Experts from The Wildlife Trust Beds, Cambs and Northants (BCN) teamed up with Wintringham master developer Urban&Civic to help residents of St Neots newest community create homes for nature as well as people.
29 October 2024
Over 50 local residents joined the team from Wildlife Trust BCN on Sunday 20 October for fun activities designed to showcase the humble hedgehog and what can be done to support them through the autumn and winter.
While the inclement weather pushed the activities into the development’s primary school, children planted up wildflower pots to take home and create a mini meadow in their garden, learnt how to build hedgehog habitat piles; and decorated hedgehog access holes, to highlight the fence holes designed into the development to ensure animals can move about across gardens to reach the development’s wider green spaces.
Debbie McKenzie, Communities & Education Manager for The Wildlife Trust BCN, said: “We really enjoyed talking to Wintringham residents, and it was lovely to see couples and families keen to find out more about how they can help local wildlife in their new gardens. The activities were well received, and it was a fantastic opportunity for our Youth Rangers to share their knowledge with such an enthusiastic and receptive audience.”
As well as sharing lots of interesting tips to support hedgehogs and other local wildlife during the colder months, the team highlighted some of the activities at the Environmental Education Centre at Paxton Pits Nature Reserve, which offers fun and exciting practical nature-based activities as well as a chance to get close to local wildlife.
Christine Littlewood, Community Development Lead for Wintringham, said: “All our landscaping design incorporates features to create and support vital habitats for nature and it was great to have the Wildlife Trust BCN experts and Youth Rangers with us to share their knowledge and enthusiasm about the nature around them. It was lovely to see everyone so engaged with the activities during the event, and keen to know how they can play their part by creating spaces for nature in their back gardens.”
At the end of the event, families were given a copy of the Wildlife Trust’s Wild About Gardens hedgehog booklet, which has lots of interesting information and practical ways to support hedgehogs during the colder months. You can find out more about the species and the steps you can take on the website here: www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/mammals/european-hedgehog
To find out more about ecology and biodiversity at Wintringham, visit www.wintringham.org/environment/
