It’s code red, time is almost up. In the face of a climate emergency there is an emergence of re-wilding across Britain to nurture and re-populate our nature. At the forefront of this is The Wildlife Trusts.  

I have been volunteering my time creating videos for the Dorset Wildlife Trusts’ Nextdoor Nature Project which has allowed me front row access into how they are approaching this conundrum of declining wildlife in Dorset. My role in highlighting the trusts’ work in this initiative has been immensely fulfilling, but also so inspiring. Living in urban areas, sometimes it’s so easy to forget that we have taken over natural habitats to create our environment, but we need to stay connected to nature before we lose it completely.  

In Poole, I made to a visit to record the local community coming together to build a garden and re-wild an unused area of land. This was done in association with BPC Homes and the national lottery heritage fund. In the age of technology, sometimes I feel like we have forgotten how to communicate in person and worry we are losing a sense of community, but to see this group of people come together in such a way was incredibly heart-warming.  

I witnessed the residents and representatives of the organisations involved come together to clean up this area, saving the top layer of grass and re-laying it in a more appropriate area and building flower beds; seeds were sewn, and flowers planted. What I really loved was the introduction of an insect hotel. This was a great opportunity for younger children and people with less mobility to get involved whilst creating a habitat for insects to rest, shelter and create their own nests in a safe environment; something that is absolutely crucial in creating a bio-diverse eco-system that enriches the plants and forms better soil quality for growing.