Campus comfort : evaluating the University of Malta’s vegetation and its associated pollen

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to produce various information displays for the University of Malta’s campus in order to inform the attendees about the vegetation found on campus, their pollination period as well as the potential impact that each species might have on human health, specifically those who suffer from pollen-related allergies. Allergy sufferers must still carry on with their daily life despite the various symptoms that can impact them throughout the seasons, specifically Spring and Summer. Therefore, providing information about the potential pollen capacity that could be found within a public green area might prove beneficial to allow preventative measures to be taken. This information could be used not only for pollen allergy purposes also maintenance and future planting schemes. This project was undertaken through desk-based research and fieldwork, which were carried out to gather data on the various plant species present within the campus. From this data collection, three main types of results were created: information posters, a pictorial map, and an app.