We began with a walk through the Northern Slopes with Avon Wildlife Trust. Together we wandered through forests and fields, spotting local creatures and plants including some blackberries which arrived earlier than usual. After, we jumped into some activities at the Springfield Community Allotment:
– Making superhero masks inspired by our favourite animals.
– Viewing recent nature-inspired creations made by the community in KWMC The Factory’s ‘Make Your Mark’ project.
– Discovering the wonders of moss with artist Hester Buck. Did you know that moss can reveal a lot about air quality?
– Exploring the allotments as different insects (“what kind of journey does a butterfly have here?”).
A particularly rich activity was our mapping of Knowle West’s green spaces, how we get to them and what wildlife we see there. We discovered a couple of treasured ‘wildlife corridors’ in alleys behind people’s homes and located spots where badgers cross between parks. We were also told about a few green spaces which are due to be replaced with housing. Cats were also mentioned a few times, both pets and strays which wander between different households. Other wildlife spotted included: foxes, hedgehogs, slugs, butterflies, robins, pigeons, bats and some naughty horses which often escape their paddock!
We enjoyed a tasty lentil curry from The Park Centre and fresh salad from the allotments, then Kmt Freedom Teacher’s performance had us singing along, making animal sounds and acting as trees.
Big thanks to the Springfield Community Allotment team and Knowle West Alliance in helping to make this event happen.
Explore More
You can find out more about the Northern Slopes’ events, wildlife sightings, and ways to get involved on their Facebook group and website.
Avon Wildlife Trust have created a great online resource called My Wild City where you can download top tips for making your neighbourhood more wildlife friendly and a toolkit for making a more nature rich city. They have also added a page for the Northern Slopes where you can find an illustrated map of the Slopes plus a printable colouring sheet.
Springfield Community Allotments are looking for volunteers and organising a seed swap. They are welcoming any residents, groups or organisations who’d like to be involved in and use the site. Head to their website here to see more.
Our Collect to Connect project is running from Summer until Autumn 2023. If you’d like to get involved or find out more, please feel welcome to contact us: ella.chedburn@kwmc.org.uk. We would love to hear from you.
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