Transforming Aberystwyth University’s Campus Landscapes for Nature Recovery

Aberystwyth University is transforming parts of its campus into biodiverse habitats that support wildlife, ecological connectivity, and multispecies well-being. Through the creation of native hedgerows, wildflower meadows, and new tree planting, the University is reimagining its campus as a shared environment for both people and nature.

One rewilded area on campus brings this approach to life. Designed to nurture and protect local wildlife while remaining accessible to staff, students, and visitors, the site forms part of a key walking route across the University estate. Native hedgerows, broadleaf trees, and wildflower meadows provide food, shelter, and nesting habitats for birds, mammals, bees, butterflies, and other vital pollinators.

Beyond individual sites, the initiative contributes to wider ecological connectivity across the campus. By linking habitats with surrounding green spaces and walking routes, the project helps strengthen more resilient ecological networks both within and beyond the University estate.

More than 50 volunteers took part in planting and establishing the site, supported by funding from the Ceredigion Nature Partnership. Plants were also sourced in collaboration with the National Botanic Garden of Wales through its Rare Welsh Flora project. Together, these efforts support habitat creation while helping to conserve botanically distinct Welsh species of ecological importance.

Why Rewilding University Campuses Matters

We are living in an era defined by interconnected climate, ecological, and biodiversity crises. These challenges cannot be understood or addressed in isolation. Climate change accelerates biodiversity loss, while degraded ecosystems reduce society’s capacity to adapt to environmental change. Universities therefore have an important role to play – not only through research and teaching, but also through practical action across their campuses.

Historically, institutional and urban landscapes have been designed primarily around human needs. Yet campuses, like cities, are also living habitats for plants, animals, fungi, pollinators, and many other forms of life. Increasingly, universities are recognising the importance of creating spaces that support both human and ecological well-being.

At Aberystwyth University, biodiversity initiatives aim not only to improve access to nature for people, but also to support wildlife for its own intrinsic value. Creating space for nature recognises that other species are active participants within shared environments, and that healthier ecosystems are fundamental to long-term environmental sustainability.

Importantly, responsibility for biodiversity recovery does not rest solely with large conservation organisations or major landowners. Universities, local authorities, community groups, and individuals all have a vital role to play in supporting nature recovery and strengthening ecological resilience across urban and rural landscapes.

Multispecies Justice and the MUST Project

The Aberystwyth University Campus Rewilding Site is supported through the MUST (Enabling Multispecies Transitions) Project, which explores how urban green spaces, such as university campuses, can become more environmentally resilient, socially inclusive, and ecologically diverse.

The MUST project draws on the concept of multispecies justice, which considers how humans and non-human species can coexist in ways that promote mutual well-being while reducing environmental harm and inequality. Rather than treating wildlife as separate from human spaces, this approach recognises campuses as shared habitats where different forms of life interact and depend upon one another.

These ideas are being actively put into practice through international collaborations, including projects in Finland and Indonesia. Working with partner universities and local stakeholders, campus landscapes are being used as living laboratories to test how multispecies justice can be embedded in urban green space governance, biodiversity restoration, and climate action. Together, these initiatives demonstrate how universities can move from theory to practice, supporting more just and sustainable relationships between people and the wider living world.

Towards Shared Multispecies Futures

As climate and biodiversity pressures intensify, projects such as the Aberystwyth University Campus Rewilding Site demonstrate how universities and other institutions can contribute directly to ecological restoration while creating healthier and more connected environments for both people and wildlife.

Through habitat creation, conservation partnerships, volunteer involvement, and research-informed campus management, Aberystwyth University is part of a growing movement to reimagine campuses as shared multispecies environments – places where biodiversity recovery, climate action, education, and community well-being can be advanced together.

About the Authors

Saman Sobhani is a PhD researcher in Economics at Aberystwyth University, funded by the MUST (Enabling Multispecies Transitions) Project. His research uses economic and interdisciplinary valuation approaches to explore how multispecies justice can be embedded in urban green space planning and governance. He is a member of the CRiSiS research team at Aberystwyth Business School and works with international collaborators in Wales, Finland, and Indonesia.

Professor Mike Christie is Professor of Environmental and Ecological Economics at Aberystwyth University. He is Saman Sobhani’s PhD supervisor and a Principal Investigator of the MUST (Enabling Multispecies Transitions) Project. Mike’s research focuses on the values of nature, ecosystem services, and multispecies justice, and he was a Co‑Chair of the IPBES Assessment on the Diverse Values of Nature (2022). His work has informed biodiversity and sustainability policy internationally, including through IPBES, TEEB, and national ecosystem assessments.