Online sharing to offline action

Kevin Langford explains how an online group of wildlife enthusiasts is leading to real-life action for nature...

After moving four years ago to what I felt was an idyllic and traditional village, as time has passed I have come to realise that Blakedown is becoming more and more urbanised. As with many parishes across the UK, encroachment of neighbouring towns and urban communities puts the biodiversity, that was once rich in localised areas, at tremendous risk. I wanted to encourage people to take action for nature and to appreciate where we live.

My partner and I share an interest in wildlife and conservation and the importance of protecting habitats to help isolated populations of wildlife and their habitats recover and stabilise. As many will know, good quality habitats are declining and at an alarming rate. This is why we decided to set up the Churchill, Blakedown & Hagley Wildlife Watch group on a social media platform. Two years on and the group has taken off in a surprising way, with many of its 900+ members joining in with events like litter picking, nature walks and photo competitions.

The group also allows members to share what wildlife they spot in their gardens, learn about the species that live in our area and what they can do to improve their neighbourhoods for nature.

2 people pulling up Himalayan balsam - one is looking at the camera. It's a sunny day and they're surrounded by green vegetation. — Pulling up Himalayan balsam by Kevin Langford

One of the biggest events we publicised this year has been the Blakedown balsam bash. With some help, we have controlled some of the Himalayan balsam that is spreading along Gallows Brook, a significant local wildlife corridor. Hedgerows, river banks and verges across the country are being stifled and taken over by this invasive species. By pulling up these destructive, rapid growing and spreading plants, we allow native plants such as nettles, creeping buttercup and cow parsley to reappear. With cooperation from the local golf club, who also manage Himalayan balsam on their land, the monoculture that once was is now brimming with birdsong and the buzzing of bees. The regrowth of native species with their established root systems also stabilises banks and roadsides that would otherwise be left waterlogged and prone to collapse once the balsam dies back in winter.

the group has taken off in a surprising way, with many of its 900+ members joining in with events like litter picking, nature walks and photo competitions.

An opportunity arose to do further positive work to help contribute to Worcestershire's Local Nature Recovery Strategy in connection with Churchill & Blakedown Signal Box, adjacent to Blakedown station. The signal box, which serves as a hub for community activities, is owned by Churchill & Blakedown Parish Council and run by Churchill & Blakedown Historical Society. A number of volunteers give a lot of their time to help out at the coffee mornings that take place on the 2^nd and 4^th Saturday of every month. My partner and I often visit here and enjoy the warm welcome, chats, coffee, cake and company; you can really feel the community spirit, which is what living in a semi-rural village is about.

3 photos showing the garden around the signal box in different stages - first with plastic grass then with trellises, planters and an insect hotel bench. Finally, the seating area before turf is laid and plants are planted. — Development of the signal box garden by Kevin Langford

Unfortunately, the ‘garden’ surrounding the signal box had plastic grass, which was installed when the signal box was rebuilt on the site, having been removed brick by brick from its original location the other side of Mill Lane where it had stood since 1888. Plastic grass is of no value to nature and this gave us the idea of turning the area into a community wildlife garden.

With the agreement and financial backing of the owners and operators of the signal box, a 70% grant and advice from Worcestershire County Council and Worcestershire Wildlife Trust’s Natural Networks scheme, we have begun work. Removal of this environmentally unfriendly material and the hardcore beneath it has been undertaken by a contractor. Trellises have been added, so that native climbers can create a green wall, and bird and bat boxes have been installed. Plants have already been donated by Hodgehill Garden Centre and it is hoped that further support will be given by other local growers and plant retailers. Along with a concrete bee post and insect-friendly benches, on which visitors can sit to enjoy the surroundings and their refreshments, a small wildlife pond will attract invertebrates and, hopefully, amphibians such as frogs and newts. Originally a barren and unwelcoming environment, the end result should replace this to become a whole natural ecosystem.

This project is ongoing, so we are looking for volunteers to help us in 2025. Join the Churchill, Blakedown and Hagley Wildlife Watch group on Facebook to keep up with news of this exciting community project that, online and offline, is playing its own small part in making space for nature where we live.