'Green' award for environmental researchers

A MMU project which helps farmers and landowners manage the environment, has received a prestigious Green Apple award for its work.

MMU won the Green Champion Award – the top honours in the Education and Training category.

Winners were presented with their trophies at the Tower of London by Dr David Bellamy, Britain’s leading environmental personality.

MMU's pioneering project has seen student-researchers working with farmers and landowners to find solutions to common problems in the countryside.

Research solutions

One project has helped re-establish many miles of traditional ‘hedgerow’ to farmers’ fields in Cheshire. Another highlighted the effects of pesticide on pest-eating spiders in crops.

Commenting on MMU’s entry, the Green Apple judges said: "The agricultural ecology project, which partners undergraduates with farmers, is having real world benefits to both groups as well as the environment.

"Using the knowledge resource of university students to assist farmers to work profitably and maintain their countryside stewardship duties is creating elegant solutions to agricultural problems."

The prize is jointly awarded to agronomical firm Environmental Crop Management, of Cheshire, and MMU whose 15-year partnership has established contacts with over 2,000 farmers in the North West of England.

Environmental Sciences

Dr Peter Dunleavy, director of the undergraduate network in the Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, travelled to London to collect the award for MMU.

This is the twelfth year of the Green Apple Awards, now established as one of the biggest environmental award schemes in the world. Entries are invited from any council, company, community or country that is making an effort to protect or enhance the environment, with categories to cover every sector of commerce, industry, groups and government.

Green Apples are organised by The Green Organisation, supported by The Environment Agency and a host of chartered institutes.

For more about ecology and environmental studies at MMU, please go to www.egs.mmu.ac.uk