The conservation project will also involve pupils at nearby Larkrise Primary School to enhance their nature-based learning. The project will also involve collaboration with local wellbeing services, harnessing the impact of green spaces and nature on mental health and overall happiness. Helen Edwards, chair of OUWG, said: “It’s a wonderful opportunity to encourage, inspire and educate people to nurture and protect areas of wildness in urban environments. We will be offering volunteers of all ages opportunities to gain new skills in wildlife conservation and ecology to protect our local nature sites for future generations.” Ben Heaven Taylor, TOE’s CEO, added: “We know grants from TOE make all the difference to grassroots projects like this which might not otherwise happen.
The new bee-friendly raised beds. Picture: Barracks Lane Community Garden Project BEDS for bees have been created at an East Oxford garden. The raised beds at Barracks Lane Community Garden have been planted with flowers that will provide nectar for pollinators. They were created using support posts made from recycled plastic, to make the beds doubly environmentally-friendly. The project was funded by The Trust for Oxfordshire s Environment. The garden’s chair of trustees, Jennifer Creese, said “The grant from TOE has allowed us to carry out a major capital works project, which in turn will allow us to plant new and different varieties of pollinator friendly plants to further improve the biodiversity of the garden and local area.