Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) and Poole Housing Partnership have launched a project to create a brand new wild flower meadow with the local community in Alderney West in Poole.
This new project has received a generous donation of £1,500 funded by the ‘Grow Wild’ community project, which is part of a £10.5m programme supported by the Big Lottery Fund and led by the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, to inspire people to sow, grow and support UK native wild flowers.
The launch event on Thursday 16thApril, celebrated this funding, and also saw the local community group sowing the first seeds to create a wild flower meadow next to the Alderney West Community Garden.
Jane Ford is a community group member. She said, “The group see sowing the wildlife meadow as sowing seeds for the future of the community, insects and animals. It’s also great fun and gets everyone together to do something positive for the area.”
DWT’s Great Heath Community Conservation Officer, Katie Wilkinson, said: “The Great Heath team is delighted to be part of this project because it benefits both wildlife and people. Planting the meadow has brought together the community in Alderney and as the year goes on, there will also be something colourful for locals to enjoy in an urban setting. Wild flowers are also very important for pollinating insects such as bees, so there’s a benefit to wildlife, too.”
New Roots Coordinator for Poole Housing Partnership, Clare Sutton, said, “Poole Housing Partnership is very excited to be working with Dorset Wildlife trust and the local community to create a beautiful wildflower meadow. It really does show how local people can make a real difference to where they live.”
If you are interested in helping out with the wild flower meadow in Alderney West Gardens, please contact Clare Sutton at [email protected] or phone 01202 264316.
To find out more about wildlife friendly gardening in your local green space, visit www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife-gardening or phone 01305 264620.
