A range of ideas to help pollinators and wildlife
Dozens of people took the opportunity to visit a range of gardens and public open spaces around the village on 2 June and saw how the community is helping nature with some relatively simple initiatives.
With nine venues on the trail this year, as well as plant and seed stalls, there were plenty of examples about how to help cater for wildlife.
The variety of gardens were providing food and homes for birds, bugs, beetles, butterflies, hedgehogs and water creatures.
And the public open spaces on the trail, including the fringes of the Recreation Ground, were also supporting a diversity of species by providing food, shelter and places to breed.
In some cases relatively small spaces were doing a great job: sections of lawn not being mown so frequently, providing small water features or ensuring that flowers are suitable for native pollinators for as many months as possible. And, of course, none were using pesticides.
The trail also provided sustenance for humans, too, in the form of delicious cream teas and cakes at the church. This formed an integral part of the trail with lots of people sitting in the churchyard enjoying the sunshine and contributing to a record for a church tea in June.
With the decline in nature in this country (and the worrying implications for food, water, clean air and other things upon which we all depend), these refreshments provided valuable food for thought!
