Surrey Wildlife Trust – Webinars Launched to Help our Communities take Action for Nature
by Oliver Fry
With evidence of a climate and nature crisis becoming clearer every day, Surrey Wildlife Trust is inviting community groups across the county to a series of webinars packed with inspirational ideas for how to create local habitats and give wildlife a helping hand.
Starting this autumn, the webinars are part of the Trust’s mission to bring local people together to bring nature into everyone’s daily life, wherever they live and whatever their backgrounds, beliefs or interests. By sharing knowledge and examples from existing community groups – including residents’ associations, ‘friends of’ groups, and Parish councils – as well as providing expert presentations, the webinars will demonstrate how simple actions can help create a joined-up network of habitats that will enable wildlife, plants and people to flourish across Surrey.
Recent wildfires and drought and ongoing reductions in species from swifts to frogs to butterflies have shown that Southern England is rapidly feeling the effects of a changing climate and a reduction in habitats. But whether it’s a community wildflower garden, a restored pond or river or some native trees in a playground, biodiverse environments are easy to create and have clear health, mental health and economic benefits for people of all ages. They also provide vital services such as flood prevention, pollination or carbon storage.
The first webinar, on 11th October from 5.30pm – 7.15pm will hear from speakers including Keith Lightfoot, a leading player in the Unstead Nature Community Group which manages the 25-acre Unstead Nature Reserve on behalf of Thames Water.
Keith will discuss the achievements and challenges of working to create a diverse rural wetland for nature, and he will highlight many of the hundreds of species from grass snakes to water rails that now thrive on the reserve thanks to the work of a core group of around 15 volunteers.
The webinars will showcase many more examples of people in Surrey coming together to work for nature, with the aim of getting more people involved in volunteering for nature.
As part of the Queens Green Canopy Jubilee project a number of trees and a hedgerow have been planted in each of the villages of Wonersh and Shamley Green.
Husband and wife Noureen and Khalid Chaudery of Whyteleafe Community Centre have inspirational plans to create an Islamic Garden, where members of the Muslim and other communities can relax and unwind and to engage with nature. It will be a space for learning and education with a focus on health and wellbeing – both mental and physical.
Building on a long tradition of Islamic Gardens, plans also include a vegetable patch and orchard for children and adults to grow and learn about food with a focus on taking ownership and responsibility for the yield, and a walk and exercise space with paths around the site.
Surrey Wildlife Trust’s CEO Sarah Jane Chimbwandira will discuss the current biodiversity crisis, while Bryony Carter from the The Wildlife Trusts will talk about the central role that communities can play in tackling this crisis, and how Trusts support and encourage this activity.
The hour-long ‘Action for Nature’ webinars will take place on 11 October, 09 November and 01 December with a further event to be confirmed for January. It’s easy to sign up for these free events at
www.surreywildlifetrust.org/whatson/community-action-nature-webinars
This series of webinars will be followed by two workshops in spring 2023 and a community conference in the summer. More details about these events will be published as soon as possible.
