In the early 2010s, The Park Services initiated a transformation of some lawn areas into long grass meadows. Among the first areas to be released were the spaces beneath the Swedish Whitebeam trees on the lawn at the Faculty of Humanities. The aim was first and foremost to avoid driving heavy lawn tractors over the root area of the trees, thereby reducing soil compaction and preventing damage to the roots that lay close to the surface.
During the subsequent years, there was a growing emphasis on biodiversity and the importance of letting grass and flowers flourish, thus creating vital corridors for pollinators. Some of the former lawns were found to have potential to evolve into species-rich flower meadows.
However, many of the long grass areas are rich on nutrients and grow vigorously, making it unlikely that they would develop into flower meadows. Nonetheless, these long grass areas are of considerable value, as they still support a far greater diversity of flowering plants compared to regular well-trimmed lawns. The microorganisms in the soil become richer where the grass gets to grow.
At the start of the growing season, clear mowing lines are established to create defined spaces along the lawns. With borders of long grass and flowers, the lawns appear more inviting for picnics, breaks and reading. This suggests that achieving a good balance between lawns and long grass areas is a win-win situation.
The long grass areas are typically mowed in the fall to prevent them from becoming overgrown with shrubs or small trees that quickly establish themselves when left uncut. Along with the reduced frequency comes to responsibility to make sure alien species are not allowed to take hold in these areas.