A number of native black poplar whips—young unbranched trees—were planted at the campus near Southwell as part of a project involving NTU, the Environment Agency, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, Trent Rivers Trust, Nottinghamshire Biodiversity Action Group and the Sherwood Forest Trust. Native black poplars thrive in wet floodplains and on riverbanks. They are flood tolerant and an ideal species for planting in close proximity to water and where flooding is more common.