Nextdoor Nature event

As you know we’re working with the lovely staff at the Surrey Wildlife Trust on the Nextdoor Nature project. The project aims to increase wildlife friendly areas in our community and workplaces. 

A group of Coalition members, local residents and other charities that work from Astolat (where the Coalition main office is situated) got together to discuss how they could make the office building more wildlife friendly. They had lots of fantastic ideas that are listed below. We’re going to start approaching garden centres for donations and will look into grants that we can apply for too to help with the project. We’ll keep you updated with the project! 

The group discussed the following:  

What smells would you like to smell? 

• Herbs 

How will you make it look appealing all year round? 

• A simple tidy up 
• A pond would be a nice year-round feature 
• Relocating the compost bins (currently in the conifers) 

What sounds would you like to hear? 

• Birds, bees, wildlife 
• Birdsong -bird boxes on fence 
• Swift boxes for eaves 

How will you create different textures? 

• Garden centre donated raised planter for wheelchair users 
• Movement, tall grasses 
• Scent, sound, colour 
• Small pond, raised or water features 

What is the purpose of the space? 

• Improve usage of existing compost bins 
• To be bee (and other pollinator) friendly 
• It would be good for the area adjoining the boardroom to be an area to expand meetings outdoors 
• Water well 20ft depth 
• Buddleia tree to attract butterflies 
• Memorial garden 

Do we need to make it more accessible? 

• Plastic grids over grass for wheelchairs 
• Add more dropped kerbs and clear the path/dropped kerb at front 
• Cut back conifers to reinstate the path for accessibility 

Other ideas: 

• Raised pond 
• Using bin store holes for bee hotels 
• Benches in car park area under willow trees 
• Bat boxes and bird boxes 
• Cut back lavender and plant more herbs and sensory plants 
• Paint benches to make them more colourful 
• Possibility of shade resistant hedge/trees in shady area 
• Hedgehog holes in fences and working with neighbours  
• Bird feeders 
• No mow areas/wild patches 
• Flowers at the entrance in pots 
• Yellow rattle to establish wildflowers on some grassland areas? 
• Protecting existing species e.g. bee orchids 
• Climbing plants for bin __ wall 
• Window boxes 
• Bee hives -Guildford beekeepers association 
• White jasmine 
• Partner with Activate Learning and Merrist Wood horticulture students