability project and learn about the positive impact of such measures on nature and the environment.
Through this project, STRABAG PFS is extending its commitment beyond the properties it manages. The planting initiative in Rodgau demonstrates how companies, educational institutions, nature conservation experts and agricultural businesses can work together to make concrete contributions to the preservation of biodiversity.