Features / Bristol Charity Advent Calendar 2023
Bristol Charity Advent Calendar 2023, day 19: Grow Wilder
Wildlife is in serious decline and urgent action is needed.
This is the stark message from Grow Wilder, an organisation based on a 6.5 acre plot at Frenchay that aims to be a positive force for change.
The charity, which is part of Avon Wildlife Trust, seeks to do this by educating, upskilling and empowering local people, communities, schools and businesses to take their own action through wildlife-friendly gardening and sustainable food growing.
The ambition is to enable nature to recover on a grand scale and part of this involves making space for nature and encouraging others to do the same.
In the last year, Grow Wilder has sold or distributed more than 58,000 wildflower plants to individual households, councils and community groups. The charity estimates from the sales of wildflowers at its Frenchay site that some 1,000 households have created nature-rich habitats in their gardens.
The charity states: “It is time for stepping up. Bristol has announced both ecological and climate emergencies. Wildlife is in serious decline. Urgent action is needed and at Grow Wilder our aim is to act as a positive force for change.
“Our goal is to enable nature to recover on a grand scale through inspiring people, communities, schools and businesses to take action for wildlife. We want to be growing wilder food, growing wilder gardens and growing wilder people.”
Grow Wilder aims to be a positive force for change – photo: Grow Wilder
Grow Wilder champions sustainable food growing and the charity’s market and forest gardens are used as demonstration sites to educate and inspire others to manage their own gardens in a wildlife friendly way.
Grow Wilder has welcomed thousands of people through its gates in the last year. It has also hosted 50 Avon Wildlife Trust courses and events on site – from the Wildlife Watch Club for children, to art-based wellbeing classes, wildflower ID courses and traditional hedge-laying – and provided space for some 20 charities to host their own events.
Find out more about Grow Wilder and how to support the charity’s work via: www.growwilder.co.uk.
Main photo: George Cook
Read next:
- Farmer’s appeal to realise expansion dreams that would secure his future
- Hopes to raise £75,000 for new eco building in east Bristol
- Call for information on community-led wildlife action
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