Nextdoor Nature

      

Norfolk Wildlife Trust wants to help you help nature!

Do you have a dull patch of land nearby that you can help burst into life? Do you want to work with neighbours along your street to create a super-highway for hedgehogs, bees and birds? Do you want to make the space where you work full of colour and vibrancy?
 
Norfolk Wildlife Trust, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to mark the Queen’s Jubilee, is seeking residents, community groups, work colleagues and others who want to come together to make a difference for nature in their area.

Nextdoor Nature in Norfolk is focussing on working with the communities around the newly acquired NWT Sweet Briar Marshes, looking for projects to support in the Mile Cross, Marlpit, North Earlham and Wensum ward areas.
 
No action for wildlife is ever too small - if you have a vision or a plan to help nature in these areas, but you’re not sure where to start or need a bit of extra help, get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!

For guides and advice on everything from how to write a press release to setting up a community group, check out The Wildlife Trust's Nextdoor Nature Hub.
 

How to get in touch:

Project Officer Lee Cozens can be contacted:

By mobile: 07788360473
Speak directly, leave a message or voice note, send a photo or video of what you have in mind.

By email: [email protected]
Birdbox building by Peter Cairns/2020VISION What can I do for nature now? Sweetbriar Marshes by Richard Osbourne Find out about Sweet Briar Marshes An area of woodland directly on the route of the Western Link by Iain Robinson Stop the Western Link


Together with help from people who live and work in the community using locally sourced free materials, we created a prototype pallet planter, enabling them to grow their own fruit and vegetables – there for the whole community to enjoy.

The plants (strawberries, tomatoes, herbs, lavender, sweet peas and other good pollinator plants) and the peat-free compost was paid for by the Nextdoor Nature project.


Kieran, a local handy person, has now constructed and planted up two other pallet planters at the Phoenix Centre which is fast becoming a growing hub. Other people in the Phoenix Centre community have also added bird boxes and feeders, water dishes for hedgehogs and bug homes. This small building and its hardstanding outside space is blooming and quickly becoming a haven for wildlife.

 

We have been supporting Friends of Sloughbottom Park in their mission create a wildflower ‘pollinator patch’ with two volunteer sessions.
 

The first in early March was to clear the border and sow wildflower seeds and the other in early May was to plant out a range of bee-friendly flowers.
 

One volunteer, who is very loyal to the civic life of Mile Cross and a life-long resident, planted one of the plants into the border and then said, pointing, ‘I planted that!’.
 

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We supported the committee volunteers at the Marlpit community centre who wanted to create a shared wildlife garden.
 

Other groups that use the community centre are getting on board to help; Baseline helped clear the garden and install bird boxes, and with the help of committee members, we spent a morning clearing blackthorn and preparing the soil for wildflower seeds.
 

We also spent a session with 30 young carers (aged 7-10) who meet regularly at the centre with a Young Carers group. These lively and excited children really slowed down and took great care in sowing their wildflower seeds and they’ve promised to water the patch throughout the growing season.
 

There is lots more planned for this area and we are really excited to support them along the way!
 

‘Always happy to welcome you at any point to do some more nature work with the young carers. It was a lovely session for the young carers to get involved in nature’ Kim, Young Carers Leader.

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At Edmund Bacon Court, we supported a number of residents to create a more colourful and vibrant shared green space around their buildings.
 

We helped plant a mini wildflower meadow as well as several mini wildlife ponds!
 

‘Dear Lee – 'Such fun yesterday. Thank you so much. I now feel inspired to tackle ‘my’ bit of garden round the back.’ Liz (Resident)