How you can help create a wilder Essex

Emily McParland of the Essex Wildlife Trust explains how you can play a part the trust’s vision for a wilder Essex

Abbotts Hall Farm rainbow Terry Whittaker (Image: Archant)

We all have a role to play in protecting what’s important to us. Right now there is an urgent need to tackle the climate emergency; restore damaged habitats, connect our protected areas to the rest of the landscape and lobby for legislation that places natural heritage at the forefront of policies and forward planning.

Essex Wildlife Trust is working towards creating a Wilder Essex. One where wildlife is thriving, every person has access to nature and our habitats are all connected. Essex should be a safe haven for wildlife, but also a model example for other counties to aspire to.

Late spring mornings should ring out with the song of the nightingale, while our evenings should be illuminated by glow worms. Hedgehogs should be snuffling through our gardens, bees and butterflies should gently flutter by and starlings should dance in the sky in their thousands.

Bumblebee credit Jon Hawkins (Image: Archant)

Every person should experience walking through a wildflower meadow, brimming with insects and colours galore. Or be able to stroll through an ancient woodland to the beat of a woodpecker’s drum.

We want the people of Essex to experience all of our county’s natural spectacles and we need to ensure these will never be lost. 

Essex Wildlife Trust has been tackling environmental challenges covering our land, rivers and sea for the past 60 years and we are ambitious for our county’s future.

If every garden in Essex were to become a mini nature reserve, we’d be able to bridge that gap between our urban and rural landscapes and help wildlife thrive.

Wildflower meadow Abberton - Peter Bowden (Image: Archant)

Could your garden or local green space be made wilder and help connect our landscape together?

Essex Wildlife Trust offers guidance and tools to help every person in Essex do their bit to create a Wilder Essex, because we need everyone on board.

This is about securing our county, our wildlife, our wellbeing and our future.

Find out more

To read the Essex Wildlife Trust’s full vision and how the conservation charity plans to get there, visit www.essexwt.org.uk/Wilder-Essex. You can also share what you’re doing to create this change on social media using #WilderEssex