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Team Wilder
As well as making donations and taking practical action in the workplace, there are so many different ways that businesses can join Team Wilder and help us create a wilder future for both people and wildlife.
Southern Co-op
Southern Co-op is a long-term partner of the Trust. They put sustainability at the heart of everything they do and are committed to helping build a fairer society and a more sustainable world. They have been an important partner in the introduction and rollout of our flagship Team Wilder programme, Wilder Portsmouth. We are now almost two years into our Wilder Portsmouth project and have seen fabulous progress from North End to South Parade Pier, with a wildlife haven at every junction. The project has been such a success that, with the continued support of Southern Co-op, we are rolling out a Team Wilder programme on the Isle of Wight. You can read about our new Wilder Wight Communities Officer for the Island on page 12. Southern Co-op have also made great efforts to understand and enhance the biodiversity that lives on their estate. In 2013 the company engaged the Trust’s ecology services team, Arcadian, to create a biodiversity action plan for a newly acquired site, which will become The Oaks Crematorium in Havant. Each year following the creation of the plan, the Trust has undertaken a range of surveys at the crematorium including monitoring the fantastic wildflower meadow that Southern Co-op have created. Our surveys have shown that there are now more than 100 different botanical species present at The Oaks. The meadow is an excellent habitat for bees, grasshoppers and butterflies and provides cover and foraging opportunities for small mammals. Because of their incredible commitment to us, we were thrilled to award Southern Co-op the Wilder Business of the Year award for 2021.
Loungers Clothing
Back in August, we launched a new partnership with Hampshire-based company, Loungers Clothing. Inspired by our vision of a wilder future and, knowing that small actions can have a great impact on nature, business owners Karen and Deborah knew they wanted to be part of Team Wilder. Together they have designed and created limited-edition lounge trousers in our brand colours, and have committed to making a donation to the Trust from every pair of Wilder Loungers sold. The Wilder Loungers are perfect for either cosying up to watch wildlife from your window or relaxing in after a day out in nature. And we think they’d make an ideal Christmas gift, too!
www.loungersclothing.com
VIVID Homes
We have been working with Vivid Homes in Portsmouth to develop a wilder space for residents. The fountain located next to Hillsea Lido is being transformed into a glorious garden and outdoor space where local people can put their green fingers to work. This is a great example of a local business collaborating with us to create a wilder future within their local community.
Vitacress Farm Excellence
We’ve partnered with Vitacress and LEAF to increase the sustainability of Vitacress’s farming techniques across leaf crop, protected growing and aquaculture. Vitacress Farm Excellence (VFE) is a conservation farming scheme that will help Vitacress deliver more biodiversity as part of its wider environmental ambition to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2040. The programme creates a longstanding commitment for Vitacress to reduce their impact on the environment, demonstrate best practice and set ambitious new standards for the industry, providing the opportunity for their business to contribute to the recovery of wildlife in the broader landscape.
The Trust’s ecological consultancy, Arcadian Ecology, has been conducting surveys and working with the farm managers to develop tailored 10-year biodiversity management plans. By sustainably managing farmland and enhancing or creating areas with benefits for wildlife, such as improving existing ponds or establishing wild bird seed plots and wildflower patches, nature has been given the chance to recover outside of specifically protected areas like nature reserves. These linked habitats form a nature recovery network, where species can move safely and freely in the landscape. www.hiwwt.org.uk/
