Nextdoor Nature in Action

By Tom Parkin Nextdoor Nature Officer

Six months since its launch, the Nextdoor Nature project is already a success. Communities across the Durham Wildlife Trust area are gaining the skills and knowledge they need to Bring Nature Back to their local patch.

Back on the Map in Hendon

The Community Garden Project with Back on the Map in Hendon is well underway. Durham Wildlife Trust and Sunderland City Council have supported local volunteers working on the site and community consultation sessions have given everyone a chance to have their say. Phil, a Hendon resident and project volunteer, has provided his expertise in designing the site, drawing from the ideas shared by local people. Funding applications are targeting the money needed to bring the ideas and plans to life, creating the wild spaces the community have asked for. Links have also been made with local schools to provide opportunities for learning outside of the classroom, supporting young people to learn about local wildlife and the wider environment.

In January, the Durham Nextdoor Nature team welcomed the national project leads from Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, with a visit to Back on the Map the highlight of the day. The visit demonstrated how the Wildlife Trusts can work with other community groups and charities to encourage more people to take positive action for nature.

Jane and Jo, from Back on the Map, shared their plans for Hendon Revolution, a scheme to develop wildlife corridors for pollinators along Hendon High Street.

Hazel Dene – Dawdon, Seaham

Nextdoor Nature is delighted to be supporting the Green Drive Regeneration Group. The group’s lead, Silke, recognised that Hazel Dene, in Dawdon, needed community support to reach its full potential. Initially, Silke gathered together people from the local area to carry out litter picks, and the project grew from there.

Through Nextdoor Nature, Tom Parkin is supporting the Green Drive Group by raising awareness of the project and helping to increase community support. Many residents are passionate advocates for their local area and Nextdoor Nature has given them the chance to share their views on Hazel Dene.

Building #TeamWilder in Durham

by John Hayton, Education Projects Officer

#TeamWilder has marched on over the winter months, connecting with new audiences and exploring new ways to empower people in our region to take action for nature. Alongside the incredible voluntary work already carried out on our reserves, Durham Wildlife Trust wants to support local volunteers to bring nature to the places where they live and work.

The Green Drive Group aims to manage the site for both wildlife and people, celebrating the site’s history as a miners’ welfare area and its growing importance as a haven for wildlife. A litter pick in January saw almost forty local community members clear the south entrance to the site, showing the level of community support. Tom said: “Local residents and community volunteers are showing just how much they value this site, and the next stage will be undertaking scrub clearance to improve access and allow even more people to enjoy Hazel Dene.’’

Washington Mind

Ruth, from Washington Mind, has set up a volunteer gardening group to help people learn about growing vegetables, with the produce being made available to local residents. Of course, this creates much greater benefits for the people involved than the food produced, however tasty that may be! Much more can be made of the space available, so Nextdoor Nature is supporting Ruth to submit funding bids to help her to continue to develop the Community Growing Garden. The Trust is also providing knowledge and advice, guided by ideas from Ruth’s Garden Group, on how to create a flourishing wildlife space in the garden to increase biodiversity as well as providing a calm, sensory area.

Washington Mind

An important part of the #TeamWilder approach is investing in the next generation by connecting young people with nature. John Hayton, Education Projects Officer, and Tom Parkin, Nextdoor Nature Officer, recently led a successful event for trainee Primary School teachers in the final year of their undergraduate Schools Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) degree at Sunderland University.

The immersive workshop upskilled student teachers, helping to build their confidence to deliver outdoor learning sessions on school grounds and surrounding green spaces. Outdoor learning allows pupils to better understand the importance of the wildlife on their doorstep and to appreciate the natural world as part of their daily lives, rather than something to see on a one-off school trip.

John said: “By working with trainee teachers, Durham Wildlife Trust can spread the nature restoration message much further and embed nature in the school curriculum. We’re looking for further opportunities to work with other universities and colleges in the same way.”

Get involved

Would your community like to make space for nature and people? Why not start your own project to better connect people with their local wildlife? If you are in South Tyneside, Darlington, East Durham or Sunderland, contact Nextdoor Nature – we might be able to help. Here’s how to get in touch:

Tom Parkin

Nextdoor Nature Officer, Durham Wildlife Trust: tparkin@durhamwt.co.uk | 01915843112