urban wildlife Champions

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Six months ago, we launched the Urban Wildlife Champions project. Since then, over 100 people across Essex have signed up to take action for nature in their local communities. Together, they are creating new homes for wildlife, nurturing and rejuvenating existing spaces and connecting up areas that are already thriving.

With the help of workshops, webinars and site visits from experts, Essex Wildlife Trust’s Urban Wildlife Champions are reaching beyond the boundaries of nature reserves to create a county rich in wildlife with people connected to nature. Here’s a few examples of projects already underway…

Installing an owl box photo: John Denis Le Seve

New homes for nature

In Fingringhoe, Lindsey and the local Green Group are creating new homes for migrating birds. The Green Group are planning to fundraise for specialist bird boxes and will install them, with the expert help of a local roofing company, across the entire village. In the meantime, they are surveying current bird box sites and identifying potential new sites.

Similarly, John and the Wickham Bishops Biodiversity group are inviting birds and bats into their village. The group has already crafted and installed bird and bat boxes throughout the village. They now aim to create a community nature trail to share their knowledge of the wonderful wildlife found on the doorstep of residents.

Refreshing habitat havens

Angela and the Weeley in Bloom group have identified two areas of unused and mismanaged green space. Their goal is to transform both sites into havens for wildlife. These sites will be managed as grassland habitat in which wildflowers will be encouraged to grow and, on one of the sites, fruit trees and berry bushes will be planted for both wildlife and people to enjoy.

Also putting petal to the metal are Kate and the gardening team at Colchester Christ Church. They’re taking action to entice wildlife into their urban church setting. They’re rejuvenating their outdoor space by creating a wildflower meadow, installing stag beetle hotels and planting trees to create wildlife corridors.

A bug hotel: Willow Park Lifeskills Centre

Transforming a neglected road verge: Willow Park Lifeskills Centre

A insect, bird and hedgehog friendly road verge: Willow Park Lifeskills Centre

Connectivity is key

In Great Saling, Charmaine and her team are busy connecting up our landscape. They’re working with the parish council and surrounding landowners to restore wildlife corridors along footpaths, through parks and around housing. Hedgerows that have been lost or degraded around the village are being replanted and connected up, pockets of woodland are being managed and encouraged to expand and margins of green space are being naturalised so wildflowers can thrive.

Recognising it’s potential for connectivity, Clive at Willow Park Lifeskills Centre scythed a neglected road verge patch, encouraging a colourful bloom over summer. Since then, Clive and his learning groups continue transforming the space into a playground for insects, hedgehogs and birds. This year, they have already established and built deadwood habitats, bug hotels, hedgehog homes and mini wildlife ponds.

These are just a few inspirational examples of what happens when local people are given the tools and support to take action for nature in their gardens, streets, villages, towns and cities. Together we are Team Wilder and we can create a Wilder Essex.

Grassland Management Workshop

Thanks to the generous contributions from Eat Natural, we are able to fund training webinars and workshops for our fantastic Urban Wildlife Champions this autumn.