About Us

The Staple Wildlife Friendly Village Project was started in 2020 by a small number of villagers who sought to protect and enhance local habitats for wildlife. We approached the Parish Council to gain recognition for the project. We were generously supported with a grant to fund our project which enabled the group to form a committee and draw up a constitution. This initiative was inspired by the first Wildlife Friendly Village established in Risby, Suffolk. We now are members of the Wildlife Friendly Community nationwide.

Our aims are:

To identify ways that habitats for wildlife can be improved in the parish of Staple and its immediate surrounding wildlife
To develop and manage designated areas of land for the best interests of wildlife
To work in conjunction with local organisations that have an interest in wildlife
To promote wildlife friendly actions by holding events, talks and writing articles for parish newsletters in order to engage with residents and landowners
To encourage the involvement of the wider community in the need to support the development of biodiversity within our locality

Since the establishment of SWFV, we have planted trees, shrubs, hedging and sown wildflower seeds in public areas as well as on land offered to us by villagers. We organise regular litter picks throughout the village. We have recently taken on the management of areas of the churchyard, demonstrating why we set aside parts of the churchyard, providing examples of good husbandry with composting and dead hedges to provide natural habitats for different species of invertebrates. We organise visits to eco-friendly sites such as local farms that use nature friendly farming methods and innovative growing methods at industrial units. We also visit wildlife sites to learn about different species from butterflies to orchids. We carry out surveys to record findings.