Newtown Green by Liz Yorke
Newtown Green Community Group
Newtown Green Community Group started their journey in 2018 when they joined forces with the City Council, Platform Housing, Worcester Community Trust and Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. Residents wanted to reach out to the local community to care for Newtown Green, an urban green space originally given Village Green status in the 1980s. Wildlife was at the heart of this vision and where once the hedgerows were full of old bikes and litter, they are now full of wildlife.
There is a variety of habitats across the site that have great potential to support even more wildlife than they already do. There are areas of open grassland, including an area of medieval ridge and furrow. Other features include ancient hedgerows, a pond and the woodland edge.
Staff from Worcestershire Wildlife Trust have supported the group with social events inspired by the wildlife found there. The now annual family meadow day is well attended and highlights the importance of the wildflower meadow for wildlife. Locals attend bat walks where they watch pipistrelles feeding over the meadow and ponds.
Reptile surveying at Newtown Green by Liz Yorke
Trust staff are supporting the group with regular reptile surveys. Slow-worms are seen regularly and determining their population on Newtown Green will hopefully emphasise the importance of scrub as a habitat.
Liz Yorke, the Trust's Wilder Worcester Engagement Officer, said "I've been really impressed by the resilience of this community in making space for nature inspite of many challenges that they've faced."
A key outcome of the project has been raising awareness of the importance of this local habitat with those who live nearby. Perhaps a more unexpected bonus of the project has been the development of connections between different organisations in the local area.
The group want Newtown Green to be part of nature’s recovery within Worcester City and provide a community space for locals to enjoy. If you're interested in getting involved, why not pop along to their Newtown Green Community Group Facebook page to get in touch.
