Nature and Community

 
 
 

Nature supporting Community, community supporting Nature.

Through the delivery of The Great Growing Project, we provide:

  • Weekly work days for volunteers, offering opportunities to learn new skills in conservation, woodland management and coppicing as well as specific training, for example in first aid and the use of a chainsaw

  • Improved sense of wellbeing through time spent outside in a natural setting

  • Regular events and projects e.g.

    • Craft workshops

    • Fundraising events

    • Archaeology

    provide opportunities to socialise, develop communication skills as well as gain experience in project and events management

  • Opportunities to connect with others nationally and internationally through partnerships with organisations such as Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots. 

  • Opportunities to work with schools to deliver outdoor learning activities linked to nature. For example, 6 Trees & 6 Flowers.

  • Opportunities to work with members of the community to deliver outreach projects linked to nature. Such as our Nature Explorer’s Play Scheme and Flowerbed Storytime.

  • Provision of a local, outdoor site (Harmony Woods and The Cabin) for Youth Organisations, Guiding and Scouting Groups to use, giving opportunities to develop skills such as orienteering

 
Harmony Woods at sunrise - By John Baxter

Harmony Woods at sunrise - By John Baxter

On the horizon

Outcomes for Nature – Harmony Woods:

  • Providing enhanced and improved habitats for locally occurring and at risk plant and animal species to include key species of chalk downland wildflowers

  • Connected via green corridors to other local wooded areas

  • Comprised of diverse habitats – woodland, coppice, hedgerow, pond, flower meadow, short-cut grass, long grass, growing beds

  • Sustainably managed through introduction of monitoring programme and site surveys.

  • Better interpreted and explained – how it has evolved – local history & heritage

  • Contributing to knowledge and understanding about the importance of the natural world for current and future lives

  • A base for environmental education, volunteering and training in conservation and habitat management, supported by linked sites

Outcomes for the Community:

  • Young people and adults will understand that human actions impact positively and negatively on the natural world, and that local actions may have global consequences

  • More people & a wider range of people will have engaged with the natural environment

  • Local areas/communities will be a better place to live, work or visit

  • Better connected groups & improved sense of community

  • An improved sense of wellbeing through engagement in outdoor nature-based activities

  • Young people and adults will have volunteered time in nature, developed skills, changed their attitudes and/or behaviour and had an enjoyable experience.

  • Young people will have engaged in outdoor nature-based activities

 
 

Community wildflower day - adding more wildflowers to the meadow.


"I like volunteering with Andover Trees United because it is about getting outdoors and getting involved. It is also really great to socialise; everyone has a really good sense of humour!

I am learning lots of outdoor skills like I did not know how to do mulching before and I am slowly learning all the different types of trees. I also really liked learning archaeology skills in the summer."

- Matt, 15

 

At ATU we put the environment at the heart of everything we do. 

We appreciate the fact that all living things, including plants, animals, people and their physical environment are interconnected, that they impact and depend on one another to survive. We are always conscious of how our work impacts the environment, whether that be directly through the creation and management of wild spaces, or indirectly, through the education and communication of environmental issues to our local schools and community.  

In a nutshell, we are working to increase biodiversity, offset carbon emissions, sustainably manage the woodland, create more wild spaces, educate the public in conservation of the natural environment and provide opportunities for the community to learn about wider environmental issues such as: sustainability, climate change, ecology and the mitigating need for trees.


How we directly impact nature in Harmony Woods:

  • 10,000 British native trees have been planted as of Nov 2021

  • 34 species of British native trees planted as of 2022

  • 35 species of wildflowers planted as of June 2018

  • We have established plants in support of key Lepidoptera species

  • The Nature in Harmony wildlife monitoring project has been set up

  • A butterfly transect across Harmony Woods has been registered with the Butterfly Conservation. If you would like to help monitor the growing butterfly population in Harmony Woods, please see the ‘how to help’ page.

  • A wildlife pond is becoming established, increasing aquatic invertebrate and plant diversity. 

  • A new ‘Habitat’s Trail’ learning in nature space is under development (2021-22)

  • Habitats have been provided for a range of birds including the red listed Skylarks

  • Connecting people - children and adults - to nature improves understanding and encourages more responsible behaviours