Residents in South Norfolk are being asked to give nature a helping hand by taking part in the Community Nature Recovery Scheme.
South Norfolk Councillor Trevor Graham said: “Community Nature Recovery is a very simple idea that everyone can get involved in, working together to give nature and our local environment the help it needs to recover and thrive. The scheme is delivered from the bottom up, not through government or large organisations, but by ordinary people doing their bit to help nature and support each other.”
People are already supporting nature recovery – providing food and water for birds, building bug houses, planting pollinating plants or letting a section of their garden grow wild. It is already happening, but the idea of Community Nature Recovery is to encourage more people to join in, garden by garden, parish by parish.
Councillor Graham added: “Small actions taken by ordinary people, added together can make a real difference. The collective size of gardens in England is greater than the size of the country’s nature reserves. What we do in our back gardens does count and will make a difference.”
Redenhall with Harleston Town Council has developed a nature recovery community model which has the support of Natural England and has already been adopted by nearby parishes. The model is simple. Town and Parish councils define their parish as a nature recovery area. They endorse nature recovery and encourage the community to come together to support them in delivering the scheme. Parishes identify opportunities for nature recovery and then support residents to take action to support the environment and nature.
It is not just nature that will benefit, it has also been shown that engagement with nature and the natural environment provides mental health benefits and improvements in general wellbeing.
You can find more information about Community Nature Recovery and how you can get involved by visiting; www.ournaturerecovery.org.uk or www.naturereoveryinharleston.org.uk
