“I feel like I’m the only one doing anything for nature here.  It sometimes feels like a waste of time as it is not enough!  If everyone did something, it would make such a difference.”

This was the conversation that led to the idea of Leamington’s Nature Patchwork: one Brunswick resident feeling that all her efforts were almost a waste of time. What she didn’t realise was that there were a number of people in the area who were creating or wanted to create wild areas in their gardens, planting for pollinators, and considering wildlife in their gardening choices.

When she said this to me, I thought of a quote by one of my conservation heroes, Jane Goodall, still tirelessly working in conservation at the age of 91:

“I like to envision the whole world as a jigsaw puzzle... If you look at the whole picture, it is overwhelming and terrifying, but if you work on your little part of the jigsaw and know that people all over the world are working on their little bits, that's what will give you hope.”

In October, I met Will Roberts from Warwick District Council at the Sydni Centre about the idea of Leamington’s Nature Patchwork.  I know I can get carried away with excitement, but he too was so enthusiastic that we booked in a date then and there.  The vision was to hold a collaborative event, bringing together Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, Warwick District Council, local community partners and residents, at which local people could come to get practical advice, resources and inspiration to enable them to act for nature in the knowledge that their little patch is just part of a larger work in progress and can make a difference. 

It would also help put people in touch with one another, enabling local conservation groups to build up their own memberships, as well as making connections with each other.  These local community partners were enthusiastic, agreeing to hold stalls, and some offering to give talks.  

Five months later, on Saturday 8^th March 2025 the Sydni Centre was buzzing with over 250 visitors to the launch of Leamington’s ‘Nature Patchwork’. 

The main hall had tables from local groups such as:

• The newly formed Leamington Hedgehog Community, who gave advice on hedgehog homes, highways and supplementary feeding. Kat’s delicious hedgehog biscuits were also a real treat;
• The Bee Friendlies, representing Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth and Cubbington, who had some excellent examples of good vs bad bee hotels, as well as information on gardening for bees, a seed share, and their Bee Friendly School awards;
• Warwickshire Hedgehog Rescue, with lots of information about caring for hedgehogs and what to do if you see a hedgehog in trouble;
• WART – Warwickshire Amphibian and Reptile Team, who had a table all about creating ponds, including how to make one in an old washing up bowl;
• Warwickshire Bat Group, with advice on bat boxes, and gardening for bats;
• Warwickshire Wildlife Trust ran a nature quiz tombola, listened to people’s loves, concerns, dreams and ideas for nature, and ran practical workshops on how to create a wildflower patch;
• Warwick District Council, who ran lots of activities for children, gave out advice on helping wildlife, had a fantastic prize draw and helped make the event happen.

The programme of talks was fully attended throughout and the excellent speakers, who gave their time freely and focused on how we could help bees, butterflies, bats, birds, hedgehogs and moths in our own gardens and green spaces, as well as the value of ponds and creating habitats.  

In addition to nature, one of the talking points was the fabulous patchwork map of Leamington, generously and expertly created by local sewists associated with the delightful shop on Clemens Street, Lott Bazaar, and Lemmy the Patchwork Bear, made by Anna from Knit Sew Lace (see photos for both). If you didn’t manage to see the patchwork, it will be displayed at a few venues in the town in the coming months. It is worth seeing!

Lastly, we really want to know what people are already doing for nature and have an online map to capture all the actions being carried out in Warwickshire.  Let’s put Leamington on the map and start to see a real patchwork of wildlife habitat taking shape!  So, if you have already installed a pond, a wildflower patch, wildflower garden, put a hole in your fence for hedgehogs or done something else to help nature, please put it on our #TeamWilder map 

#TeamWilder map