Bygholm Biodiversity Area, Denmark
2023
BIODIVERSITY AWARD
Winner
Bygholm Soepark Boliger Residents Association
Designers / Creators / Authors / Leaders
Mette Hedegaard, biologist Horsens Kommune, Frederick Rickmann
Environmental:
By changing from a monotonous area of grass to a biodiverse area, our aim at Bygholm Soepark was to provide a habitat conducive to a wide range of plant and animal species. Diverse vegetation, such as native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees, creates niches for insects, birds, and small mammals.
We wanted to increase biodiversity and foster ecological balance, pollination of plants, and natural pest control, ultimately leading to a healthier and more resilient ecosystem in our neighbourhood of Horsens.
Natural sustainability and circularity:
The establishment of the biodiversity area offers an opportunity to conserve and restore the native plant species next to Bygholm Lake. By reintroducing these indigenous plants, we seem to have reestablished ecological connections. This restoration has been guided by biologists from Horsens city authorities and has brought several benefits. Notably, the apple tree orchard has experienced significant improvement due to greater pollination facilitated by the increased in insect life.
Biodiversity management:
The biodiversity area is one component of a larger area of landscaping at Bygholm Soepark.
Our concept is to balance areas of free biodiversity with areas of planned and tended gardening which itself is carried out on a sustainable professional basis. Within the biodiversity area and the immediate neighbouring areas, we see a visible improvement in fauna, including hares, rabbits, water voles, birdlife, and small mammals such as moles.
We hope to continue and expand the management of the biodiversity area with the assistance of the city authorities and their seed planting policy.
