On Friday 19^th September, Somerset Wildlife Trust proudly presented its first ever ‘Wilder Community Award’ to Enmore, a village near Bridgwater. The award recognises a remarkable, coordinated effort to make more space for wildlife throughout the village. 

Over the past year, Enmore and Goathurst Parish Council’s ‘Wilder Enmore and Goathurst’ initiative has brought residents together as they worked to improve natural habitats and invite wildlife into spaces including the village’s churchyard, school grounds, community green areas, and surrounding farmland. Community actions included planting wildflower bulbs, creating amphibian habitats, and surveying the local bat population to support nature’s recovery. On top of this collective effort, over a quarter of households and community spaces in the village have achieved one of Somerset Wildlife Trust’s smaller wilder awards, which includes the 'Wildlife-Friendly Garden Award’, given to people making clear efforts to welcome wildlife into their garden or other outdoor space. People all across the county have been showing off their garden awards since the 1990s, but Enmore is the first community to have earned the larger community award.

The award was presented at a community celebration held at Enmore Village Hall, which was attended by over 40 local residents, parish councillors, and representatives from Somerset Wildlife Trust. Alongside the award, the Trust also gifted the community a potted spindle tree, which will be planted in the village as a lasting symbol of Enmore’s commitment to nature.

Bryony Slaymaker, Wilder Communities Manager at Somerset Wildlife Trust, said: 
“Enmore has shown just what can be achieved when a community comes together to make space for nature. We’re absolutely thrilled to recognise their efforts with Somerset’s first Wilder Community Award, and we hope Enmore’s example will inspire other towns and villages across the county to take action for wildlife — whether that’s in gardens, school grounds, or community spaces. There really are so many small actions we can all start taking to make space for nature and wildlife, and when a community comes together like this, it shows us how those individual actions can add up to create a Wilder Somerset.” 

Fiona Jackson, spokesperson from Enmore and Goathurst Parish Council, adds: 
“Beth, Andrew and I have been so thrilled with the two villages’ response to the Wilder Enmore and Goathurst initiative. Enmore is the first community in Somerset to receive the Wilder Community Award, but Goathurst is not far behind. We really hope that other Somerset communities, whether it be a village, street, borough or green area, join in and get their awards. We need to build a Somerset quilt, patchy by patch. This quilt, called the Somerset Nature Recovery Network, will give nature as it comes together the optimum chance to co-exist in beneficial and economic prosperity for us all.” 

The ‘Wilder Community Award’ is part of Somerset Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Gardening scheme, which celebrates the positive steps people all across Somerset are taking where they live. You can find out more and learn how to apply for an award below.

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