Wildlife project for residents of North Luton secures more funding

As the orchids bloom on Bradgers Hill in North Luton, and the swifts return to our skies, a project that is connecting the community to this important natural habitat is celebrating its achievements and successes after almost 3 years of nature-based activities.

Since November 2021 the Wilder Futures project has created opportunities for Luton residents to explore and learn about the beautiful green spaces found north of the town, and to get involved with various activities such as wildlife workshops, well-being walks, family events, litter picking and tree planting.

Over 600 residents have attended these events, 700 school children have taken part in nature and wildlife themed activities from 11 different schools, more than 100 volunteers have taken part in conservation activities and almost 180 local children have attended regular wildlife clubs run at Wardown Park and the Bushmead Community Hub.

Bradgers Hill is located in the North of Luton, adjacent to Stopsley Common, it encompasses a large area of chalk grassland which supports many wildflowers. A variety of orchids bloom here in the early summer, notably the bee orchid which is the county flower of Bedfordshire.

The site has been important to the people of Luton for centuries, it has the longest continuous set of lynchets (ridges formed by ancient ploughing) in Bedfordshire and these are listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The project has designed and installed 6 new interpretation boards to help explain the important ecology and heritage found at this site. Visitors can now explore the Bradgers Hill site more easily as access to walking routes has been improved with steps replaced and paths widened. Clear maps on the new boards and 20 way markers encourages people to follow three different routes around the site.

Studies show that spending time in nature has can have positive benefits for physical and mental health. Local volunteers have reported positive experiences with the Wilder Futures project; ‘As a local resident who has enjoyed Bradgers Hill since I was a child, I have really valued the opportunity to be involved with helping people to engage with nature in Luton,’ said one volunteer.

‘I have a lifelong interest in wildlife/ecology and seeing such a great local project, I wanted to be involved. I teach in a school and am keen to get the children involved with more outdoor learning and increasing biodiversity in the school grounds. By volunteering, I am also improving my knowledge and gaining ideas I can use in school,’ said another volunteer.

Engaging children and young people has been a key goal of the project. The team has connected with primary and secondary schools in the area and across Luton, providing a variety of activities within school grounds and site visits. Volunteering opportunities have been provided for 12-18yr olds and a more intensive programme of clubs and forest schools have been provided for younger children.

During two forest school taster sessions held in October, one Family Fun Day participant said ‘My children loved the camp fire which they did at the end and toasting marshmallows, it increased their confidence around fire. It was a nice mix of activities and it was a chance for mums to chat and know the kids are safe.’

Large areas of grassland have been created by clearing scrub and parts of Stopsley Common have been upgraded from District Wildlife Site to County Wildlife Site thanks to surveying work undertaken by project staff. 2000 new trees have been planted on Stopsley Common to help improve biodiversity and combat climate change as part of the Hay Wood extension project, all by volunteers under supervision from Wildlife Trust and LBC staff.

The project was funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and having heard from participants about the positive impact made on their lives, in addition to the landscape, further funding has just been agreed to continue the Trust’s efforts to engage more people with the fantastic landscapes found in and around Luton.

If you would like to find out more about looking after Bradgers Hill, Stopsley Common and other green spaces in Luton please see Countryside volunteers (luton.gov.uk) or the Wildlife Trust's website at Conservation Work Parties - Bedfordshire | Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs & Northants (wildlifebcn.org)