On a rare sunny morning in February, we joined the Hatfield Peverel Wildlife Champions as they planted some native whips along the border of the Recreation Ground. The whips were donated by the Essex Forest Initiative, who have also recently given the volunteers some tree-planting training. They included hawthorn, dog rose and blackthorn and, once established, will provide shelter and food for animals and insects.
If you live in the village, you probably already know about the Wildlife Champions. A group of neon-vested volunteers can regularly be spotted industriously working in local green spaces to improve life in the village for its residents - human and animal alike!
Donna Goddard organises the group of likeminded villagers. There are about 40 people on her books; some turning up more regularly than others, but everyone is always welcome. Meeting twice monthly, the group has recently removed old plastic tree guards from established hedges, planted a row of hedging whips at the local infant school and cleared a very large area of brambles from a play area. They litter pick and have sown a mini wildflower meadow by the duck pond, which is only mown twice a year, allowing all kinds of life to thrive.
Donna started on this path by joining the Essex Wildlife Trust’s Urban Wildlife Champions, and her passion and good ideas have gradually attracted more and more people willing to lend a hand.
Essex Climate Czar and Deputy to the Cabinet Member for Environment at Braintree District Council, Councillor Peter Schwier, joined the volunteers to learn more about their work and even lend a hand with the planting! He said: “It has been very encouraging to see what the Wildlife Champions have achieved in Hatfield Peverel. Local groups like this show that we can all take important action to help the environment.”
Donna and the Wildlife Champions have had help from other quarters, too. Hatfield Peverel Parish Council have played a leading role in establishing the village’s green credentials, voting in an Environmental Policy in 2023. This means that decisions taken by the council will always seek to protect biodiversity and the local environment.
The village schools have also embraced the move to greener living and, along with interested residents, contributed to the Wilder Village Plan – a way to meet the objectives of the policy. The Wildlife Champions have got the schoolchildren involved in planting on the school grounds, showing them the value of nature and getting your hands dirty!
The Wildlife Champions hope to start work soon to clear pathways in the village’s 65-acre Community Park, which is under development, so that it can be opened up to the public. Want to get involved in this exciting development or any of the Wildlife Champions’ activities? Email wildlife-champion@hatfieldpeverelpc.com