University of Exeter campuses recognised as among the best green spaces in the country

The grounds at the Streatham, St Luke’s and the University’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall have been awarded prestigious Green Flag Awards again for the quality of their horticulture, trees, plants and flowers, as well as their facilities, which are enjoyed by students, staff and visitors.

The grounds staff at the University of Exeter work extremely hard all year round to keep the estate beautiful and accessible while also creating habitats that protect wildlife and the environment.

There are 5,274 mature trees on both Exeter campuses, which remove over two tonnes of pollutants each year. The campuses are home sports pitches, an arboretum, Italianate garden, Magnolia lawn, a collection of wild conifers and Azaleas, a cherry orchard and wildflower meadows. The campuses also contain top quality sports pitches for a range of high performance outdoor summer and winter sports and high levels of active participation in sport. The Penryn campus has walled and Italian gardens, pieces of art and historic trees.

Iain Park, Assistant Director of Grounds, said: “We are really delighted to have again achieved a prestigious Green Flag award for both our Exeter campuses. This is the result of a lot of hard work from our talented grounds staff, who work year-round to make them enjoyable spaces for all.

“We are very proud our stunning grounds are used by so many people from the community – as well as students, for sport, exercise, well-being, life-long learning and relaxation.”

The Streatham Campus on the University of Exeter has retained the Green Flag Award for the eighth year running. Judges have described the grounds as, “delightful, and a credit to all who contribute to its upkeep and management.” The St Luke’s Campus has also retained its Green Flag Award for the sixth year running while this is the third year the Penryn campus has received a Green Flag.

The Green Flag Award is now a world-wide symbol of quality open space management. The judges look at the management of the site and level of litter, as well as other areas such as commitment to sustainability and biodiversity. Green Flags are a sign places have very high environmental standards and well-maintained grounds and facilities.