Celebrating seven years of Natural Networks

Natural Networks celebrates seven years of transforming nature and communities across Worcestershire

A major programme supporting nature’s recovery across Worcestershire reaches an important milestone this March after seven years of successful collaboration.

Natural Networks, delivered by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust in partnership with Worcestershire County Council, has worked with landowners, communities and businesses across the county to restore habitats and strengthen ecological connections. The partnership is coming to a close at the end of March but the Trust will continue to the programme alone.

Since its launch, the programme has provided biodiversity advice across more than 3,300 hectares of land and helped create or enhance over 200 hectares of wildlife habitat. Projects have included establishing wildflower meadows, restoring traditional orchards, planting woodlands and improving waterways, whilst also engaging more than 1,100 people with nature and conservation.

In total, nearly £1 million has been invested in improving Worcestershire’s natural environment.

Steve Bloomfield, Head of Conservation for Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, explained “This has been a fantastic project that has not only created habitat to help wildlife thrive but brought together communities and individuals to help get nature closer to where people live, work and play. We know that a nature-rich environment is better for both our physical and mental wellbeing so this has been a win-win project.

“Although the funding and partnership is coming to an end this month, the Trust’s team of advisors will continue to offer advice and support to any landowner who is seeking to do great things for nature on their land, whether that be farmland, a caravan park, schoolgrounds or other greenspace.”

Funding for the initial phase of the project came from the European Regional Development Fund with later funding coming from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, local authorities, the Environment Agency and Forestry Commission. This funding allowed up to 70% of the cost of any interventions to create or improve a place for wildlife.

Achievements include:

88 hectares of wildflower meadow created or enhanced
Almost 305,000 plug plants and bulbs planted
Over 35,000 trees and shrubs planted
1155 bird and bat boxes installed
330 organisations worked with to improve their greenspace

Projects include:

Bromsgrove

Ditch running through a mown golf course - the sides of the ditch are lined with plants (photo taken before they're in flower)

After receiving advice and funding, Fulford Heath Golf Club, near Wythall, is now a benchmark site for wildlife-friendly golf courses in the county. Wildflower seed was sown along the fairways, trees and bulbs were planted and log piles, bug houses and bird boxes were installed.

The biggest piece of work involved transforming a vertical, slab-lined ditch into a flower-rich wetland feature by graduating the edges and installing wildflower turf.

Evesham

Four people standing by a wheelbarrow with trees and St Lawrence behind them

Evesham Town Council have been working with the Natural Networks team since 2019 to deliver biodiversity benefits and to improve visitor experiences across six of the sites they manage.

Doing most of the work themselves, the Council’s team have planted thousands of bulbs and plug plants in grassland, wetland and woodland habitats as well as planting hedgerows, climbers and fruit trees. They have also created a bee bank and installed bird and bat boxes. There is now new and improved orchard and meadow habitats, enhanced wildflower diversity in graveyards and a more naturalised channel along the Battleton Brook.

Malvern

A series of upright logs, buried into the ground with sand/earth built up against them to create a bank for bees to nest in

Martley Millennium Green Trust has benefitted from the Natural Networks project with guidance provided over the whole seven years. Fruit trees of local varieties have been planted to revitalise the old orchard and the meadow area has been enhanced to increase the diversity of flowers.

Two ponds were desilted and planted up with aquatic flowering plants and two hibernacula have been created for amphibians and reptiles. Alongside this, a bee bank and bug hotel bench have been installed to provide vital nesting and resting sites for insects and other invertebrates.

Pershore

Wetland - pond with green vegetated edges and a blue sky

Bow Brook Lodges, a camping and glamping site near Pershore, received a Natural Networks grant to help create a new wetland feature to benefit both wildlife and visitors. As well as the new lake, further advice from the Environment Agency helped in creating backwaters to the Bow Brook, which flows along the boundary. This created still pools where fish fry and other aquatic wildlife can thrive. Scarce white-legged damselflies have since been recorded onsite.

Other funded enhancements included the planting of an orchard of local variety fruit trees and the installation of six bird boxes.

Redditch

A pond surrounded by greenery with a bench overlooking it; the photo was taken on a sunny summer day

Westall Park Natural Burial Ground, near Feckenham, received advice and funding from Natural Networks to help continue their restoration of species-rich meadows, to restore a pond for wildlife and to amend their management of hedgerow and scrub to more sympathetic to the needs of wildlife.

Amongst other successes, the management changes resulted in scarce brown hairstreak butterflies laying their eggs within the hedge scrub, adding a new breeding site for this conservation priority species.

Worcester

Four volunteers planting bulbs along the edge of grass - they're all pausing to smile at the camera

With guidance and funding from Natural Networks, the team at St Nicholas Church in Warndon undertook a range of wildlife enhancements during winter 2024 and spring 2025. More than 40m of native hedgerow were planted, spring flowering plants now greet visitors with a flush of colour and, by relaxing the mowing regime, a grassland verge has been transformed into a mini meadow.

Moths and bats have benefitted from planting of flowers that attract night-flying insects, which also help to support the bat population of the wider area. In addition, two mini container ponds were installed and planted with a range of native species. Log piles and stones were installed to provide a means of entry and exit for wildlife.

Wyre Forest

A digger creating a wetland habitat on a sunny day

Stourport Riverside Meadows, owned by Wyre Forest District Council, is part of the River Severn’s historical floodplain and is frequently under water. Over the winter of 2022, Natural Networks funded the creation of a wetland complex – three ponds and a shallow scrape – to hold back some of the water. A wetland seed mix was sown around the pond edges to create flower-rich margins to benefit wildlife.

With more help from Natural Networks, Wyre Forest District Council enhanced the site further in 2024 by creating an extension to the wetland. A new pond was dug that, as well as being an important habitat in its own right, now helps to create a vital stepping stone for wildlife between the river and nearby Moorhall Nature Reserve.