You’re invited to get Wild about Enham

Housing association Aster Group is launching ‘Wild about Enham’ - a biodiversity project to discover, protect and make the beautiful wildlife in Enham Alamein and throughout the grounds of disability charity Enham Trust, even more accessible.

Aster Group will host its first ever Big Wildlife Count, as it teams up with local people to identify and record wildlife species in the village around them. As part of the project, the first part of a fully accessible nature trail running through the village will also be trialled. This has been designed in collaboration with Enham Trust and will be shaped by residents in the village.

Coinciding with World Environment Day, the Big Wildlife Count is happening over Friday 5 and Saturday 6 June. It will see local politicians, school children, residents and supporters learn about the local habitats they’re protecting alongside wildlife experts from Andover Trees United and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.

Wild about Enham is an accessible nature project, and the findings from The Big Wildlife Count will help shape a nature improvement plan for Enham. Aster Group is also looking to learn from the pilot events and rollout further projects in the other areas where it has homes across the south of England and London.

Bjorn Howard, Group Chief Executive Officer at Aster Group said: “Through Wild about Enham we want to inspire future generations and encourage the community to nurture the wildlife on their doorstep. With 90% of our customers telling us having green spaces in their communities is important to them, the project is part of a long-term plan to boost local wildlife across our communities. What we learn will inform and develop the ways we manage and support biodiversity and make nature more accessible to people.”

Kevin Hodder, Director of Partnerships and Estates at Enham Trust, said: “Enham Alamein is surrounded by incredible nature. It’s one of the things that makes the village special and sits right at the heart of our vision to create a vibrant, sustainable community for everyone. Through Wild About Enham we’re celebrating the wonderful biodiversity in the village, and I’m looking forward to boosting people’s connection to nature through activities designed to be accessible for everyone.”

Abbey Sadler, Community Engagement Officer at Andover Trees said: “Wild About Enham is a brilliant example of how local action can drive real change for nature. At Andover Trees, we focus on helping people connect with what’s right in front of them, because when you understand it, you’re far more likely to protect it.

“The Big Wildlife Count is a simple idea, but an important one. It turns observation into insight, and insight into action. That’s how we start to rebuild biodiversity at a local level, by giving communities the knowledge and confidence to care for it.”

Katy Gary, Senior Community Development Officer at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said: “Nature recovery can only succeed when people are part of it. Projects like Wild About Enham put nature at the heart of the community – helping wildlife to thrive while giving people opportunities to connect with the local spaces on their doorstep. By involving residents and young people in discovering what lives here, we’re building a stronger relationship between people and nature, and creating wilder places for both to flourish.”

To sign up and find out more, visit the www.wild-about.co.uk website for more information.