#TeamWilder stories: Fenny Compton village's new wildflower patch

#TeamWilder encourages people to improve their local area for wildlife, and that’s exactly what Emily Hunt has been doing through the Managed for Nature project. She’s bringing together the local community, and we wanted to find out more.

How did the project start in your village?

The project sprang from a post made on the village Facebook page in 2021. One resident, artist Emma Wilkinson, mentioned how nice it was to see wildflowers growing in an area which hadn’t yet been mown and suggested that it would be good, both aesthetically and in terms of biodiversity, if more areas were like this within the village. There was enthusiastic support for her idea, so Emma liaised with the Parish Council and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, culminating in an existing green space being identified for our first project.

Have many people in your local community joined in?

Our meadow-making project has been really successful in bringing people together in the community. A team of volunteers were enlisted, working with Dan from Warwickshire Wildlife Trust to scarify and sow the area. It was hard work, but good fun, and it was great to meet people I may not otherwise have encountered – many with a shared interest in nature and making a difference locally. Even those not directly involved can be seen enjoying the wilder space we have created – there is a mown path through the centre to allow access, plus a bench for people to sit and observe the species it supports, or just enjoy a quiet moment.

What changes have you made for wildlife so far?

So far, we have successfully created a meadow for wildflowers, grasses and the species they support. We have recorded cornflowers, field poppies, milkmaids, clovers, various umbellifers, oxeye daisies, ragwort, corncockles and even a pyramidal orchid!

A knock-on effect of this is that the meadow provides a food source for small mammals, and birds such as swallows which feed on flying insects. Goldfinches can also be seen feeding on seedheads, and many species may use the area for shelter. It’s fantastic to see a barren stretch of previously mown grass become a thriving habitat.

We have also secured other areas in the village - and will begin scarifying our second plot this autumn! We hope to extend our project further in the future, transforming as many mown areas as we can, boosting biodiversity by creating a chain of wild spaces through the village.