Somerset Wildlife Trust is thrilled to launch ‘Wilder Open Gardens’, a brand new initiative designed to bring people together while highlighting how important gardens and other outdoor spaces can be for nature and wildlife. There are an estimated 124,500 gardens across Somerset, along with an enormous number of allotments, green spaces, and smaller outdoor areas, all of which can act as vital spaces for nature in their own right. Collectively, they can have an even bigger impact, forming ‘stepping stone’ habitats that enable wildlife to travel from green space to green space. 

From planting pollinator-friendly flowers to creating a mini-pond or bug hotel, there are simple changes we can make to our outdoor spaces to help visiting insects, birds, amphibians, and even mammals like bats and hedgehogs. Many people across the county have, according to Somerset Wildlife Trust, already been making these positive changes, and the charity is now encouraging them to take their desire to help nature to the next level. The ‘Wilder Open Gardens’ initiative is about helping to spark action in others, giving wildlife-friendly gardeners an opportunity to show off the positive changes they’ve made for nature and the species they’ve helped to support in their outdoor spaces. Through the scheme, the Trust is also encouraging participants to help raise vital funds for nature, offering tea and cake in exchange for charitable donations that will help ensure even more support for the wildlife in Somerset.

Adam Murray, Director of Action for Nature at Somerset Wildlife Trust, explains: “Wilder Open Gardens is all about being a voice for nature. We know how important our outdoor spaces are for wildlife (no matter their size!), but we need to reach more people with this message and encourage everyone to start making those small, simple changes that can add up to have an absolutely enormous impact — whether that’s by planting more pollinator-friendly flowers, adding a pond to your garden, reducing light pollution, adding a hedgehog hole to your fence, or making your own bug hotel! 

“This new scheme invites the brilliant people who have already made some of those nature-friendly changes to tell their friends, family, and neighbours to do the same. By hosting an open garden event, they can spread awareness while raising vital funds for nature at the same time. What better way is there to celebrate the start of summer than to come together over tea and cake, and think about all the fantastic ways we can help nature? It doesn’t matter how small your outdoor space is, either — we have a separate scheme for ‘mini’ gardens if you don’t have much space but are still using it to have a positive impact!” 

To support the new initiative, Somerset Wildlife Trust has created a free downloadable pack full of ideas and resources on how to run a successful open garden event, as well as template posters and digital graphics to help hosts promote their events and reach even more people. More information is available here >