Connecting with Nature

Every day we encounter the natural world in our village – whether it is the raucous rookery on Park Lane or some wildflower in our gardens. As much as the bricks and mortar of our buildings, such engagements with Nature shape our enjoyment and appreciation of our villages.

By sharing experiences on these pages and drawing together ideas about opportunities to do more to help Nature in the villages, HIGS aims to help members and supporters to further enrich their encounters with Nature and to help ensure Nature is given due weight when plans for future are prepared.

The Connecting with Nature (CwN) programme started at the Members’ Afternoon in March. Participants identified the Nature they feel is special in the villages and made suggestions about how to protect, improve and enhance wildlife. This resulted in a total of over 171 Connecting with Nature (CwN) contributions from over 50 members. These suggestions have been brought together into this Schedule which identifies possible actions to take the ideas forward.

Over the past months we have been seeking additional input from all interested regarding observation of any wildlife which is precious to people, and asked for feedback on the Schedule as well as any ideas on how we can give nature opportunity to thrive within the parishes or to improve our Community’s experience of Nature.

During August we will be drawing these ideas together and in early autumn will develop an action plan. In this we will work with the Parish Council, recognising there are some actions that best sit with them, some to be taken forward jointly and some where HIGS can implement ideas on its own account.