Could we build the Most Biodiverse Town in Britain?


By Victoria Benns, Founder & Director of Trailblazing, Be Wild S


omething wild is happening in Dartmouth. Beyond our public green spaces, parks and the much-loved community


orchard, another quieter transformation is underway. Across the town, in back gardens and on balconies, residents are choosing to make space for nature. And those individual choices are beginning to add up, forming a growing network of tiny havens which, together, are becoming something much bigger. Are you on board? BeWild, the local social enterprise behind Dartmouth’s recent Wild Week events and monthly WildFinds drop-ins, is connecting these efforts. BeWild Dartmouth is a growing team of passionate local residents who are discovering the wonderful things people are already doing for wildlife and gently inspiring others to do whatever they can for the natural


Claire Gillo Photography


world right on our doorstep. The message is simple, but powerful: everything counts. Take Sally, for example. In her


Choosing not to use chemicals, pesticides or


peat. These small, everyday acts really do add up, especially when a whole town takes part.


town garden, she has created a meadow. What was once a neatly mown lawn now hums with wild- flowers and buzzing insects. The nectar-rich plants she nurtures support pollinators, which in turn feed everything from passing hedgehogs to visiting birds. This small patch has an impact that ripples outwards - woven into the wider web of life that sustains us all. And that’s the heart of BeWild


Dartmouth: recognising that nature doesn’t just exist “out there” in reserves or remote places. It lives here, between our houses, along our streets, in our gardens and church walls. The question BeWild gently asks is simply this: what are you doing for the natural world? The answers don’t need to be


grand. A pond dug into a garden corner. A bird feeder hung outside a kitchen window. A small gap cut in a fence to let hedgehogs through. Letting the grass grow a little longer. Choosing not to use chemicals, pesticides or peat. These small, everyday acts really do add


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