Local Hampshire community goes Wild About Enham

Red kites, crab spiders and lady bird larvae have all been spotted during Aster Group’s first biodiversity project, ‘Wild About Enham’, where nature-inspired activities for the local community were organised to coincide with World Environment Day.

Over 160 different species of animals, flowers and plants were logged by participants, which included Kit Malthouse MP, school children, and local residents to Enham Alamein village. Cllr Phil North and Leslie Barry, chair of Enham Alamein Parish Council, also took part in The Big Wildlife Count across Friday 5 and Saturday 6 June. Children from Roman Way Primary School, Portway Junior School and Endeavour Primary School’s Kirk Campus used butterfly nets, magnifying pots and even a specially designed device called a pooter, to safely capture insects to inspect, before letting them loose once again.

Hessia, six, from Roman Way Primary school took part in the Big Wildlife Count and said: “We discovered spiders and bees already and next I’m looking forward to looking at some plants.”

Residents from Enham Trust’s care homes joined the wildlife count at North Park and the first part of a fully accessible nature trail running through the village was also trialled. This has been designed in collaboration with disability charity Enham Trust and was shaped by residents in the village. The event encouraged people to get outdoors, and some residents even visited parts of the village they had never been to before.

Guided by experts from Andover Trees United and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, people had the opportunity to find, identify, and record the species they discovered. Throughout the weekend over 500 observations were logged both through traditional nature survey logs and through apps designed to help people spot wildlife around them.

Bjorn Howard, Aster Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “We know how important green spaces are to our customers - 90% of them have told us so. It was fantastic to see people getting involved in the Big Wildlife Count and I was so impressed by the knowledge that the children taking part were sharing about the wildlife they were counting. It’s clearly shown how much nature, wildlife and access to green space matters to the local community in Enham. Not only has everyone had an enjoyable time in the local environment, but what they’ve discovered will be hugely valuable in helping us shape how local green spaces are managed, enhanced and protected in the future.

“Aster is a long-term business, which must focus on the needs of generations to come and carefully nurture the nature of which we are custodians.  What I saw today was an important part of conserving and improving the environment in which our children and grandchildren will live. Our 38,000 homes sit in over 2,500 acres of land across the south of England and London. That’s a huge opportunity and the wonderful ‘Wild about Enham’ work is a great testbed for future initiatives.”

Commenting on the biodiversity project, Kit Malthouse MP said: “What a lovely visit. Joining the schoolchildren, residents and local volunteers for the Big Wildlife Count was genuinely one of those visits that reminds you why community matters. The enthusiasm and curiosity on display was infectious. We even had the treat of a red kite soaring overhead, which felt like nature putting on a show just for us. I'm really looking forward to seeing Aster build on what everyone discovered and use it to help wildlife flourish, not just in the village, but across the wider community for years to come.”  

Cllr Phil North, who also attended the Big Wildlife Count, also had praise for event saying: “Enham Alamein village has so much fantastic nature available to people on its doorstep and the work being carried out to make nature accessible to everyone is incredibly important. From improving wellbeing to increasing our mood and as shown by the Wild about Art competition, even our creativity, sharing outdoor experiences in nature can benefit everyone.”

Katy Gary, Senior Community Development Officer for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said: “Wild About Enham was a fantastic event, with the children becoming the real stars as they excitedly spotted butterflies, bees, birds, bugs and wildflowers across the village. Seeing that sense of curiosity and connection with the natural world was really wonderful. Events like this show how nature recovery has the greatest impact when communities are involved. By helping people experience and value the wildlife on their doorstep, we can inspire lasting care for nature and create communities where both people and wildlife can thrive together.” 

During the Wild About Enham series of events, submissions from children and adults for the Wild About Art community competition were proudly displayed at the village’s Landale Wilson Hall, celebrating the everyday beauty of wildlife and natural spaces in and around Enham.

Renowned international wildlife artist Pip McGarry selected the winners across four categories. In addition to receiving a prize, each winning entry will be incorporated into a permanent environmental display at the newly refurbished Enham Resource Centre, which is due to open later this summer.

The housing association will use the findings from the pilot project to explore more ways to help people connect to nature in Enham Alamein and in other communities where Aster has homes, right across the South of England.