Here’s a look at what Wilder Communities Officers: Steve Bolton (Basingstoke, Winchester & Petersfield), Jill Doubleday (Southampton), and Tina Whitmore (Isle of Wight) have been up to throughout the year.

Autumn 2024 

During November, we ran a Nature friendly gardening workshop on the Isle of Wight. This helped support several groups to develop and deliver creative listening exercises within their communities. This is a way of gather feedback and thoughts from the people that use them most, helping to steer and shape local spaces for people and nature in ways they feel are important.

In October, as part of Green Libraries Week Jill joined the Under 5s story time at Southampton Central Library.  After the story, we made bee and butterfly wands and Jill chatted to the adults about Wilder Southampton projects. Jill says: “This is where I met Christabel, a resident who’d brought her son to the event, and who wanted to get involved in Willder Southampton. She lived in Freemantle, close to the Millbrook Road East planting project, so came along to the first session.” 

November was very exciting as our film of the Victoria Road Gardeners in Southampton was shown at the Future Cities film screening, a collaboration with the University of Southampton’s community engagement hub. 

Winter 2025 

Jill started the year by joining Bitterne Station Open Day, in Southampton, to support them in recruiting more volunteers for their fantastic wildlife-friendly garden areas. Jill met lots of enthusiastic people including Charlene, Hampshire Community Rail Officer.

Wilder Southampton hosted a Winter Tree ID event at Freemantle Lake Park, which was led by Susan, the Trust’s Community Ecologist. Enthusiastic participants came from across the city for this, learning about trees and networking with like-minded people. 

Steve says: “When I joined the Trust back in February, I didn’t know just how quickly I’d be swept up in the energy of communities across Hampshire. From Basingstoke to Winchester and East Hampshire, I’ve had the privilege of seeing what happens when people come together to take action for nature — and it’s inspiring.” 

Spring 2025

Tina reports that everyone had a fantastic time at a Bug Hotel Workshop with West Wight Timebank: “A big thank you to everyone who joined us at Freshwater Parish Hall. We kicked off the session with a quick introduction to the Wilder Wight Project before getting hands-on and building our very own bug hotels. It was a great chance to learn how to create spaces for beneficial insects in our gardens and how simple changes can make a big difference for wildlife. A special shout-out to Care in the Garden for providing the amazing kits that made this all possible.” 

We hope everyone left feeling inspired to welcome pollinators like bees and butterflies into their gardens and to make small, but meaningful, changes for local wildlife. Tina says: “Thanks again to everyone who participated – it was a pleasure to get creative and learn together!”

We had a great time working with a group of students from St. Catherine's School to create a dead hedge at Ventnor Community Shed on the Isle of Wight. A dead hedge is a fantastic feature for any garden, made by weaving woody cuttings between vertical stakes. It may look simple, but it provides a vital habitat for local wildlife. 

Here's why dead hedges are so important:

1. Shelter for birds: Dead hedges offer a perfect hideaway for birds like blackbirds, robins, wrens, and dunnocks, who use them for nesting and foraging.
2. Biodiversity boost: The structure creates a tangled maze that benefits many creatures, from insects to small mammals, all of whom thrive in the sheltered nooks.
3. Natural recycling: Dead hedges help recycle garden waste like fallen branches, leaves, and prunings, creating a more sustainable space while keeping your garden tidy. 

Whether it’s a full hedge or a simpler brash pile, these features not only improve the environment but also make a lasting impact on local wildlife. It was great to see the students get hands-on in creating something so beneficial for nature.

In April, the first Woodcote Road Planting session in Southampton was held.  This was initiated by a local GP who’d read about Team Wilder in our members’ magazine, and wanted to explore ways for patients to benefit from time spent with nature while making important social connections. 

Also in April, the first Millbrook Road East gardening session took place with a group of keen local residents.  This is transforming neglected street planters into habitats for pollinators that are also attractive to people.

A Companion Planting for Pollinators and People Workshop was a blooming success. We had a wonderful time with participants from the Senior Moments group in East Cowes. The popular Senior Moments group is co-ordinated by Denise at East Cowes Town Council. The group meet weekly to enjoy engaging activities and workshops, fostering connections and lifelong learning.

Thanks to the generous donation of seeds from the East Side Curve Community Seed Library, we planted a variety of flowers and herbs that will attract pollinators and benefit our gardens. Additionally, participants decorated plant pots inspired by local wildlife, adding a creative and personal touch to their gardening projects. A big thank you to everyone who joined us

The sun shone on the Shalfleet Parish Hall for an enjoyable and relaxing Community Nature Session with the West Wight Carer's Group. We kicked off the session with a brief Wilder Communities presentation and discussion on how we can take action for nature in our community.

Then, for inspiration ahead of the activity, we explored the adjoining churchyard of St. Michael the Archangel - areas of which are managed for nature. We spotted butterflies and damselflies on the wing, a whole host of flowering grasses and many wildflowers including swathes of Ox-eye daisies. Back at the hall, the group began to get creative customising and decorating terracotta pots with themes around nature and growing. Finally, the pots were planted up with a selection of companion plants, benefiting both people and nature 

A new Team Wilder project, Woolston Station Garden started, following contact from Charlene Arrondeau, the Hampshire Community Rail Officer.  The number of volunteers looking after this garden had dwindled to just one, so Jill decided to take this on as a volunteer to kick-start it, as its in Jill’s very own neighbourhood.  Jill says: “After several sessions and around 50 volunteer-hours, the garden is starting to take shape, with several wildlife-friendly features incorporated, including insect habitat, drinking stations for birds and bees, and pollinator plants.”

One of Steve’s first visits was to Buriton, where the local Environmental Association has turned their recreation ground into a haven for wildlife. Picture a meadow buzzing with life, cared for through a community hay-making day. Now, thanks to a little support, more people are recording species with the iNaturalist app and mapping wildlife corridors that connect their village to surrounding farmland.

Over in Petersfield, the community garden has become a showcase of what’s possible in even the smallest of spaces: mini-meadows, ponds, orchards, and pollinator planting. Families joined us there for a Big Butterfly Count, discovering just how much nature they can find on their doorstep — and leaving inspired to do the same in their own gardens.

And then there was Waterlooville, where a nature-and-arts walk brought neighbours together to explore, sketch, and record local wildlife. Steve says: “By the end of the day, we’d spotted 15 species and created a colourful illustrated map — a snapshot of what’s possible when creativity and conservation meet.”

Summer 

It’s been incredibly rewarding to see some of the early groups we supported now stepping up and leading their own inspiring actions for nature. Their efforts are helping to make the Isle of Wight a wilder place for both people and nature. A great example of this is East Cowes Community Orchard species recording where local residents have been recording wildlife visiting the East Cowes Community Orchard over the summer.

The Community Orchard sits within Jubilee Recreation Ground and is cared for by East Cowes Town Council. Wilder Wight Communities have been supporting with advice on enhancing the space for people and nature.

Part of a newly developed orchard management plant left the grass beneath the fruit trees unmown throughout the summer until September. This enabled a wonderful mix of grassland plant species to thrive and flower, in-turn helping support our local pollinators and biodiversity.

Species that were spotted include:  

1. Birds-foot Trefoil - a super supporter of pollinato
2. Knapweed - another great plant for pollinators, especially butterflies
3. Quaking grass - a sign of unimproved grassland (land that hasn't been significantly altered by human activities such as ploughing, reseeding, or the application of fertilisers)
4. A male stag beetle which was observed earlier in the summer
5. Common blue and small copper butterflies.

Other improvements by the Town Council include restrictive tree guards being removed and tree mulching underway. Excitingly, the trees seem to be fruiting well for the first time this year. Community events are planned with opportunities to explore, learn, and celebrate this special space together. A big thank you to local ecologist Vidya Wolton, for sharing her time and expertise.

Some of the Steve’s biggest highlights came in Basingstoke this summer. At Down Grange, a butterfly workshop had us wandering through wildflower meadows that have been lovingly restored over the last 20 years. We spotted 14 different butterfly species, including the rare small heath, which has found the perfect home here thanks to dedicated community care. 

Later in the summer, the Mill Field Bioblitz brought 150 people together to uncover an astonishing 355 species in just one day. On our evening bat walk, we watched daubenton’s bats skim low over the water — an unforgettable sight that had everyone whispering in awe.

Also in summer,  we had a combined event in Wilder Freemantle, Southampton, with the hugely popular Wonder of Wildflowers in Freshfield Park. This led by Craig Whitelock, the Trust’s Engagement Officer, alongside crafts and activities at Freemantle and Shirley Community Centre. This is now the hub of activity in the area, and Communication Assistant Chris Fairhead attended to film interviews with four key community members in the area.  These will be made into a film to celebrate the achievements in the area and increase community engagement. 

Along with other organisations and individuals, Jill attended the first Beat the Heat workshop, exploring issues and potential solutions related to urban heat and its effects on health in the Southampton area.  This project is co-ordinated by the Southampton Climate Action Network, who have applied for funding to progress this project. 

Towards the end of August, our community ecologist intern Eloise surveyed the wildlife-friendly garden areas at Bitterne Station Community Hub. The findings will inform future management and help us to engage others with the importance of these urban areas for wildlife.

Jill’s future plans

Over the next year, my aims are to continue building relationships with groups and organisations across the city of Southampton, in order to explore opportunities for collaboration and reaching more diverse communities.  I’ll also be continuing to build community groups for existing projects, and exploring individuals’ training and support needs, with the aim of encouraging independence and stepping back from regular direct involvement.

Celebrating a wilder year on the Isle of Wight 

Thanks to our first year of Reaching Communities Lottery funding, we’ve been able to grow and deepen our work across the Isle of Wight — strengthening the relationships we’ve built over the past three years and forging exciting new connections within our communities.

The Isle of Wight is rich in biodiversity. We’re home to many unique species and habitats. However, like the rest of the UK, we’re facing worrying local declines. Nature needs our help. We need to speak up, take action, and support wildlife wherever and whenever we can — especially in our urban spaces.

Making new connections
Tina is always looking to make new connections with community groups, organisations and stakeholders. The Isle of Wight Horticultural Professionals Group (GROW), the Isle of Wight Food Partnership, Isle of Wight Regeneration Team are among new links that we have been developing this year.

Impacts
We are working to incorporate the newly launched Isle of Wight Nature Recovery Strategy into our work spreading the word about our champion species, celebrating our unique biodiversity and supporting communities to give a helping hand to local nature.

Every small step matters. Whether it’s individuals, community groups, town & parish councils, or churches making positive changes to how land is managed, these collective efforts can tip the balance back in nature’s favour. Together, we can create a lasting impact.

If you live on the Isle of Wight and have an idea, and need support to get things off the ground, or you know of a space that could be enhanced for nature, please do get in touch with us at: wilderwightcommunities@hiwwt.org.uk

Steve’s end of year highlights

This first year has been a reminder of something powerful: when people come together, change happens. Meadows are restored. Butterflies return. Children discover the joy of nature. And communities find new pride in the places they call home.

Here’s to many more moments like these — and to a Wilder Hampshire, built one garden, one meadow, and one community at a time.

Want to get involved?

Join Team Wilder and put your own action for nature on the map.

Take part in citizen science projects like the Big Butterfly Count or record species on iNaturalist.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see upcoming events and workshops.

Together, we can make Hampshire wilder — one garden, one meadow, and one community at a time.