Nextdoor Nature: Faizan and Anoush Yousefzai - Photo by The Wildlife Trusts
Nextdoor Nature
What is Nextdoor Nature?
Nextdoor Nature is bringing communities together to help nature flourish where they live and work! Thanks to £5 million funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Nextdoor Nature will provide people with the advice and support they need to help nature on their doorstep, and leave a lasting natural legacy to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
With Shropshire Wildlife Trust's share of this national funding, the Nextdoor Nature project in Shropshire is all about reaching new people, helping us work towards our ambition for 1 in 4 people taking meaningful action for nature.
Until June 2024, we are focusing our project work on building connections with diverse ethnic communities in Telford. We'll be working alongside communities to learn more about the role nature plays in their lives and bringing people together to develop nature-based projects which matter to them.
As our work in Telford evolves we will have opportunities for more people to be involved in helping wildlife thrive across the town. Until we do there are many ways you can protect wildlife on your doorstep.
Learn more about actions for wildlife
For more information about our Nextdoor Nature projects, contact:
Rebecca on rebeccas@shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk 07539 041655
Anna on annam@shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk 07497 451836
Celebrating the first anniversary of Nextdoor Nature projects
Between Saturday 8th July and Sunday 23rd July The Wildlife Trusts are collectively hosting events with their Nextdoor Nature project groups, and we are joining in this celebration of community organising with one of our own groups - Shropshire European Organisation connect with nature at Apley Woods, Local Nature Reserve. This is a closed event.
We’ve been listening to groups from diverse ethnic communities in Telford and supporting their ideas to flourish. With our assistance Shropshire European Organisation CIC, who support the Eastern European Community of Shropshire and Telford, are keen to get their ideas started. They plan to run nature walks and increase their experience and skills hosting campfires in Apley Woods Local Nature Reserve. The background to this idea comes from their connection to nature as part of their childhoods in their home countries, and the desire to offer their families similar experiences but within the UK environment. This event will be the first in a series, funded by Telford and Wrekin Council’s Green Spaces are Go funding, which will bring them together in an environment where they will be able to take a nature walk, explore a local nature reserve and have permission to organise traditional evening gathering around a fire with Eastern European singing. We will be supporting them in developing their fire skills, alongside exploring ways to connect with the local nature.
If you are from the Eastern European community, live in the area and would like to attend please contact Shropshire European Organization CIC via email shropeuropeorg@gmail.com or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/polishcentreshrewsbury/?locale=en_GB
* Please note: We have trained fire leaders with us supervising these campfires. The weather and the conditions are part of fire risk assessments and we will take appropriate action or cancel if the fire leader considers it unsafe. We discourage BBQs and campfires in wild green natural spaces unless appropriately supervised and approved, especially during dry hot weather.
During the two week period of Nextdoor Nature Community Celebrations The Wildlife Trusts will be helping to support 50 events whereby hundreds of people across the UK can come together for nature.
What you can do to help nature
Nature’s recovery needs to start now! Here are a few ideas that anyone can do! For a beautiful, wildlife-friendly, happy street why not get your neighbours involved too.
