I’m at the Kent County Show talking to Ray Lewis, events and media officer for the Kent Wildlife Trust. With boundless enthusiasm, he tells me that there is not an area of Kent, where you can’t get involved in some way. From healthy walks at one of the nature reserves, to connecting people in Dover with their local environment, there is something you can do right across the county.
Kent Wildlife Trust is one of 47 Wildlife Trusts covering the country, responsible for protecting 95,000 hectares of land, with 2300 nature reserves and 130 visitor centres for the public to enjoy. And a patron who is a prominent champion of the environment – HRH The Prince of Wales.
As it’s where I’m based, I’ve particularly explored the Kent trust, but there is just as much to get involved with via the Sussex and Surrey trusts (wildlifetrusts.org). Founded in 1958, the Kent trust has been quietly beavering away ever since making the county a more ecological space. Their vision is to ensure that 30% of Kent and Medway, both marine and land, remain wildlife habitats for all to enjoy.
This summer there have been over 80 summer activities for the whole family to get involved in, ranging from orchid walks in Sevenoaks to rock pooling in Folkestone. Ray Lewis is particularly keen on engaging with children. ‘Every child wild’ is an initiative which aims to inspire outdoor adventures and the Kent Wildlife Trust forest school project, based near Canterbury, has provided a programme of family forest skills including plans to offer a forest schools-based birthday party (more information on the website).
Bredhurst Woodland Action Group is a much smaller charity, which shows what a positive impact getting involved very locally can have on a community. It was founded in 2005 by six residents who were fed up with the fly tipping, burnt out cars and serious vandalism of Bredhurst Woods, 600 acres of woods, situated on the North Downs, in a designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The group now has over 350 members and has become a popular community project which has greatly enriched the area. This very specific local project now has a lively programme of events, welcomes walkers and horse riders – and has achieved its original goal, as the abuse and neglect of the woods is now a thing of the past.
It’s a perfect example of how the simple idea behind the ‘think global, act local’ eco mantra can benefit the natural environment – and the people who live in it. bwag.org.uk
- words: Penny Kemp
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