Our wildlife is suffering. Over the past 50 years, habitat loss, pesticides, intensive agriculture, pollution, climate change have all decimated our nations wildlife. 97% of wild flower meadows have been destroyed, insects are going extinct eight times faster than that of mammals, birds and reptiles. Scientists estimate the UK has only half its natural biodiversity left.

Wiltshire Council announced a Climate Emergency in 2019. The Wildlife Friendly Village (WFV) project was first discussed in 2020, a long term project to enable wild flowers to grow to increase the biodiversity and provide food and shelter for many species of bees, pollinators and other insects.

As a response to this the Little Somerford Parish Council (LSPC) has made use of the unused allotments, planting various fruit trees, raspberries and blackberries, which grew in abundance in 2021. In 2022 LSPC saw the grass cutting regime changed to include leaving areas long and using the “cut and collect” method to reduce the fertility of the soil. This is a huge change for everyone but in the right direction to reconnect to nature and to learn how to prioritise it above all other things for ours and future generations.