4 minute read
Team Wilder
TEAM
Welcome to Team Wilder, where we share the stories of local people coming together to take action for wildlife.
Amanda Whi aker, Wilder Schools Champion
Parsonage Farm Nursery and Infant School, based in Farnborough, is one of our Wilder Schools committed to improving its school grounds for wildlife and outdoor learning.
Every school needs inspiring teachers, and at Parsonage Farm, Amanda Whittaker stepped up to the plate to create a buzz for wildlife among pupils.
Mrs Whittaker says: “Back in May, I organised a Science Week for our pupils aged three to seven years old. My aims were two-fold: to get the whole school on board with real, hands-on science and to fi nd out the range of species in our grounds.
“Every afternoon for a week we went out to investigate and tally the species we found. We looked in the pond, in short grass, long grass, on bird feeders, in the woods, under dried leaves and sticks, under wet leaves and sticks, in insect boxes and bee boxes, on trees and shrubs, and we set mammal runs for our nightly visitors.
“For a week I felt like the Pied Piper of Hampshire with children calling out to me: “Mrs Whittaker, look what I’ve found!”
“The buzz of the week was immeasurable. More importantly, that buzz hasn’t gone away. I have joking ‘complaints’ from teachers now Pupils at Parsonage Farm Infant School searching for wildlife.
that children are not paying attention – because a tiny fl y has just fl own in through the window. My job here is done.”
Sway Eco Community, Going Green
The Trust is working with lots of communities across Hampshire to make more space for nature as part of the Greening Campaign initiative.
Set up by a community interest company, the Greening Campaign aims to engage local groups in creating a more resilient and sustainable community.
In supporting communities to become wilder and better connected for nature, we can help tackle the biodiversity and climate crises and tip the balance in favour of nature’s recovery.
The ‘Eco Sway’ community in the New Forest are one of many who have mapped out their local area – with the support of the Trust’s engagement offi cer, Craig Whitelock – to identify what habitats they already have, and which could be enhanced for wildlife.
The Sway community also asked local members (and their children!) to complete a bee postcard to share what activities they’ve been doing to help make space for nature.
The result was a wonderful tree decorated with a huge variety of wilder actions that had been completed by the community – from creating a hedgehog highway to planting pollinator-friendly plants and building a wildlife pond.
The grounds at the Hampshire Constabulary Training HQ have good potential for wildlife.
Emma Ward, Studying Seagrass
Hampshire Constabulary begun working with the Trust earlier this year to improve the grounds of their training headquarters for nature.
During the summer, our ecology team conducted a survey of the site with the aim of helping to map the habitats that already exist and providing some recommendations to enhance biodiversity there.
The police support and training HQ is located among the grounds of Royal Victoria Country Park in Netley.
Currently, the site features areas of grassland and mixed woodland with a variety of mature trees, including oak, ash, beech, conifer, maple, hazel and cherry that have lots of potential for wildlife.
There is also good potential to create wildfl ower meadows that would enhance areas of open grassland, banks and verges.
Through working with us, the police centre hopes to improve the space for nature on its grounds, while also making them more enjoyable for staff and aesthetically appealing for visitors to the country park.
Emma is a PhD student at the University of Portsmouth whose research focuses on the carbon storage capacity of seagrass in the UK.
She began her doctorate studies in October 2020 and, during her fi rst year, she joined her supervisor in working on the Solent Seagrass Restoration Project in partnership with the Trust.
Since then, Emma has been a key part of the project, including switching lab coat for mud shoes and waders to help collect over 20,000 seagrass seeds from the Solent’s coastline. She has also conducted biodiversity assessments of seagrass meadows in the Solent and been involved with the process of maturing seagrass seeds at the university’s Institute of Marine Sciences before planting them back out in designated restoration sites.
Recently, Emma presented her academic research to an international audience at the World Seagrass Conference 2022 in Maryland, United States. Her presentation included reporting on the work of the Solent Seagrass Restoration project.
The results from Emma’s research are promising in suggesting that some intertidal seagrass meadows, such as those at Farlington Marshes near Portsmouth, can have the potential for net gain carbon storage.
Learn more about our ongoing seagrass restoration project at
hiwwt.org.uk/seagrass-restoration
Anyone can become part of Team Wilder. It doesn’t ma er whether you’re an individual, a local business, a school or a community group, as long as you are enthusiastic to help nature. If you’d like to fi nd out how you can get involved, please email wilder@hiwwt.org.uk or visit our website for more information.
