Meadowmat at The British Motor Museum

Meadowmat at the British Motor Museum

Sustainability is a key strategy at The British Motor Museum . There are plans and initiatives covering water management, energy consumption, food and drink, waste management and the local community.

Water Management

Not only have recent plans seen the completion of dual flush toilets, waterless urinals and sensor taps but all help to monitor and reduce water usage. Moreover, the museum has also installed an in-house bottling plant to provide sparkling and still filtered water. A sedum roof area has been installed on the Collections building which slows down roof water runoff and contributes to noise insulation and plant biodiversity.

Furthermore, on-site lakes and ponds act as holding tanks to collect rainwater. Finally, they release it slowly into the watercourse to avoid flash flooding downstream.

Energy Consumption

Within the buildings a building management system has been installed that automatically optimises the heating and air conditioning.  Besides this LED lighting has been adopted throughout the buildings with motion-sensitive lighting. There are also day light timers for external lighting.  As if this were not enough across the site low energy hand dryers, state-of-the-art low energy ovens and refrigeration equipment have been adopted too. Solar PV panels on the Collections Centre roof provide power and there is energy efficient glazing throughout.

Not surprisingly, The British Motor Museum has been awarded Green Tourism Silver for sustainable practices. This accreditation recognises the commitment of tourism businesses which are actively working to become more sustainable.

Key areas that this award recognises include:

• Reducing energy use
• Saving water
• Efficient & eco-friendly waste disposal
• Ethical buying
• Staying local & seasonal
• Minimising food miles
• Promoting biodiversity
• Adopting a smart, sustainable outlook from top to bottom

Meadowmat at BMM

It is into this context that we have started to supply some Meadowmat wildflower turf. It is only a start but four varieties of Meadowmat have been introduced to the site – Birds & Bees, Traditional, Species Rich and Woodland Shade. Each of these varieties will bring additional species and colour to the site and help support a broad range of plants, insects and birds.

Meadowmat is the speedy way to create a wildlife-friendly patch in your garden. Each variety of Meadowmat Wildflower Turf is a colourful mix of flowering plants and grasses.

Birds & Bees:

..is a mix of 41 native British wildflowers and 4 grasses that will encourage a wide variety of wildlife into your garden. Besides being a joy to share your space with, Birds and Bees Meadowmat® has many features to actively support biodiversity. It has a long flowering period so it will supply pollen and nectar for bees, butterflies, hoverflies and moths all through the spring and summer months and well into autumn too. It is a food source for caterpillars and therefore a vital part of butterfly and moth life cycles. Autumn seed heads support  a ready supply of insects and larvae for birds.

Traditional:

Traditional Meadowmat is a blend of 31 native wildflowers and 3 types of grass typically found in an old-fashioned hay meadow. Ideal for a sunny spot where low maintenance and lots of biodiversity combine to create a relaxed feel.

Woodland Shade:

Woodland Shade Meadowmat® is a blend of 35 native wildflowers and 3 grasses typically found growing in woodland margins and hedgerows. Ideal for those tricky spots in the garden where many garden flowers flounder. But not even Woodland Shade can tolerate really deep shade. Dappled shade is OK but it definitely won’t thrive where the sun never shines. Woodland Shade will bring a splash of colour and serenity into your life alongside the knowledge that you are providing valuable wildlife habitat.

Species Rich:

Meadowmat® Species Rich is perfect for creating an informal lawn that is both pretty and pollinator-friendly. We’ve blended 12 species of slow-growing grasses with 23 types of colourful pollinator-friendly native perennial plants. The result is a multi-coloured carpet of plants just right for relaxing or playing on. Meadowmat® Species Rich wildflower turf only needs mowing every other week. But it won’t grow too much more than ankle height. So, it’s specially designed for a relaxed maintenance regime so you can happily leave it while you take a holiday.