Wild About Warnham - a great example of a community taking action for wildlife.
Wild About Warnham - A project for our times?
By David Bridges
The Wild About Warnham project began in 2019 as a response to the climate crisis and the mounting evidence of biodiversity loss. Warnham is a pleasant and predominantly rural Parish and yet, as elsewhere across much of the UK, biodiversity loss is happening here at an alarming rate.
The Wild About Warnham project aims to raise awareness of the environmental issues behind these losses and is suggesting ways in which everyone in the parish can take action to reverse biodiversity loss and help prevent further environmental damage at a local (parish) level.
I pitched some ideas to Warnham Parish Council and these were received warmly and enthusiastically. We agreed that initially Wild About Warnham (WAW) would focus on some specific and, hopefully, achievable goals. This would allow us to assess how much interest and support there might be among locals for expanding and developing the project.
Working with one of the village WI groups we launched a scheme to get people planting Alder Buckthorn in their gardens to attract Brimstone butterflies. Buckthorn is the food plant for this butterfly’s caterpillars.
Our ‘One Square Metre’ challenge is encouraging people to create areas of wildflower mini-meadow in their gardens with free packets of UK-sourced seed suitable for our heavy clay soil.
During lockdown a large number of bird nest boxes and bat boxes have been constructed by volunteers. Apart from the usual tit and Robin boxes, we made boxes for Swifts and Treecreepers, and a terrace for House Sparrows!
Free advice is being given to gardeners and landowners wanting to make changes to encourage more wildlife. A key aim is to create new, connected networks of good habitat. Information and factsheets have been produced and distributed via the Warnham Warbler (our village magazine) and the Warnham Parish Council website where special WAW pages have been created https://warnham.org.uk/wild-about-warnham/
A new cycle path from the centre of the village towards Warnham Nature Reserve gave us an opportunity to create over 800 metres of nectar-rich habitat along the edge of the path. Wildflower seed was purchased with funds from the Parish Council and Sussex Butterfly Conservation.
Working with the church, we have reviewed the management of the churchyard and a large area will now be left uncut each summer to allow the wildflowers in the sward to flourish. More hedging and a ‘dead hedge’ are also planned.
The Swift was selected for special attention through the project, as this iconic summer visitor has been struggling locally for some years after a big colony was lost when a key site was blocked up by workmen carrying out roofing repairs.
Initially, effort has been focused on identifying where swifts are currently nesting. We then work with the property owners to ensure sites are not lost. Then, where appropriate, new nest boxes are put up nearby.
If you would like more information or would like to get involved, please contact me by email [email protected] or follow the project on Twitter @WildWarnham or Facebook (here)
David Bridges