This summer, the Nature Positive Portsmouth project has continued to demonstrate the power of community action for nature. Across Portsmouth, our Super Champions have been connecting people with nature, sharing knowledge, and inspiring practical action to make local neighbourhoods better for wildlife and people. 

From community centres to hospital gardens and railway stations, volunteers have shown that creating space for nature can happen anywhere when communities come together with a shared purpose. 

Growing Wildlife-Friendly Communities 

One of the highlights of the summer was a Wildlife Friendly Gardening Workshop held at Treadgolds Community Centre on 21 August. The session brought together 25 local residents to learn about simple ways to support wildlife through gardening, before getting hands-on with planting activities. 

The response was overwhelmingly positive. Participants left feeling inspired to make changes in their own gardens and allotments, proving that small actions can play a significant role in supporting nature recovery across the city. 

The workshop also created valuable new connections between local groups, including Friends without Borders and Pompey in the Community. Volunteers of the Portsmouth Rock Garden project attended and have since followed up for further advice, demonstrating how shared learning can spark ongoing conversations and action for nature. 

Nature and Wellbeing at Queen Alexandra Hospital 

In August, Super Champions visited the gardens at Queen Alexandra Hospital to explore opportunities for improving the site for both wildlife and people. 

Working alongside volunteers, they reviewed planting schemes and identified ways to encourage biodiversity while creating attractive and restorative green spaces for patients, staff and visitors. The visit highlighted the important role that nature can play in supporting health and wellbeing, while also demonstrating how even highly managed spaces can contribute to a wider nature recovery network. 

By sharing practical advice and ecological expertise, the Super Champions helped identify opportunities to enhance habitats and create greater benefits for both local wildlife and the hospital community. 

Looking at Opportunities at Hilsea Station 

Another exciting piece of work this summer has been supporting the Hilsea Station Community Project. 

Working with Jane Linford, Super Champions have been exploring how the avenue of trees around the station could be managed to better support wildlife. They have also been identifying potential locations for rain gardens, which can help manage surface water while providing valuable habitat for pollinators and other species. 

This work reflects the wider ambition of Nature Positive Portsmouth: finding creative ways to weave nature into everyday places, making the city more resilient, greener and more welcoming for both people and wildlife. 

The Power of Community Leadership 

What stands out across all of these activities is the growing confidence and impact of Portsmouth's Super Champions. By sharing their knowledge, inspiring others and building new partnerships, they are helping to create a movement of people who care about nature and are willing to take action in their communities. 

Whether encouraging residents to plant for pollinators, advising on hospital gardens, or identifying opportunities for greener public spaces, they are showing that nature recovery is not something that happens only in nature reserves. It happens in community centres, allotments, hospital grounds, railway stations and neighbourhood streets. 

As we reflect on a summer of nature stories and community action, we are grateful to all of the Super Champions, volunteers and local partners who have contributed their time, energy and enthusiasm. Together, they are helping to build nature positive communities across Portsmouth, one conversation, one garden and one project at a time. 

Nature Positive Portsmouth is proving that when communities are empowered to lead, positive change for nature can happen everywhere.