News / local wildlife
Call for information on community-led wildlife action
Nature enthusiasts have issued a call for information on action for wildlife across Bristol.
The BS3 Wildlife Group is inviting community groups that are striving to make the city more wildlife-friendly to get in touch.
They are requesting information on water habitats, larger green spaces and linked-up gardens for an inventory to be submitted to the council in early 2024.
is needed now More than ever
The Manor Woods Valley Group have planted 3000 wildflower bulbs including snake’s head fritillaries, snowdrops and bluebells to provide early season flowers for pollinators in 2024 – photo: Manor Woods Valley Group
Ben Barker, the group’s secretary, is compiling the directory to feed information on community-led wildlife action back to the council to drive progress on the One City Ecological Emergency Strategy.
“There’s more talk than action when it comes to protecting the wildlife of Bristol, but some people are helping by making their gardens, parks and allotments a bit more wildlife friendly and their rivers a little less polluted,” Ben told Bristol24/7.
“If you are a bird or a hedgehog, this can be the difference between life and death.”
The team are looking specifically for information on water habitats including river, pond and wetland projects; green spaces like parks, nature reserves, allotments, churchyards and schoolgrounds; and gardens linking across neighbourhoods to provide varied connected habitats and wildlife corridors.
So far information has come in from a variety of voluntary and community sector projects.
Patchwork Community Gardening Group comprises ‘Bedminster and Southville locals who hate to see a useful bit of land go to waste’.
They are currently active at six sites including Dean Lane – 20 years old in 2023 – Stackpool Road and Myrtle Road, and have established urban orchards, planted wildflowers, and transformed waste plots for nature to deter flytipping.
Friends of Stockwood Nature is improving local urban areas for wildlife and people, as well as enjoying the wild nature in nearby green spaces.
Founder Samuel Malley said, “We seek to create a neighbourhood that has nature at its core, and for individuals to make connections with others, to share ideas and experiences.
“We are trying to make Stockwood the best it can be, not just for wildlife but for people as well.”
The Manor Woods Valley Group maintains the wooded nature park between Hartcliffe Way and Bishopsworth Road in BS13. Volunteers recently planted over 3000 wildflower bulbs to provide early season flowers for insects, as part of WECA-funded The Bulbs and the Bees project.
If you’d like your community wildlife project to be included in the directory send a maximum one-page description to Ben Barker at mywildbedminster@bs3community.org.uk
Sign up to Ben’s newsletter for updates on this and other wildlife projects in BS3 and beyond via the same address.
This piece of independent journalism is supported by The Extra Mile and the Bristol24/7 public and business membership.
Main photo: Caroline Rigg
Read next:
- Stockwood makes space for nature
- Artwork inspired by Feeder Canal’s wildlife and industrial history
- Ten-year strategy for Bristol to confront ecological emergency
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