Spring Nature Spotting

We kicked off the season in April by exploring the nature area next to the allotments to see what wildlife was around, and also planted some herbs in the troughs next to the orchard.  This was also another chance for people to sign up as Tree Guardians. This scheme, launched in February 2025, gives people living on the estate the chance to look after one of the 100 newly-planted trees.

Jill said: “People love the Tree Guardian idea - it’s a fantastic way to feel connected to nature right on your doorstep.”

Tree Trail (part of the Urban Wild Festival)

The Tree Trail, which as part of Southampton National Park City’s Urban Wild Festival in May, was a family event celebrating some of the mature trees on the estate.  Participants shared stories of ducks nesting in the huge oak, and childhoods spent gathering nuts from hazel and walnut trees! They also learned more about the impressive ages of some of the trees, and their huge value for wildlife. 

Wildflower Areas in Bloom

By late May, two wildflower areas on Howard Close and by the Memorial Garden on Mansbridge Road burst into bloom and looked stunning. They generated lots of interest with people sharing pictures on social media, and of course attracted a wealth of pollinators too. 

Jill said: “People were stopping in their tracks to admire the flowers. It was wonderful to see how much joy they brought to everyone walking past.”

Performance Poetry Workshop at Mansbridge Primary School

There was much excitement in June when Hampshire Poet Laureate Damian Kelly-Basher led a performance poetry workshop at the school.  Sixty children – and Jill! – had a lot of fun being animals and plants, and used natural treasures like feathers, pinecones and leaves to create lines for poems. Damian formed these lines into a series of poems, which was turned into a zine called Wild Words. 

Jill said: “The creativity was incredible. The children threw themselves into it — it was impossible not to join in!”

Bat Walk

In July, the Trust’s Community Ecologist Intern Eloise and Super Champion Row led a popular bat walk along the River Itchen in Riverside Park, finishing at the historic Mansbridge. Both Noctule and Pipstrelle bats were spotted and heard on detectors.  This event was attended by 19 people, along with researcher Kate Goldie, who later wrote a blog about her research. Read the blog here.

Monks Brook Greenway walk

In August, another popular walk was led by the knowledgeable and engaging Bob Painton, who lives on the Mansbridge Estate and very kindly gave up his Saturday morning for us. It was a sunny morning with plenty of flowers and insects to see – including the star of the morning, a striking wasp spider.

Great Mansbridge Wildlife Challenge

We had a fun event on a Saturday morning in August, with staff and volunteers from the Trust at Claude Ashby Close and Howard Close helping people to spot and identify wildlife on the estate.  

Jill said: “Nature crafts added to the fun, with people making swift cut-outs and clay creatures.”

Mansbridge 100 Years celebration

It was really exciting to be a part of this event in September. Jill and Hampshire Poet Laureate Damian returned for this celebratory community day. Damian also gave away signed copies of Wild Words, the poetry zine created from the workshops held in June.

As well as nature games, this event was another chance for people to sign up as a Tree Guardian. At the time of writing, more than one-third of the 100 new trees have been adopted, and tree guardians are looking forward to planting bulbs around ‘their’ trees in autumn.

Wilder School update 

Mansbrige Primary’s Wilder School programme is in full swing, led by our Engagement Officer Craig, continues to thrive. 

Year 1 have been using their senses.  They tasted different varieties of heritage apples (Domino and Russet were declared join favourite!).  They also went on a nature treasure hunt, made smelly ‘cocktails’ using natural materials like leaves, and took time to listen to local sounds around them – from crows to cars! 

Year 5 experimented with different natural materials and tried out fire strikers. Craig supervised a small fire which was used to heat up a salty solution and turn it back into salt crystals. This was a really popular activity!

Plans for the next sessions are to look at community and where their school is within all the green spaces on the estate.  Pupils will be thinking about how they can join them up and improve our spaces for wildlife and ourselves.  They’ll also be planting bulbs.

Looking ahead 

All in all, it’s been a busy and exciting six months, and we’re looking forward to the next six! Look out for Jill’s final blog, out in April, which will cover the last few months of this rewarding project. 

Jill concludes: “It’s been wonderful to see how many residents want to get involved. Every event has had a real buzz about it — and watching the estate grow wilder each month has been a joy.”