On 29 June 2021, we held our second tansy planting event to increase habitat for the endangered tansy beetle at Haxby Road Sports Centre. With the help of local volunteers this event helped to increase the range of the tansy plant along the river Foss and link up with established plants creating a ‘Tansy trail’. The Grounds team have successfully propagated 260 healthy tansy plants from the original stock planted in 2017. We are also donating the plants to conservation groups working on similar projects along York riverbanks.

Local volunteers including the new Lord Mayor of York, Reverend Councillor Chris Cullwick attended the event in support of the initiative by the University; alongside local ward councillors, Councillor Carol Runciman and Councillor Keith Orrell.

The tansy beetle was once widespread in the UK but has now become an incredibly endangered species. They have a severely restricted and declining distribution and are threatened due to reduction in suitable wetland habitat and food plants, including tansy plants. York is one of the last remaining places where tansy beetles have been seen and we want to help expand their habitat. When the new planting is established our aim is to introduce tansy beetles to colonise this area of the river Foss.

If you would like to be kept in the loop for our future events, contact sustainability@yorksj.ac.uk.