My Wild City: Help turn Bristol into a nature reserve

Avon Wildlife Trust launches its new My Wild City maps in a bid to transform Bristol into a nature reserve. The Trust's vision is to work with communities across the city, using the maps to inspire everyone to 'do something amazing for wildlife' in their local area.

The maps, which cover greater Bristol, picture the city as it’s never been seen before, with the needs of wildlife at their core.

Developed using over 200 data sets (including aerial photography, remote sensing, habitat and soil data) the maps show the best places to create habitat for wildlife, linking gardens and green spaces to create wildlife corridors across Bristol.

Bevis Watts, Chief Executive of Avon Wildlife Trust  said:

 “Avon Wildlife Trust is incredibly excited to launch the My Wild City maps. They show the tremendous opportunity we have to enhance and create homes for wildlife across our city. We can all do something amazing for wildlife.

“By transforming our gardens and open spaces, together we can create a nature-rich city that attracts wildlife right up to our doorsteps. By transforming Bristol into a nature reserve we can give everyone the opportunity to experience wildlife every day, for their own health and wellbeing.”

Simon King OBE, renowned wildlife broadcaster and President of Avon Wildlife Trust said:

“My Wild City is an amazing opportunity for Bristol to build on its already well established green credentials. By restoring nature to the city’s gardens and green spaces, Bristol could lead the way in a groundswell of positive action that could be echoed in other towns and cities across the UK and the rest of the world.

“We can all do little things that will make a huge difference for wildlife and, in so doing, improve our own lives immensely.”

Do something amazing for wildlife. Avon Wildlife Trust is calling on everyone across the city to download the map of their neighbourhood and talk to their neighbours and community about what action they can take for wildlife as part of Bristol 2015.

For example, planting wildflowers and bee-friendly plants, putting up nest boxes or leaving out kitchen scraps to attract garden birds like blackbirds.

The 20 My Wild City maps allow people to zoom right down to their own street and garden level. They show the best places to connect habitats by linking gardens, passageways and other green spaces  –  helping to create wildlife corridors or ‘green highways’ so that wildlife can move easily around the city.

The maps identify the areas in each neighbourhood where there are opportunities to improve woodland and grassland habitat for wildlife, and also other opportunities like making bird boxes, ponds and fresh water containers or planters.

Taking action for wildlife can be easy, especially if you make it part of your everyday life. Remember, it doesn’t matter the size of your garden, or if you live in a flat, there are still lots of small changes you can make that will benefit wildlife.

Find out how you can take action for birds, bees, butterflies and all wildlife at: www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/mywildcity.

Help make Bristol a nature reserve. Avon Wildlife Trust’s vision is for Bristol to be a nature-rich city, working together to help wildlife thrive in a developing urban environment. The Trust will be working with four key communities to create demonstration sites across the city, showcasing  activities to inspire people to take action for wildlife.

The Trust has secured funding of at least £1k for each of:

·         Ashley, Easton and Lawrence Hill

·         Henbury and Southmead

·         Bishopsworth, Hartcliffe and Whitchurch Park

·         Greater Bedminster

Avon Wildlife Trust is leading the way as part of Bristol 2015, by transforming an incredibly challenging brownfield site in the Avon Gorge – that was used as a dumping ground for World War 2 blitz spoil – into a new nature reserve, Bennett’s Patch and White’s Paddock.

Bristol and the surrounding countryside still offer one of the greenest areas in the country – with one-third of the city being open green space or waterways.

But the region also has the fastest growing population in the UK, with all the development pressure that brings. By putting nature at the heart of our everyday lives, we can help to ensure that wildlife can live and flourish alongside us.

Download your My Wild City map and do something amazing for wildlife today: www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/mywildcity.

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