Flagship Nature Project Demonstrates People-Power

A report published this week reveals the striking results of a National Lottery Heritage Fund £5 million Nextdoor Nature programme which was rolled out nationwide, and which has enabled Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust to work more closely with their local communities for two years.

At a time when a recent UK Government evaluation of green prescribing showed that connections to nature can bring about impressive improvements in health and well-being, the benefits of the Nextdoor Nature programme for people are significant. Extraordinary transformations have taken place over the last two years in communities that have often been traditionally or historically excluded from making decisions about nature and the environment in their local areas. The benefits of nature connectedness have never been better appreciated.

Through the programme, Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust appointed two Wilder Communities Officers – one in Watford and one in Dacorum and over its two-year period, the wildlife charity have celebrated its impact with a number of success stories. These include:

• The St Mary’s Community Garden Project in Northchurch has a team of volunteers working hard to make their vision a reality.
• At the Cardo-maintained social housing site, Evelyn Sharp House in Hemel Hempstead, residents and local volunteers created a vision and plan to transform an outdoor space and improve it for wildlife. Around 20 people came together to create a bug hotel, plant 60 tree saplings, 1,000 crocus bulbs, wildflower seeds and paint planters.
• In Apsley, ‘Guerilla Gardeners’ continue to take it into their own hands to find new areas of waste ground to rewild.
• In St Albans , local community action is going from strength to strength – the newly formed Community Interest Company, The Green House is a new eco hub for the city, Harpenden and surrounding villages.
• The Green Heart of Watford is a group that is working to restore nature to the land around St Mary’s Church in the centre of the town. They have now partnered with Watford Borough Council and meet up regularly to keep up the momentum.
• Together with Rediscovering the River Colne and Community Connections CIC, the Trust facilitated AQA accreditation in River Management for eight young people, providing future conservation opportunities.

Lea Ellis, Engagement Manager at Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust says, ‘The ethos of the Nextdoor Nature programme was to work with communities rather than for them. It was essential that we asked local people what they would like to see happen so that they had the personal motivation to see their aspirations through and continue them beyond the programme’s reach. Our role was to assist in that process with a community organising approach which included enabling problem-solving skills, local research, and linking people up with others to get help – a more sustainable method.

‘We’ve tried to get across that whilst saving our environment might not be front of mind, that looking after it is part of the whole mass of wheels and cogs that is the machine of life. For instance, in times of stress, if you take a moment to listen to bird song or watch the sunset you realise you’re part of something much bigger that you can have a positive impact on for both yourself and others.’

Many participants expressed that the project gave them a purpose and increased their sense of community. Engaging in collective efforts to improve local nature made them feel like they were part of something bigger, contributing to a common goal and enhancing their pride in their local area. ‘It gives me purpose and a ‘joyous boost’, it has increased my sense of community,’ said one participant. ‘It has contributed to a sense of purpose and belonging,’ said another. Overall, 95% of the participants in the Nextdoor Nature programme said that as a direct result of the project, there is now greater collaborative working between residents, local organisations and groups, and 82% feel there is now greater decision-making about wildlife in the hands of local people.

Nextdoor Nature’s legacy will live on beyond the end of the funding so that local communities can continue the work using their new skills and contacts. Though that funding has now stopped, the Trust have found other sources to keep up the momentum and are encouraging people to talk to their neighbours, friends, colleagues, and council representatives to share their ideas and pool their knowledge, skills and experience to do something positive for the benefit of everyone.

For more information, inspiration and advice visit the Trust’s Wilder Communities webpages or read the full report Power to the People: Nextdoor Nature’s legacy for communities and wildlife.

Photo: Local volunteers and residents of Evelyn Sharp House in Hemel Hempstead prepare to transform an area of outdoor space for wildlife.