Nestled in the heart of the New Forest, with ponies and other animals roaming freely, many visitors will think of Brockenhurst as the ideal green village, causing The Daily Telegraph to include it in their 2021 list of the country's most beautiful villages.

The Greener Brockenhurst community group believes more can and needs to be done, both to enhance the village's green credentials and to inspire others to positive actions, however small, to help address the planetary challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Founded in 2021 as a grass roots environmental action group, Greener Brockenhurst is a collaboration between residents, community organisations and local businesses.

To date, it has established a Recycling Shed, a Repair Cafe, a plastic free Brockenhurst initiative, and with the help of a grant from Hampshire County Council, a Nappy Library designed to reduce the use of disposables. Promoting wildlife-friendly gardening and helping nature recover has been a Greener Brockenhurst project from the outset.

Earlier this year, St Saviour's Church has generously offered space in the church ground, ideally situated near the village centre, for the development of a showcase wildlife garden. This project is called Making Space for Nature. Plans were agreed earlier this year with help of HIWWT Team Wilder Gardening Champions, followed by laurel and bramble clearance in early Spring. Wildflower seeds have been sown, logs dug into a stumpery, to attract stag beetles which are already resident in the area, and a bog garden with pond plants is in progress.

Community engagement is a key driver. Greener Brockenhurst had their second Eco Fair in the grounds of St Saviour's Church on 9 July, jointly hosted with Brockenhurst Parish Churches. The event was a combination of a traditional village fair and a forum for the promotion of green initiatives and the exchange of ideas.

Making Space for Nature showcased what can be achieved on the small space they have been working on, inspiring the community and local residents to think differently and innovatively about what they can do in their own gardens or outdoor space to encourage wildlife and help nature recover.

The show garden includes a deadwood stumpery area, providing excellent habitat space for many species of invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles and fungi, a sunny wildflower patch which will be a great source of nectar for pollinator insects such as bees and butterflies, and a wonderful wildlife pond.

Bird boxes and hedgehog boxes made by a local scout group will be installed, and in due course the showcase garden will be available to local schools and other groups for education and inspiration.

The existing small group has relevant skills and experience but more volunteers are needed to complete the development and then to help maintain the garden. A work party is planned for September, after the main holiday season. 

Blog written by Team Wilder champion Steve Almond and edited by Greener Brockenhurst.