32. Biomass Furnace

The Botanic Garden's own biomass boiler warms the Great Glasshouse, offices, shops and catering facilities. It currently burns factory waste chippings and shavings that would probably end up in a landfill site if they didn't come here. By about 2010 we hope to use coppiced willow and poplar, which is being grown on an adjacent field. An odd feature of the Biomass Boiler is that it houses a barn owl box. This is inhabited every year and if you are lucky, you might see a barn owl flying out through a deliberate gap next to the ceiling.