Royal Vetinary College and the Farming for Carbon and Nature programme pilot. - Climate Hub

RVC is taking part in the Farming for Carbon and Nature programme pilot, an initiative which supports farmers to transition to more nature friendly farming practices to sequester carbon, through funding from universities.

In return for the funding, students at these universities are given the opportunity to monitor the farms biodiversity and soil carbon levels to assess the effectiveness of implementing these nature friendly farming changes.

The programme is a great way for the RVC team to gather data on how much carbon is captured as a result of introducing more nature friendly farming techniques, while also providing students with learning opportunities.

The work provides a valuable way to better understand and improve the RVC’s impact on the local environment, it is also a great wat to involve colleagues, students and the local community and it is rewarding to see the difference being collectively made.

RVC are taking step to improve its biodiversity and soil health, including;

Reducing ploughing
Ensuring year-round cover crops, preventing water runoff and providing nutrients to the soil
Planting nine hectares of wildflower meadows and bird seed mix
Reducing the amount of fertiliser applied to land
Planting a hedgerow of 900 whips last year as a community event with the RVC’s staff and students planting the trees.

The programme also supports the RVC’s wider ambitions of achieving Net Zero by 2040.

To find out more about the pilot programme, please visit; Farming for Carbon and Nature | SOS-UK

More information about the RVC’s environmental strategy can be found at: https://www.rvc.ac.uk/about/the-rvc/environmental-sustainability

https://www.rvc.ac.uk/about/the-rvc/environmental-sustainability