In the heart of the University’s Fallowfield campus sits the Firs Botanical Grounds and Environmental Research Station. This site is home to vital environmental research, teaching, wellbeing activities and community outreach.

The Firs’ mission is to provide a green oasis in Manchester, researching, educating and engaging the community about biodiversity, food security and the environment. As part of this, the team are hoping to co-develop the site with the public – creating a botanical garden for the 21^st century.

The Firs team have been engaging the community at various events, including the Faculty of Science and Engineering’s Green Together event back in February, and the RHS Urban Show at Mayfield Depot in April. More recently, the Firs hosted “Lost Gardens of Fallowfield” a community open day as part of the University’s bicentennial events.

On Saturday 18 May, the site was opened up to the public, hosting a variety of activities that showcased the incredible work already going on at the Firs. There were stalls about the site’s heritage – which dates back to the 1800s; planting workshops from student group Manchester Food Partners: Commit to Community; green relaxation sessions; short research talks; a live performance with music inspired by the plant collection; and much more. The aim of the open day was to get feedback about whether locals would like a botanical garden for Manchester and what they might want from this.

Lost Gardens of Fallowfield was attended by over 200 people, many of which were local residents and community members. An overwhelming number of visitors provided their feedback and ideas, which will now inform future development of the site.

• Find out more about the Firs.
• Please email firs@manchester.ac.uk for updates on the future of the site, or to arrange a visit.